Dr. Helen Kollias, PhD

Helen holds a doctorate degree in molecular biology from York University and a master’s degree in exercise physiology and biochemistry from the University of Waterloo. She has also held research positions at Johns Hopkins University and the Hospital for Sick Children and was the Director of Research at Precision Nutrition for four years. She has played and coached varsity soccer and has been involved in fitness and weight training for almost two decades, and is the mother of two young and energetic girls. She is also an author of the GGS Moms Gone Strong program.

Marika Hart, Physiotherapist and Pre- & Postnatal Fitness Expert

Marika has over 16 years of experience as a physiotherapist. Following completion of her master’s degree in Manual Therapy from the University of Western Australia in 2006, she developed an interest in women’s health, and in particular the effect of exercise on health during the pre- and postnatal periods. This interest led her to create a successful business in Perth which has helped hundreds of women feel strong, knowledgeable and empowered throughout their pregnancy and beyond. Her passion to spread this information inspired Marika to create Herasphere, a fully online platform dedicated to providing high quality information related to all things pregnancy!

Dr. Jessie Thomas, PT, DPT, MTC, WCS

Jessie is a spine and board certified women’s health clinical specialist. She has worked alongside gynecologists, urologists, urogynecologists, midwives, gastroenterologists, and nurse practitioners in a medical school and teaching hospital. She is currently developing a pelvic health program in a small hospital in Arizona and does community lectures for pregnant women, while also teaching courses about pelvic floor to physiotherapists across the U.S. Through her passion for teaching the details of pelvic floor health, she also brings awareness to its often overlooked role in musculoskeletal injuries and dysfunction. She enjoys working patients who have pelvic pain, female athletes, and women in the pregnancy and postpartum phases.

Dr. Jessica Shepherd, MD MBA

Dr. Shepherd is an OB-GYN and the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women’s health forum that focuses on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting. Dr. Shepherd practices at the University of Illinois at Chicago and serves as the Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. She is a regular expert on The Today Show, Dr. Oz, CBS News, and others, is the weekly women’s health contributor for Essence magazine, and has written for numerous women’s, parenting, and health magazines. Dr. Shepherd lectures on women’s health issues and writes for several blogs. She is a national speaker for Poise, U by Kotex, Sweet Spot for Skin Fix, and Change The Cycle. She serves on the board of the Multicultural Leadership Committee of the American Heart Association and the Women’s Health Foundation.​​​​​​

Amber Leonard-Thome

Amber has worked as a university lecturer and academic advisor, manager of a personal training and sports performance facility, personal trainer, and wellness and nutrition coach. At Girls Gone Strong, Amber is a curriculum developer and coach for the Strongest You Coaching program and a contributor and reviewer for the Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certificate. She enjoys working with women to fit exercise, nutrition, and self-care into a healthy sustainable lifestyle. She holds a B.S. in Exercise Science and a M.S. in Kinesiology, is an ACSM-Certified Exercise Physiologist, a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified Nutrition professional, and is currently working toward a certificate in Postnatal Fitness.

Carolina Belmares

Born and raised in Mexico and living in Canada, Carolina helps her online clients thrive on healthy, sustainable diets, by breaking complex information down into actionable chunks, using skills from her level 1 and 2 Precision Nutrition certifications. Carolina loves working with women and her speciality is connecting, understanding, and guiding with compassion. As a certified Doula she understands the needs of pre- and postnatal women, both in the context of their bodies, and their emotional state, helping moms feel stronger than ever. In addition to helping women improve their lives through her company, Sweat Glow Fitness, she loves Latin dance and unleashing her crazy laugh on her three daughters.

Jen de Mel

Jen is based in London, UK. She is a strength and conditioning coach (REPS Level 3 PT) specialising in pre- and postnatal fitness, and a contributor for the Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certificate. Jen is trilingual in English, French and German. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law and languages and a master’s degree in International and European regulations, which she puts to use through consulting work with multinational organisations helping them implement ethics and compliance programs. She is a competitive amateur slalom water-skier, although she’s temporarily packed away her wetsuit as she becomes a new mom.

Dr. Meryl Alappattu, DPT, PhD

Dr. Alappattu is a licensed physical therapist and assistant professor in the University of Florida Department Physical Therapy. She is recognized nationally and internationally for her expertise in the management of pelvic floor dysfunction in women. Dr. Alappattu is a leader in rehabilitation, serving on the Board of Directors for the American Physical Therapy Association Section on Women’s Health and as Vice President of the Florida Physical Therapy Association. She works in these roles directly with thought leaders and policy makers to improve access to high-quality healthcare services.

