Professional Experience

GERDA ENDEMANN NUTRITION AND HEALTH CONTENT AND CLAIMS, Santa Cruz, CA · 2022 to present

Principal

I write, edit, and review science-based editorial and marketing content on nutrition, dietary supplements, health, and medicine. I create educational materials for lay and professional audiences, and specialize in ensuring regulatory compliance of collateral with FDA and FTC guidelines.

GOOP INC, Santa Monica, CA · 2018 to 2022

Senior Director, Science & Research

Developed wellness content and products to benefit consumers, promote trust, and reduce liability around claims.

Wellness Content: Envisioned and created editorial content for the Goop newsletter and website on a wide variety of wellness-related topics including the following.

·  Directed and launched the Goop PhD library on health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lyme disease, irritable bowel syndrome, menopause, depression, and breast cancer.

·  Initiated and conducted interviews with leading authorities with outstanding professional and academic credentials. Examples include Preventing Low-Blood-Sugar-Induced Hunger and Anxiety; The Author of Blacks in Medicine on Race, Racism, and Health Outcomes; Why Did Weight Become the Scapegoat for Health Issues?

·  Founded the “Ask Gerda” franchise answering questions on health and nutrition with research-based advice and information. Examples include: Ask Gerda: Are Lectins in Foods Hurting My Gut?; Is Intermittent Fasting Evidence-Based?; Is Beer Healthier than Wine?; Does Alcohol Disrupt Sleep?

·  Wrote wide-ranging articles summarizing scientific research including: Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers: The Proven Benefits and Possible Risks; What We Know—and Don’t Know—about Electromagnetic Radiation from Wi-Fi and Phones; Are Seed Oils Like Canola Unhealthy?

Product Development: Formulated Goop brand products and evaluated partner brands. Supervised research for substantiation of label claims.

Regulatory Compliance: Orchestrated science and regulatory review of labels, marketing collateral, and newsletter stories for compliance with FDA and FTC requirements pertaining to supplements and other wellness products.

THRESHOLD ENTERPRISES (Dietary Supplements Manufacturer), Scotts Valley, CA · 2011 to 2018

Senior Research Manager, 2014 to 2018

Senior Researcher, 2011 to 2014

Product Development: Directed new product formulation for the Source Naturals® line of dietary supplements. Initiated and led program to source sustainable packaging materials. Implemented validation program for non-GMO and vegan status of raw materials. Provided research expertise for quality control and finished product and stability testing programs. Products developed under my leadership include: Upshots® Smoothie Mix-Ins, Nightwell®, Screen Time Stamina®, Caffeine + L-Theanine, AllerStrength™, Telemeron®, MBP® Bone Renew™, MBP® Osteo.

Regulatory Compliance: In charge of scientific research and claims substantiation for regulatory needs. Developed detailed product substantiation documents based on comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed research as well as traditional medicine practices. Guided marketing department in development of label claims for regulatory compliance per FDA and FTC guidelines. Trained marketing, sales, and customer service teams.

Managerial Responsibilities: Spearheaded recruitment of research associates and scientists. Mentored team of researchers.

GERDA ENDEMANN NUTRITION EDUCATION (GENE), Palo Alto, CA · 2003 to 2011

Principal

Founded and directed GENE, consisting of two components: educational programs and individual consultation.

Educational Programs: Designed and presented seminars and corporate employee education workshops tailored for clients. Examples include: All About Heart Disease: From Antioxidants to the Portfolio Diet; Navigating Restaurants and Grocery Stores; Supplements: What’s in Those Pills You’re Taking?

Client and Host Organizations: Scios Inc., Palo Alto Adult Education, Stanford Health Improvement Program, El Camino Hospital, SPARC Medical Corporation, Association of Women in Science, Women Interaction at SLAC.

Individual Consultation: Created action plans targeted to individual health objectives. Used up-to-date scientific research to solve nutrition-related issues. Collaborated with medical doctors on health conditions and medications that may affect nutritional needs.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Stanford, CA · 2006 to 2011

Adjunct Faculty, Program in Human Biology

Proposed, designed, and taught undergraduate nutrition courses: Fat Nutrition and Current Health Concerns; The Omnivore’s Dilemma: Or Is It? The primary reference materials were scientific research articles. Students were asked to critically examine original data rather than relying on potentially biased secondary sources.

