Meet Our Experts

Nordic Naturals is honored to partner with health and medical professionals from multiple disciplines who support our dedication to education and research.

Dr. Scott Minton, PhD

Nordic Naturals Scientific Advisor

Dr. Minton has over a decade of experience as a biology professor, has worked as a clinical and laboratory researcher and in recent years as a nutritional consultant. Dr. Minton earned both a Masters and Ph.D. in Resource Ecology from the University of Michigan. He was a tenured Associate Professor at Vanguard University in the Biological Sciences. Dr. Minton has completed two years of medical training at Ross University School of Medicine and holds a certification in Health and Fitness by the American College of Sports Medicine. As a nutritional consultant, Dr. Minton practiced evidence-based nutrition. He based his dietary programs on a comprehensive intake process and advanced nutritional laboratory testing. This individual-centered strategy yielded successful experiences for patients with longstanding fatigue, excess weight gain, digestive distress, lowered immune function, hormone imbalances, and other inflammatory conditions.

Nordic Naturals has always placed education at the forefront of our operation, a commitment that is felt within our company as well as in our outreach.

John Lahr, OD, FAAO

Dr. John Lahr is an engaging educator, writer, and frequent speaker on a number of topics related to primary eye care, which include anterior segment eye disease, nutraceuticals, posterior segment eye disease, coding and billing, health care delivery systems, and integrated eye care. Dr. Lahr received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Indiana University School of Optometry in 1974. He was the founder of The Eye Clinics, a five-office primary eye-care group practice in East Central Minnesota. In 1984, Dr. Lahr integrated his practices with ophthalmology and began providing his patients with co-managed care while developing care models with several ophthalmologists. He was an original member of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of American Optometric Association (AOA) to develop practice standards and protocols for the profession. Dr. Lahr served as AOA's first representative to the American Medical Association's CPT coding committee while serving on the Eye Care Benefits Center, which he chaired for two years. He is a Past President of the Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) and was the MOA Optometrist of the Year in 1989. Over the past decade, Dr. Lahr has worked closely with many ophthalmic and optical corporate entities including Allergan, Advanced Medical Optics, and Bausch + Lomb. He currently serves as the Vice President of Provider/Industry Relations and Medical Director for EyeMed Vision Care, one of the largest and fastest growing vision benefits organizations in the US. In this role he is responsible for the standards and quality of eye care, network management, wellness and disease management support programs for the delivery of preventive and primary medical eye care.

Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD

Dr. Mohr is a fitness/nutritional expert with an innovative, integrated approach to wellness, weight loss, nutrition and exercise supported by years of experience in academics, research and practical fieldwork. As the owner of Mohr Results, Inc., he has been a consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including the Discovery Health Channel and University of Louisville Athletics. Dr. Mohr appears regularly as a guest nutrition expert on radio and TV and has written over 500 articles for consumer publications, newspapers, and websites including Men’s Health, Weight Watchers magazine, and Fitness magazine. Dr. Mohr has Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Nutrition from Penn State University and the University of Massachusetts, respectively. He received his PhD in exercise physiology, with a focus on the treatment and prevention of overweight and obesity, from the University of Pittsburgh, and is a registered dietitian (RD).

Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD

One of the leading sports nutrition consultants in the industry, Tavis Piattoly is the Sports Dietitian for the New Orleans Pelicans, Tulane University Athletics and the NFLPA Brain and Body Trust Program at Tulane's Institute of Sports Medicine. He also served as the Sports Dietitian for the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2013. He works with all levels of athletes from high school to Olympic levels, designing individualized nutrition programs to help them reach optimal health, performance, and recovery. Tavis is also an expert in Sports and Dietary Supplementation and speaks frequently on topics regarding supplement safety for young athletes. He is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist.

Filomena Trindade, MD, MPH

Dr. Trindade is a teacher, author, and recognized international lecturer in Functional Medicine. She has been in clinical practice for more than eighteen years. She is both a graduate of and faculty at the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL, where she is involved in the anti-aging, regenerative, and functional medicine fellowship. Prior to graduating from medical school at UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA, she earned her Master in Public Health degree in environmental health and epidemiology. She is currently active in the development of teaching programs in Functional Medicine in the United States, Latin America, and Europe.

