Amy McKenzie, PhD

Amy McKenzie, PhD is Director of Research and Innovation at Virta Health, which delivers an evidence-based treatment to reverse type 2 diabetes without surgery. Delivered through Virta’s novel continuous remote care platform, the Virta Treatment helps patients safely, quickly, and sustainably regain glycemic control while reducing and eliminating medications and improving related comorbidities.

 

While earning her PhD, Amy conducted research that helped monitor for adequacy of fluid intake for pregnant and nursing mothers. This work was later translated into a public health initiative, and it informed her passion for understanding the role of nutrition in chronic disease and working on research with immediate impact.

This background led her to Virta in 2015, where she helped initiate Virta’s first clinical trial and now leads ongoing research to support the development of Virta’s novel care model. She is also responsible for establishing the Virta Health Registry for Remote Care of Chronic Conditions to enable ongoing research with real-world data to continually improve patient health outcomes. As recognition of her efforts, she received Young Investigator Awards from the American Diabetes Association and National Lipid Association.

 

Amy holds a PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Connecticut, receiving Pre-Doctoral and Doctoral Fellowships and the Outstanding Doctoral Scholar Award. She received a BS (summa cum laude) and MS in Athletic Training from Duquesne University and Indiana State University (ISU), respectively, while earning ISU’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Clinical Professionalism.

 

When not working, you’ll find Amy hiking, skiing, and travelling the world, often splitting time between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Five Lakes Region near Munich, Germany.