FOOTHILL COLLEGE, Los Altos Hills, CA · 2005 to 2011

Adjunct Faculty, Biological & Health Sciences

Created curricula and taught undergraduate courses: Health Education; Human Nutrition; Honors Biology–Sustainability and Health.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, Stanford, CA · 1998 to 2002

Senior Research Scientist, Department of Molecular Pharmacology

Developed models to study human breast cancer.

SCIOS INC. (FORMERLY CALIFORNIA BIOTECHNOLOGY INC.), Mountain View, CA.· 1989 to1997

Senior Scientist, 1992 to 1997, Scientist, 1989 to 1992

Discovered the CD36 pathway that is key to understanding the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease. This work— which revealed how oxidized fat and cholesterol accumulate in arteries—has been cited over 1500 times.

Education

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, MA

Ph.D. Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism

Discovered a new pathway for cholesterol production— from ketone bodies— by the liver. Identified the starting material used to produce the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, that controls contraction of the diaphragm.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, Berkeley, CA

B.S. Food, Nutrition and Dietetics (highest honors)

Member, Phi Beta Kappa, Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar.

Grants, Fellowships and Scholarships

California Breast Cancer Research Program IDEA II Grant (with D. Mochly-Rosen)         

Principal investigator, NIH Grant for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

Leukemia Society of America Postdoctoral Fellowship    

American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship                              

National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship                              

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship                                   

Ida M. Green Graduate Fellowship                                  

Torch and Shield Scholarship                              

California State Scholarship

Professional Associations

Member, American Society for Nutrition                           

Ad Hoc Reviewer, NIH Study Section on Pathology                      

Reviewer for The Journal of Biological Chemistry, American Journal of Pathology, Blood,

British Journal of Cancer, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology    

Selected Publications in Peer-Reviewed Journals (a complete list is here)

Endemann G, Brunengraber H. The source of acetyl coenzyme A for acetylcholine synthesis in the perfused rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm. J Biol Chem. 1980;255(23):11091-11093.

Endemann G, Goetz PG, Edmond J, Brunengraber H. Lipogenesis from ketone bodies in the isolated perfused rat liver. Evidence for the cytosolic activation of acetoacetate. J Biol Chem. 1982;257(7):3434-3440.

Endemann G, Pronzcuk A, Friedman G, Lindsey S, Alderson L, Hayes KC. Monocyte adherence to endothelial cells in vitro is increased by beta-VLDL. Am J Pathol. 1987;126(1):1-6.

Endemann G, Dunn SN, Cantley LC. Bovine brain contains two types of phosphatidylinositol kinase. Biochemistry. 1987;26(21):6845-6852. doi:10.1021/bi00395a039

Endemann G, Yonezawa K, Roth RA. Phosphatidylinositol kinase or an associated protein is a substrate for the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase. J Biol Chem. 1990;265(1):396-400.

Endemann G, Graziani A, Cantley LC. A monoclonal antibody distinguishes two types of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. Biochem J. 1991;273(Pt 1):63-66. doi:10.1042/bj2730063

Endemann G, Stanton LW, Madden KS, Bryant CM, White RT, Protter AA. CD36 is a receptor for oxidized low density lipoprotein. J Biol Chem. 1993;268(16):11811-11816.

Endemann G, Feng Y, Bryant CM, et al. Novel anti-inflammatory compounds prevent CD11b/CD18, alpha M beta 2 (Mac-1)-dependent neutrophil adhesion without blocking activation-induced changes in Mac-1. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1996;276(1):5-12.

Feng Y, Chung D, Garrard L, McEnroe G, Lim D, Scardina J, McFadden K, Guzzetta A, Lam A, Abraham J, Liu D, Endemann G. Peptides derived from the complementarity-determining regions of anti-Mac-1 antibodies block intercellular adhesion molecule-1 interaction with Mac-1. J Biol Chem. 1998;273(10):5625-30. doi: 10.1074/jbc.273.10.5625

Endemann G, Schechtman D, Mochly-Rosen D. Cytotoxicity of pEGFP vector is due to residues encoded by multiple cloning site. Anal Biochem. 2003;313(2):345-347. doi:10.1016/s0003-2697(02)00619-x

Faridi J, Wang L, Endemann G, Roth RA. Expression of constitutively active Akt-3 in MCF-7 breast cancer cells reverses the estrogen and tamoxifen responsivity of these cells in vivo. Clin Cancer Res. 2003;9(8):2933-9.

Book

Endemann, G. Fat Is Not The Enemy, Word Association Press, Tarentum, PA (2002).