Vandana Bhide, MD, FACP, FAAP

Dr. Vandana Bhide is a board-certified internist and pediatrician with expertise in integrative medicine. She is currently Chief Hospitalist at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo School of Medicine. Dr. Bhide graduated from the Honors program at the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science degree and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She went on to complete a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Bhide worked a Duke University affiliated practice and then had her own practice for fourteen years. For the past seven years, prior to coming to St. Joseph's Hospital, she served as a physician in the division of Hospital Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida, as well as a core faculty member and resident mentor in the internal medicine residency program. Dr. Bhide held several leadership positions at Mayo Clinic, including the director of Mayo Clinic Florida Medical Grand Rounds. Dr. Bhide is board certified by the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She gives talks about integrative women's health and integrative oncology. She has served as a medical expert in many radio, magazine, and television programs. Dr. Bhide enjoys tennis, community theater, and running.

Ann M. Hoscheit, OD, FAAO, FAARM

Dr. Ann Hoscheit recently launched her third start-up, EyeBridge Consulting Associates ODPA, which provides educational and consulting services to the healthcare industry and private practice community. Her educational focus includes the areas of dry eye/ocular surface disease, functional/nutritional medicine, women's health, ocular/systemic disease, contact lenses, generational communication and practice management. In addition to teaching and consulting, Dr. Hoscheit sees patients part-time at Cherryville Eye Care. Her first medical business venture was as a founding partner of Gaston Eye Associates in 1994 (an 8 physician optometry/ophthalmology group) followed by Summit Eye Associates, which opened its doors as a comprehensive primary eye care practice in 2003 and launched one of the nation's first "Dry Eye Centers of Excellence" in 2004. In 2004, Dr. Hoscheit attended her first integrative medicine course and "was hooked." She was the first optometrist to apply for and be accepted into a leading integrative medicine post-doctorate fellowship which she completed in 2009. For well over a decade, Dr. Hoscheit has practiced an approach to ocular disease that seeks the "root cause" and embraces a "whole system" approach which optimizes patient eye health and vision, as well as their healthspan. Dr. Hoscheit's professional history also includes: National Board Examiner, inaugural faculty for The Vision Care Institute (Johnson and Johnson Vision Care), numerous advisory boards including W.O.Magazine, EssilorAmericas, Think About Your Eyes, TLC-The Laser Center, columnist for Review of Optometry, clinical investigator for Vistakon and Alcon (formerly Ciba), and numerous speaker bureaus. Dr. Hoscheit has received numerous recognitions including being name by Primary Care Optometry News as one of the "PCON 250 Innovators in Optometry." This recognition came on the heels of being named by the Charlotte Business Journal as a "Top Women in Business" only one year after her company's social media savvy earned them runner-up status in the American Business Journal's national social media contest. She has also been recognized in Vision Monday's "Optometric Business Innovators" and in "40 Women with Vision." Dr. Hoscheit has received numerous other honors and awards for her extensive civic engagement which include the prestigious Athena International Leadership Award and the Jaycee's Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Hoscheit is native of Caledonia, MN. She received her B.A. in Biology and Theology from St. Olaf College and her Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Houston College of Optometry. She completed a residency in ocular disease/hospital-based optometry at the Albuquerque V.A. Medical Center. Her professional experience also included serving as assistant clinical professor and clinic director at Nova Southeastern University of the Health Sciences.

John E. Bauer, DVM, PhD

Dr. Bauer is a Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Nutrition; Professor Emeritus of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and Nutrition Texas A&M University; and and Affiliate Professor of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University. Dr. Bauer received his B.S. in Chemistry with high distinction from the University of Kentucky. His D.V.M., M.S., and Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences are from the University of Illinois. He is a charter Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, the recognized specialty organization of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Bauer is a past Chair of the Graduate Faculty of Nutrition and former Mark L. Morris Professor of Clinical Nutrition at Texas A&M University. Currently an Affiliate Professor at Colorado State University, Bauer's areas of specialization are lipid biochemistry, disorders of lipid metabolism, and comparative biomedicine and nutrition. His studies have included lipoprotein and omega-3 fatty acid metabolism of domestic and exotic animals, as well as animal models of hypercholesterolemia and atherogenesis of humans. His studies on canine omega-3 fatty acid metabolism have led to new concepts of dietary fat feeding during puppy development. Dr. Bauer was appointed to the Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats for the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council which published "Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats." He has trained numerous MS and PhD Nutrition Scientists presently working in academia, and in the private and public sectors. He has served on numerous veterinary nutrition advisory boards and consultancies, holds several patents with industry partners, and more than 190 peer reviewed publications, proceedings articles, and book chapters.