Trainee Executive Board

Nilofer Khan Habibullah is a board-certified Lifestyle Medicine physician with the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (DipIBLM), currently working as a Global Health Consultant at the United Nations agency, The World Bank, based in Washington DC. With a keen interest in evidence-based medicine, she recently completed Harvard Medical School’s Global Clinical Scholars Research Training Program. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she received her MD degree from the American International Medical University in St. Lucia and also holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a focus in medical education from the Central European University, Hungary. Nilofer is now proud to serve on the ACLM Trainees Executive Board as VP for LMIG Development.

With an avid interest in primary care and health policy, Nilofer is passionate about understanding how food policies can be shaped to promote healthy eating, address health inequities, and its lasting impact on the overall health of populations. In Nilofer’s prior roles with WHO, UNICEF, and currently with the World Bank, she has consulted on nutrition and health development projects in low and middle-income countries, primarily focused on maternal and child nutrition, and universal health coverage. With the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) based in DC, she has contributed to the 3rd edition of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians on evidence-based clinical nutrition approaches for disease prevention and treatment including best practices for discussing dietary changes with patients. In her motivation to support trainee-led efforts in preventive and lifestyle medicine and its inclusion in medical curricula, Nilofer founded the American Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) chapter at her medical school. In this capacity as the founding President, she led programming focused on preventive medicine, notably on community outreach efforts including health fairs to build awareness on nutrition and cardiometabolic disease prevention. Spurred by this experience, she then developed a global campaign led by medical students on non-communicable diseases and prevention with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA).

At the core of Nilofer’s passion for lifestyle medicine is her own experience of losing both parents to chronic disease at an early age. She is a dedicated advocate for helping patients and communities develop healthy lifestyle habits as the key driver for disease prevention. This journey has particularly inspired her to explore how food can be used as medicine, in addition to other lifestyle interventions such as developing capacity in patients for self-taught cognitive behavioral therapy tools for mental wellness. Her love for nutritious cooking and mental health also stimulates her creatively, true to her nature as a pencil/charcoal artist, dancer, and a poetry performer. For ‘shelf love’ in her spare time, she is found experimenting in the kitchen creating plant-based meals. Her current culinary adventures involve using food-grade essential oils, fruit purees, and freeze-dried fruit powders to create healthy desserts with no refined sugar, as inspired from a workshop with a White House pastry chef.

My name is Annika Lintvedt-Miller and I am a third-year medical student at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids. I recently joined the ACLM Trainee Executive Board as VP of Communications. I initially became interested in Lifestyle Medicine after the passing of my dad, when I realized that much of the care we provide as physicians are simply quick fixes rather than life-long changes that truly impact the health of our patients. To foster my passion for Lifestyle Medicine, I served as the Founder/President of CHM’s first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group and ultimately went on to receive the 2022 Donald A. Pegg Award through the ACLM. I also served as the Co-President for FitKids360 of West Michigan, which is a non-profit organization which aims to help children who struggle with obesity to develop positive health-related behavioral changes. While I am still undecided which specialty I will pursue for my career, I have a deep interest in preventive care and hope to ultimately become board certified in Lifestyle Medicine. I aim to use the skills I gain from being a part of the ACLM Trainee Executive Board in my future career to further advance the field of Lifestyle Medicine. I am married to my husband, Brett, who is a physician assistant. Our dog, Mari, is a golden retriever who loves to take long walks in the woods and swim in Lake Michigan. I am an avid runner and yogi and love to experiment with new recipes.

Brent Gawey is a resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He serves as Vice President of Education on the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Executive Trainee Board. He is interested in Lifestyle Medicine as an approach to encourage well-being, prolong health-span, and promote equitable approaches to longevity. Through his role as VP of Education, he hopes to accelerate the mission of the ACLM and increase access to practical lifestyle interventions and educational materials so people can achieve more healthy days doing what they enjoy.

Nathan (Nate) Gottfredson was born in 1996 in the state of Washington, but moved to Saint George, UT when he was just 12 days old. There, in southern Utah, he developed interests in the outdoors including hiking, boating, fishing, and camping. He has also enjoyed playing all kinds of sports throughout his life and enjoys staying active and healthy. After graduating from high school with a 4.0 GPA, he put his education on hold while he served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Atlanta, Georgia. During his two years of service, Nate developed a deep passion for serving those in need and sought a career where he believed he could make the biggest difference in the world. Realizing the importance of health, he pursued a career in medicine and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from Dixie State University in southern Utah. Nate was accepted into medical school at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is currently in his second year. He plans to pursue a career in Sports Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine as a physician. Along the way, Nate married his high school sweetheart, Skylar. They now how have two children, a girl and a boy, and plan to have several more kids during Nate’s medical training.

