Archives: Committee Members

Isuru Dharmarathna received her doctorate at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and a currently works as a lecturer in speech-language pathology at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Her doctoral research on ‘profiling objective quantitative videofluoroscopic measures of swallowing in children’ has been published and recognised widely internationally for its contribution and the session is based on how objective swallow measures of infants can be obtained in under-resourced clinical contexts.

Grace is a behavioral health dietitian and certified nutrition therapist serving Alaskans in a private practice. Her client population includes individuals and their families with eating disorders, feeding disorders, and sensory aversions to foods and eating environments. Grace is also an occupational therapy student with Creighton University’s Alaska pathway and plans to continue meeting client needs in Alaska.

Bianca N Roe, OTD, OTR/L, RDN, LDN, CLC Affiliation: Feeding and Nutrition Lead at Communication Clubhouse in Chicago, IL Bianca Roe is a pediatric registered dietitian, occupational therapist, and lactation counselor who specializes in supporting families with pediatric feeding disorders, tube feedings, food allergies, and delays in growth or development. Bianca is a fieldwork level 2 clinical educator for students in occupational therapy programs and guest lectures with Northern Arizona University to improve awareness of PFD and teach foundational skills for pediatric feeding therapy.

Jennifer Casteix is a licensed and certified SLP with over 30 years of experience in working with infants, toddlers, children and adolescents with feeding and swallowing disorders and differences. She has worked in NICU, PICU, and outpatient settings. Ms. Casteix is currently an Associate Clinical Professor at The University of Arizona where she teaches and mentors undergraduate and graduate students, and teaches courses on pediatric dysphagia and autism spectrum disorder.

Brandt Perry is a native of Arizona, where he and his wife Krya raise three energetic children – Austin (10), Brayden (8) and Sydney (6). First encounter with Feeding Matters came in 2016 when 18-month-old Brayden was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) and severe food allergies, when the Perrys were searching for information to navigate the new path in front of them. Brayden eats 100% through his G-tube, but that doesn’t slow him down. Brayden’s younger sister, Sydney was diagnosed with Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) and numerous food allergies. She also has a G-tube but eats orally as well, which challenges Brandt and Krya to expand their culinary creativity. Fortunately, big brother Austin provides great support to the whole family. Brandt’s service on Feeding Matters Family Advisory Council began in 2018 with volunteering as a Power of Two Coach following in 2019.

Dr. Toomey is a Pediatric Psychologist who has worked with children who don’t eat for 35 years.  She developed the SOS Approach to Feeding as a family centered program for assessing and treating children with feeding problems.  Dr. Toomey speaks nationally and internationally about her approach.  Dr. Toomey helped to form The Children’s Hospital – Pediatric Oral Feeding Clinic, the Rose Medical Center’s Pediatric Feeding Center, Toomey & Associates, Inc.’s Feeding Clinic, and SOS Feeding Solutions @ STAR.  Dr. Toomey is the President of Toomey & Associates, Inc., and currently focuses on her work as a Clinical Consultant and SOS Professor.

Raquel Garcia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CNT, BCS-S Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders Certified Neonatal Therapist Raquel Garcia is a trained craniofacial speech-language pathologist who is a core member of the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Craniofacial team. She works in the acute care setting in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She graduated with her M.S. in communication disorders from Nova Southeastern University and her doctorate of speech-language pathology from Northwestern University. Her clinical interests include upper airway disorders, infant feeding, neonatal care, and dysphagia.

Sarah Smith-Simpson is currently a Principal Scientist of Child Development and Physical Safety for Nestle Nutrition Gerber Baby Food.  In her current role, she is responsible for helping guide the development of innovative products and services that assist parents with enjoyable and successful mealtimes where all children eat foods that meet their nutritional needs and encourage development of feeding skills.   Sarah holds a PhD degree from Rutgers University in Food Science, an MS degree in Food Science from Michigan State University, and a BS degree also from Michigan State University in Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Simione (Committee Chair) is a clinician-scientist in the Division of General Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital, a speech-language pathologist, and Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on pediatric feeding- and growth-related disorders, family-centered outcomes, and implementing innovations into clinical practice.

Danielle R. Petrozelle, MS OTR/L, BCP, CKTP, CEIM Ms. Petrozelle is pediatric occupational therapist with 15 years of clinical experience. She is currently employed at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation as a satellite manager.  Ms. Petrozelle is Board Certified in Pediatrics through the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).  She is also a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner and Certified Educator of Infant Massage.  Ms. Petrozelle uses these certifications to provide holistic treatment, using adjunct modalities to improve general and feeding development. Ms. Petrozelle previously worked on a Multidisciplinary Feeding Team and in the Level II NICU. She is currently the Co-Coordinator for the Pediatric Special Interest Section of Ohio’s Occupational Therapy Association.  In this role, she serves to advocate for feeding education (among other topics) to practitioners in the state of Ohio.  Ms. Petrozelle has experience providing education to families, students and medical professionals at state and national venues. Notable lecture titles have included, “Positioning and Adaptive Equipment for the Hypertonic Feeder (2018), Feeding Intervention: Groups, Peers and Sibling Involvement (2017), OT Lunchbox: Tools and Techniques for Treatment and Evaluation (2021), and Feeding in the Virtual Paradigm and Generalization of Skills to Home (2021). In 2020, Ms. Petrozelle co-authored “Sibling Supported Feeding Intervention,” which was published in OT Practice. Ms. Petrozelle is also Feeding Matters’ AOTA PD Consultant.