Dr. Kara Mohr, PhD

Kara is a nationally recognized behavior change, nutrition, and fitness expert. She  has  a  B.S.  in  psychology  from  Penn  State,  and  a  M.S.  and  PhD  in  exercise physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is also an ACSM fellow, and GGS Strongest You  coach. Kara has hundreds of articles published  in  research  journals and national  magazines, and has helped thousands of women transform their exercise and eating behaviors through coaching,  seminars,  and keynote  lectures with her company, Mohr Results. Kara enjoys cooking with her husband, having dance parties  with  their  two  daughters, lifting heavy things, and she can’t imagine a day without meditation.

Dr. Lisa Lewis, EdD, CADC-II, Licensed Psychologist

Lisa is a regular Girls Gone Strong contributor and a licensed psychologist. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology with a specialization in sport psychology at Boston University, focusing her doctoral research on exercise motivation. Lisa is also a certified drug and alcohol counselor, and has taught undergraduate courses in exercise, developmental, and abnormal psychology as an adjunct professor at Salem University, Wheelock College, and Northeastern University. Lisa works as the associate director of a college counseling center in Boston and has a small private practice in Brookline. Lisa has been providing online and workshop psychological consultations for fitness professionals. Lisa became a mom in January 2017.

Kara Stewart-Agostino

Kara is a Certified Personal Trainer who’s worked in pre- and postnatal fitness for the past five years. Kara is passionate about making fitness fun and accessible with exercise programming that challenges her clients but feels achievable based on their current fitness levels. As a moderator in the Strong Moms Sisterhood Facebook group and a contributor and reviewer to Pre- and Postnatal Coaching Certification, Kara has brought her approachable fitness style to the Girls Gone Strong community. Kara is a Pre- & Postnatal Fitness Specialist, PN1, and holds the level 1 Agatsu Kettlebell certification. She is based in Toronto, Canada with her husband Rocco, her two awesome kids and their dog, Jazz.

Heba Shaheed, PT

Heba is an Australian physiotherapist and nutritionist and has over seven years experience in pelvic health physiotherapy, women’s health nutrition, pain neuroscience, clinical pilates and yoga therapy. She’s the Co-Founder of The Pelvic Expert, where she provides online programs combining women’s health physiotherapy, integrative nutrition and functional exercise, for women with chronic pelvic pain, pregnant women, and mothers.

Heba’s personal experiences have made her deeply passionate about recovery after birth trauma and living well with chronic conditions such as endometriosis. Heba is also a new mom to a cute little daughter.

Molly Galbraith, C.S.C.S

Molly is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and co-founder and owner of Girls Gone Strong, a global movement that aims to empower women to embrace all that’s possible for their lives and for their bodies through body-positive, evidence-based, sane, and sustainable nutrition, training, and self-care information. Through her books and programs, including the recently released Moms Gone Strong program, Molly has helped thousands of women in more than 60 countries around the world change their bodies and lives forever.

Dr. Sandy Hilton, PT, DPT, MS

Dr. Sandra Hilton holds a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Pacific University (1988) and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Des Moines University (2013).  She’s an international speaker and published author on the treatment of pelvic pain and promotes interdisciplinary treatments and education.  Dr. Hilton is the co-owner of Entropy Physiotherapy and Wellness, PLLC in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL, where the focus is on the treatment of pain, including pelvic pain, sexual, and continence difficulties. Dr. Hilton is the Secretary of the Abdominal and Pelvic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain.  She is the co-host of the Pain Science and Sensibility podcast promoting the understanding and application of current evidence into clinical practice.

Dr. Carrie J. Pagliano, PT, DPT, MTC, Board Certified Women's Health Clinical Specialist Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist

Dr. Carrie Pagliano is a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedics and Women’s Health and has been a clinician and educator in the areas of orthopaedics and women’s health for nearly 20 years. She holds a Master’s in Physical Therapy from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Manual Therapy Certification from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She is the founder of the Pelvic Physical Therapy clinical program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital where she practices. Dr. Pagliano is an adjunct professor at Marymount University in Arlington, VA and Instructor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Section on Women’s Health as Vice President, and was elected to President effective February 2018. She speaks nationally in the areas of pelvic floor education, pain science and integrative models of practice in orthopaedic and pelvic physical therapy and is a vocal advocate for women and mothers in leadership in the physical therapy profession. Dr. Pagliano lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and two children.

Jenifer Poell, CNM, WHNP

Jenifer found midwifery while working at a reproductive health clinic after finishing her undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies. She completed both her BSN and MSN at the University of Pennsylvania.  She works as a midwife at Alivio Medical Center, a community health center in Chicago. Her care is informed by her commitment to feminism, social justice, and human rights. She practices and believes in the midwifery model of care — a model that values each person individually and seeks to provide information so that women can make informed choices about what is best for them. She’s also a strong advocate for universal healthcare in the United States.