Garvin to be honored for research at ObesityWeek meeting in LA

Dr. Jane Garvin, assistant professor in the Department of Physiological and Technological Nursing, will be honored during ObesityWeek 2015, the combined annual meeting of The Obesity Society (TOS) and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

Her abstract, “Very Early Responders, Program Participation and Weight-Reduction Success,” which was co-authored by Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center MOVE! Coordinator Karen Cota, has been selected as a Top Abstract by the Obesity Society’s Health Services Research Section.

“When the Health Services Research Section chair notified me that my abstract had been selected, I was most honored,” Garvin said. “I had not anticipated such recognition.”

Garvin is an alumna of the GRU BSN and PhD in Nursing programs and has been a faculty member of the College of Nursing since 2013. Her research focuses on the measures of obesity, obesity as a chronic disorder and interventions for weight reduction and disease prevention.

“My earlier research on this topic identified characteristics of vterans who were successful at weight reduction with MOVE!, a VA program,” she said. “My current work highlights the importance of very early success with weight reduction. My hope is that these research findings will direct program implementation to propel veterans to obtain the very best results.”

Garvin has been a certified Family Nurse Practitioner since 1992 and also earned a master’s degree in critical care nursing from University of Virginia.

The ObesityWeek meeting, which runs Nov. 2-7, serves as the annual scientific and educational conference covering the full scope of the obesity issue, from cutting-edge basic science and clinical research to intervention and public policy discussions that can impact the quality of life for millions affected by obesity.