Clinical Advisor

Dr. Rani Singh

Dr. Singh is a Professor, Human Genetics, a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and a Faculty, Nutrition and a Professor of Health Sciences, all at Emory University.

Developing a comprehensive, research-based nutrition program that can serve as a national model is one of the driving forces in Dr. Singh’s career. As part of that commitment, she serves as the principal investigator for the Southeast Regional Genetics Network (SERN), which addresses gaps in genetic services and is funded through the federal Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA).

In addition, Dr. Singh foster’s collaborative research with investigators and clinicians throughout the U.S., spearheading evidence- and consensus-based guidelines for nutrition, metabolism, and rare genetic disorders. These guidelines were accepted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and are available to providers worldwide to improve patient outcomes.

Her metabolic clinic brings together a large pool of patients with rare diseases, creating a unique clinical, teaching, and research resource for students, clinicians, and researchers. In 2019, Emory University became the first institution to offer both post-masters and post-doctoral nutrition clinical research fellowship training in this specialized field and are now expanding global training utilizing Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model through electronic Genetic Nutrition Academy (eGNA).

Our research focuses on the development of nutritional treatment recommendations that promote optimal growth and development and prevent adverse neurological and health consequences in individuals with genetic metabolic disorders.

Denise L. Kolivoski, who has an MBA from Gannon University, earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the same university in 2001. She had a successful career in local broadcasting in Erie for over a decade and was honored for her local advertising efforts. In 2008, she earned her MBA from Gannon.

Kolivoski’s career took a significant turn when she joined the board of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Erie County. After seeing the challenges faced by families affected by mental illness, she became passionate about NAMI’s mission of education and support. She took on the role of Executive Director and successfully revived the organization, which was struggling with financial and organizational issues at the time.

Kolivoski created and implemented a strategic plan that was endorsed by funders, financial institutions, and donors. She established NAMI’s first investment fund and expanded its educational programming, including the Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family programs. These programs offered at no cost to the community, provide education, skills, and tools for individuals and families on the path to recovery.

Under Kolivoski’s leadership, NAMI has won several awards from The Public Relations Society of Erie and The Pennsylvania “Telly” awards in advertising communications. In 2019, NAMI of Erie County was named “Nonprofit of the Year” by The Erie Times-News and GoErie.com. Kolivoski is a member of local health and human services committees and serves as a board member at The Erie Club.

Before joining NAMI, Kolivoski worked at Community Shelter Services, a United Way member agency that assists homeless individuals and families. She started her nonprofit career at United Way of Erie County and received several marketing awards. She also worked in media for a decade at WICU 12, an NBC affiliate, managing news and creative services and achieving award-winning marketing campaigns.

Currently, Kolivoski works as the Executive Director at Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) Family Support Group, which is an inherited condition that affects an estimated 1 in 185,000 newborns (worldwide). She also teaches nonprofit management classes for graduate students at Gannon University.

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