CPH Faculty

After nearly three years of backorders and pharmacy scrambles, the high-demand weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are finally back in full supply. The FDA recently declared an end to the nationwide shortage of their active ingredients, semaglutide and tirzepatide. Martin Binks, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University and a researcher and clinician with expertise in obesity, explains what this moment means for patients, providers, and public health.

Public health leader to help shape clinical guidance for those impacted by toxic fuel exposure

Martin Binks Ph.D., MBA is professor, and Chair of the department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Dr. Binks has been a metabolic disease scientist & clinician for over 20 years and is an experienced administrative leader in healthcare, business and clinical program development. He has assisted thousands of patients with behavioral pharmacologic and surgical weight loss, health and wellness, and quality of life improvement and has mentored countless early career professionals over his distinguished career.

MeAgainMeds.com, a free AI-powered website, helps clinicians more effectively match patients with the optimal antidepressant using big data.

Amira Roess, professor of global health and epidemiology at Mason, discusses deer with chronic wasting disease, nicknamed "zombie deer," and what the risk to humans is. 

Researchers, led by associate professor Debora Goldberg, spoke with clinicians to better understand what causes burnout and discuss strategies to improve clinician well-being.

Dr. Allison Miner is a licensed dietitian and educator. Dr. Miner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She also provides medical nutrition therapy at the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA, Health Unit). At the TSA she moderates a virtual weekly weight loss support group which is available to its 68,000+ employees.

This year, College of Public Health professor James (Jim) Metcalf joined some very rare company, becoming the fourth George Mason University faculty member to mark 50 years of service.

Dr. Iulia Fratila is an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health. Fratila’s research interests have practical and scholarly contributions related to health promotion, health education (e.g., drug education, sexual health education) and leisure and health studies. Her teaching repertoire includes classes such as social determinants of health, introduction to public health, ethics in health sciences, and research methods.

Dr. Kenneth Frese is Director of Clinical Operations in the School of Nursing. Frese’s research and quality improvement interests are in patient safety, expanding healthcare access, new nurse preparedness and professional identity. Before coming to Mason, Frese was a clinical nurse for 31 years, spanning roles from Practical Nurse to Clinical Nurse Specialist. His experience includes 27 years with Inova primarily in Critical Care, and he has led and collaborated on multiple successful facility and system-wide QI projects.