Amy Christine Brown received her PhD from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1986 in the field of Human Nutrition and Foods. She has been a college professor and a registered dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics since 1986. Dr. Brown currently teaches at the University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine in the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Her research interests are in the area of bioactive plant substances beneficial to health and medical nutrition therapy. Some of the studies she has conducted include "Diet and Crohn's disease," "Potentially harmful herbal supplements," "Kava beverage consumption and the effect on… liver function tests," and "The effectiveness of kukui nut oil in treating psoriasis." Selected research journal publications include: "Position of the American Dietetic Association: functional foods" ("Journal of the American Dietetic Association" ); "The Hawaii Diet: Ad libitum high carbohydrate, low fat multi-cultural diet for the reduction of chronic disease risk factors" ("Hawaii Medical Journal"); "Lupus erythematosus and nutrition: A review" ("Journal of Renal Nutrition"); "Dietary survey of Hopi elementary school students" ("Journal of the American Dietetic Association"); "Serum cholesterol levels of nondiabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats" ("Artery"); "Infant feeding practices of migrant farm laborers in northern Colorado" ("Journal of the American Dietetic Association"); "Body mass index and perceived weight status in young adults" ("Journal of Community Health"); "Dietary intake and body composition of Mike Pigg--1988 Triathlete of the Year" ("Clinical Sports Medicine"); and numerous newspaper nutrition columns.