About Us
The American Board of Obesity Medicine Foundation (ABOM Foundation) was created by the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) in 2017. The ABOM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that develops and implements projects aligned with its mission to support the obesity medicine physician workforce so people living with obesity in every community have access to high-quality, evidence-based treatment.
The ABOM Foundation is a distinct organization from ABOM.
The projects, statements or endorsements of the ABOM Foundation do not represent the work, views or priorities of ABOM. ABOM may engage the ABOM Foundation to collaborate and support research or evaluation of its diplomates, which will be clearly disclosed. The ABOM Foundation is supported through funds from ABOM, external grants, and contracts. The ABOM Foundation does not accept funding from industry (e.g., pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies).
As a board certification program, ABOM is an independent organization that focuses solely on certification and does not provide education or training. The independence of certification from education has a long history in the United States, which was originally put in place in 1936 to enable certification organizations to set high standards to safeguard the public. ABOM is independent of all education and training organizations as well as healthcare and professional societies. Additional details on ABOM are available online.
ABOM Foundation Trustees
ABOM Foundation Staff
Dr. Korner serves on the ABOM Foundation Executive Committee. She is Professor in the Department of Medicine and Division of Endocrinology at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Korner received her medical degree at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University where she also obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine, served as Chief Medical Resident, and completed her fellowship in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Korner is founder and Director of the Weight Control Center at Columbia. Dr. Korner’s research is focused on the pathophysiology and treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Wickham serves on the ABOM Foundation Executive Committee. He is a Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He completed medical school at VCU where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Afterward, Dr. Wickham completed a combined residency program in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, followed by fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and a Master’s of Public Health. He is a physician-scientist with clinical and research expertise in the pathophysiology and treatment of obesity and weight-related comorbidities across the lifespan. Dr. Wickham oversees a multidisciplinary translational obesity research program at VCU.
Dr. Reid serves on the ABOM Foundation Executive Committee. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University in the Division of Endocrinology. She completed her medical training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, followed by an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center-Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After her residency, she spent a year as a Research Fellow and then completed her fellowship training in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, both at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. Dr. Reid is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. She is recognized as a clinical medical educator and currently treats patients at the Columbia University Weight Control Center.
Dr. Lewis serves on the ABOM Foundation Research Committee. She is an Associate Professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree and a master in public health in epidemiology at Tulane University and then completed her Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. She earned a master of science degree in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Lewis’ research interests span the prevention and treatment of obesity, including individual medical interventions, as well as population level/public health interventions. She has led multiple federally- and foundation-funded grants and uses a wide variety of study designs, ranging from observational comparative effectiveness work leveraging insurance claims and electronic health record data to clinical trials.
Dr. Thiara serves on the ABOM Foundation Professional Development Committee. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at UCSF. Dr. Thiara also completed fellowship training in medical education. She currently serves as the medical director for the UCSF Weight Management Program as well as the director of the UCSF Obesity Medicine Fellowship. In addition to obesity medicine, Dr. Thiara also maintains a primary care practice and culinary medicine program.
Ms. Brittan is the Chief Executive Officer for the ABOM Foundation. She completed her master of business administration at the University of Miami where she specialized in logistics and operations management. Ms. Brittan is certified credentialing specialist. She also serves as the ABOM Executive Director.
Dr. Gudzune is the Chief Medical Officer for the ABOM Foundation, where she leads initiatives supporting the field of obesity medicine including strategy development and execution, clinical and outcomes research, and engagement of ABOM-certified physicians. Dr. Gudzune attended Tulane University, where she received her doctor of medicine and master of public health degrees. She completed her training in internal medicine at the University of Maryland Medical System. After residency, Dr. Gudzune completed a clinical research fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to assuming the Chief Medical Officer role in 2024, she was an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She founded and directed the Johns Hopkins Healthful Eating, Activity & Weight Program to deliver patient-centered and evidence-based clinical services to manage obesity and its associated chronic diseases. Her research focused on obesity, specifically how patient obesity influences the healthcare experience and the efficacy of weight management interventions. She also previously served as the ABOM Medical Director where she oversaw the certification exam.