Welcome to my website
Hi, I’m Francesca Simonella, your Nutritionist Biologist specialized in Udine, with many years of international experience and in the USA.
About Francesca
As Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I own skills in varied areas: clinical setting, medical research, teaching and food science. I am so lucky to have gained professional experience both in Italy and the United States.
I was born and raised in Italy, where I completed my graduate and post-graduate studies, worked in medical research and passed a national board to practice as nutrition biologist. After working in the field of nutrition education, I got admitted into the competitive Nutritional Sciences Program of the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. What a honor to be the first European admitted to the program!
I currently work in Italy as both nutrition professional in private practice and nutrition expert in academic and non-academic settings (which require English language skills). My approach is centered around Mindful Eating, Medical Nutrition Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. I am an active member of the Italian academy of Biologists and the American Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, of which I am currently International Affiliate.
My approach is different:
Mindful Eating
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
.."I am so lucky to practice my dream profession in Italy while keeping professional connections in the United States. I'd love to use this website as an additional channel to connect with English speaking colleagues" ...Scroll down to check my experience and education!
My experience and education (short summary)
Experience in hospitals and health clinics
Nutrition Teaching experience
– Motivational interviewing lesson as part of an online continuing education course for Italian nutritionists (2020-2021)
– Nutrition class as part of a professional training course for social and health workers in Udine and Latisana, Italy (2018-2019)
– Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA), Instructor for “Walk & Wok”, a cooking and fitness class for outpatients (2017)
– Seattle Reproductive Medicine, grad TA for “Food for fertility”: nutrition ed,cooking, fitness for women with weight issues + infertility (2016-2017)
– UW, graduate TA for “Nutrition for today” (undergrad class, 3 credits): 50 minutes discussion sections per week for a total of 300 students (2015-2016)
– UW Diabetes Care Center: weekly classes on nutrition and diabetes for groups of patients affected by type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Nutrition education projects
– “Percorso Start”, a multidisciplinary workshop centered around Mindfulness in partnership with a couple of psychologists and a counsellor (2019)
– Nutrition education for rugby players, in partnership with Elite Sport Academy (2018-2023)
– “Grocery Store Tours”: nutrition education activities at the grocery store for diabetes patients of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle (2017)
– “Lunch time at school: how much is enough?”: an assessment of school lunch seat time in Seattle Public School (2016)
– “Eat the rainbow”: a bilingual (Italian/English) wellness talk at the bilingual Cinquegranelli Montessori School in Seattle (2016)
– “Nobody is perfect”: a pilot project to prevent eating disorders in Seattle high school students (2016)
– “Science under 18”: a nutrition education project in Monfalcone, Italy (2014)
Interviews in the media
– Writer of the nutrition column of the Italian newspaper “Il Friuli”, in partnership with LILT (Italian Cancer League) (2018-2019)
– Interview at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle (2017), Read now
– Local tv interview: My international experience, live on June 7th, 2018
– Local tv interview: My international experience, live on June 7th, 2023
– Alumni profile on the UW Nutritional Sciences Program, Seattle, WA (2018)
– Article on local Newspaper “Udine Today” (“Udine Today”) regarding “Percorso START”: a community project organized by local health professionals to promote physical and mental wellbeing through mindfulness: (2018)
Developed seminars and publications
– Cycle of seminars on nutrition and cancer, in partnership with LILT (Italian Cancer League) (2019-present)
– “Mind, Mood and Food”, a traveling Workshop for Mental, Emotional and Relational Wellbeing, developed with a Psychologist in the area of Udine
– Development of technical handouts in multiple languages for a famous German Food Company (2018)
– Poster and handout for UW Medicine: “How to lower sodium in your diet – for people with diabetes” (UW Medicine, Seattle, 2016)
– Case Study: “Motivational Interviewing to optimize hypoglycemia management in type 2 diabetes” (UW Medicine, Seattle, 2016)
– Bilingual poster: “Let’s celebrate the world breastfeeding week – Celebramos la semana de la lactancia materna en todos los paises” (WIC, 2016)
– Patient handout “Peanut butter and jelly: fun tips to take your binders with food” (NW Kidney Center, Seattle, 2016)
– Bilingual wellness talk (English/Italian): “Pizza in the U.S., instructions for use” (Il Punto cultural center, Seattle, 2016)
– Wellness talk and handout: “Savvy about sodium” (Ida Culvar Broadview, Seattle, 2015)
– Nutrition and Metabolism paper&presentation: “Advantages & limitations of studies conducted olive oil intake and breast cancer” (UW, 2015)
– Childhood Nutrition paper and presentation: “D-bate: are the current recommendations for vitamin D for children adequate? (UW, 2015)
– Case Study: “Nutrition Care in Gunshot Wound Associated Whipple Procedure” (Harborview Medical Center, 2015)
– Paper co-author: Della Pietra E, Simonella F, Bonavida B, Xodo LE, Rapozzi V, Repeated suboptimal photodynamic treatments with pheophorbide a induce an epithelial mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer cells via nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide. 2015 Feb 15; 45: 43-53.
– Abstract co-author: Annual meeting of the Italian Society of Photobiology, (Padua, 2012)
Coordination and management activities in the hospital setting
Medical and clinical research
Education
What questions do you have?
Let's be in touch!
I am a passionate nutrition professional with international experience and collaborations. Contact me if you want to work with me!
Phone: 324 6023777
Email: info@alimentazionepersonalizzata.com
“Diventa la versione più sana e positiva di te stesso”
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