Jasmin Hundal is a General Internal Medicine Fellow at the University of Connecticut and currently pursuing my MPH at UCONN. I will be serving this year as a VP of education. My passion for lifestyle medicine was ignited while studying in medical school and working as a resident and seeing the impact of calorie-rich, nutrient-poor and sedentary lifestyles on the population’s health. I enjoy researching and learning more about the role of lifestyle in chronic medical conditions and educating my colleagues in medicine and our patients on how to transition to a healthier lifestyle. In addition, I have a particular interest in decreasing health disparities among our population, and I aim to use education and lifestyle medicine expertise to integrate into practice and be able to educate and provide resources to our patients to take steps towards a sustainable, affordable healthy lifestyle to decrease the onset and worsening of chronic medical conditions.

I am leading our Lifestyle Medicine curriculum and track at the University of Connecticut for our Family Medicine and Internal Medicine residents and hoping to be able to create and integrate a curriculum for our medical students at UConn.

I look forward to working as VP of education this year and promoting LIfestlye Medicine in the health systems, medical schools, and graduate medical education.

My name is Laila Abujuma, and I am currently a first-year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. I am thrilled to serve on the ACLM Trainee E-Board this year as a MIG Liasion!

I hail from Waldorf, Maryland, and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, where I earned a dual degree in Nutrition and Biology. During my time there, I worked as a fitness instructor, which sparked my initial interest in preventative health and wellness. This interest led me to become certified as a personal trainer. After graduating, I continued to work as a personal trainer and later transitioned to working as a virtual health coach for Noom, in light of the pandemic. Through my roles, I had the opportunity to work one-on-one with individuals to help them reach their health goals, which solidified my desire to become a physician. I want to nurture similar meaningful relationships while being equipped with many more tools to improve patients’ health outcomes. The year before I started medical school, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Aruna Nathan who taught me all about Lifestyle Medicine and inspired me to want to implement it into my future practice. Going into medical school, I made it my goal to be involved with the ACLM, and spread awareness of Lifestyle Medicine to all of my colleagues by creating a Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group. Although I am uncertain of what area of medicine I want to eventually practice in, I know that I want to utilize effective coaching to help my patients prevent, treat, and reverse their conditions while overall improving their lifestyle and well-being.

Outside of academics, you can find me at the gym either squatting, benching, or deadlifting in preparation for a future powerlifting meet. I love staying active and practicing balance by trying new restaurants and bubble tea spots with friends and family. I currently reside in Baltimore with my husband Nafiz and our beloved cat Zuzu.

I am excited to be on this journey as a medical student and look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I am committed to being a strong advocate for Lifestyle Medicine, I believe that my background in personal training and health coaching, along with my passion and enthusiasm, will be a valuable asset to the field. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Trainee E-Board as a MIG Liasion and look forward to working with my colleagues to promote Lifestyle Medicine within the Trainee community.

Hello, my name is Matthew Zahn. I am a third-year medical student at University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. I am excited to be serving as one of the Member Interest Group Liaisons on the Trainee Executive Board. My interest in Lifestyle Medicine started between undergrad and medical school when a close friend lent me the book How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Gregor. Since then, I have been a strong advocate for lifestyle medicine in my school, with my friends, family and in my own life. At my school, a few students and myself have been particularly focused on promoting evidence-based nutrition information by starting an LMIG and bringing in speakers.

With residency applications soon approaching, I plan to apply for family medicine, with the goal of training as a broad-spectrum family physician. One of the many things that draws me to family medicine is that when people think of who their doctors is, they generally think of their family physician. This provides a great opportunity to serve as a role model for my patients by leading a healthy lifestyle. Family medicine is also the ideal setting to promote disease prevention particularly with lifestyle modification. With the healthcare landscape changing rapidly, allowing time to counsel patients will become a much more important aspect of healthcare. Another aspect of family medicine I enjoy is how involved I can become with my community. This is a wonderful opportunity to understand and identify barriers to healthcare that my patients are experiencing. I can then take what I learn and advocate for my patients at the local, state and even national level. Throughout my career, I plan to continue developing my leadership skills and take on positions that help transform our healthcare system into one that addresses social determinants of health and makes living healthy more accessible.

One of my favorite weekend activities is going to a new coffee shop and study in the morning. It’s fun to experience the many different atmospheres and taste different brews. When I am not studying, I enjoy reading, hiking, cooking and of course spending time with my friends and family. Two of my favorite places to hike are Allegheny National Forest and the Adirondack Mountains.