Newtopia – Reinventing weight loss. Experts. Our experts are here to change your life.

Natasha Vani received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from York University in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science. While completing her undergraduate degree she specialized in an athletic therapy certificate program gaining experience in the treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. During her graduate degree, Natasha became certified as a Strength and conditioning coach as well as an Exercise physiologist. At this time she participated in the fitness testing of elite level athletes and organizations as well as various occupational populations. Some of these include the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Ontario firefighter applicants and the annual testing for the NHL entry draft. While completing her education Natasha prepared and presented seminars on fitness and nutrition for competitive athletes and worked as a part time laboratory instructor in anatomy, and fitness assessment & exercise counselling. In recent years she was the regional manager of an international health company which worked one on one with clients in the areas of nutrition, exercise and well being. Her ultimate goal is to assist individuals in the area of disease prevention and attainment of optimal health. To continue on this path and with the desire to target a larger population and offer a wider range of modalities Natasha chose to incorporate her exercise background with alternative medicine. She is currently a Naturopathic doctor and a recent graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine.

Dr. Karyn Hood received her PhD in clinical/counselling psychology from the University of Toronto. She completed her clinical training at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and the University of Toronto. In 2006, she was appointed Director of Psychology at Cleveland Clinic Canada, a pioneering integrative health care facility in Toronto. Here she developed a comprehensive behavioural health department with specialty programs in executive and preventative health, stress/anxiety management, women’s health, cardiac prevention, and weight and lifestyle management.

Dr. Hood has worked with numerous clients to help them achieve their weight loss goals, and received advanced training in the treatment of obesity from the renowned Bariatric Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Dr. Hood also has advanced training in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), an internationally recognized and evidence-based method of achieving behaviour change, which she applies to her private work with clients. She has integrated these same principles to the well-being component of the Newtopia program. In addition to her work with clients with weight issues, Dr. Hood has worked with clients with stress and anxiety, mood disorders, relationship difficulties, health issues, stress, and adjustment issues. She has delivered a number of talks and professional workshops, and has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Hood is a licensed member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO), and is currently in private practice in downtown Toronto.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Dugoua, or Dr. JJ as he is affectionately known, is a Naturopathic Doctor, clinical pharmacologist and researcher. He is the Chief Medical Officer of the Liberty Clinic in downtown Toronto and the first Naturopathic Doctor (ND) to practice at the Toronto Western Hospital in the Artist Health Center, one of the few NDs practicing in a hospital in Canada. He does research with the Motherisk Program at Sick Kids Hospital where he heads the MotherNature Network. Dr. JJ completed his PhD in Pharmacy Sciences at the University of Toronto. Dr. JJ is a co-author of “Herbal Medicines in Pregnancy and Lactation – An Evidence-based Approach First Edition” (Taylor & Francis 2006). Dr. JJ has many peer-reviewed scientific publications published or in press. He is a world expert on natural health products pharmacology and pregnancy safety.

Dr. Louis Pérusse is professor and director of the Division of Kinesiology in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University. He is a genetic epidemiologist with twenty years of research experience in the field of the genetics of complex diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Dr Pérusse is also the Editor‐in‐Chief of the Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics, the official journal of International Society of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics. He is the author of more than 400 papers and communications in the field of the genetics of obesity and adaptation to exercise training. He is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the International Society of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Gilles Lapointe - Ph.D, Co-Director of Genetics