What Dr. Swann Adams is all about.

Dr. Adams holds a PhD in epidemiology from the University of South Carolina.  She’s received many honors including the 2004 Doctoral Achievement Award by the Arnold School of Public Health of USC, the Gerry Sue Arnold Alumni Award for the Arnold School of Public Health in 2008, named a “Breakthrough Rising Star” by the Vice President for Research at USC, the Young Investigator Award for the College of Nursing at USC, and most recently, the Senior Investigator Award and from the College of Nursing.   

Her work's been published in leading journals including Cancer; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, and the American Journal of Epidemiology.  She's a federally-funded research investigator.  She's received funding for research from the National Cancer Institute, The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities, the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program, and the Centers for Disease Control as well as the South Carolina Cancer Alliance, the South Carolina Cancer Center, and the USC Research Foundation.

She has a keen interest and a deep understanding of the complexities of diet and exercise.  Her research focuses on diet and lifestyle change as well as cancer disparities.

Dr. Adams is the Associate Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, the Co-Director of the Center for Cancer Survivorship, and holds a joint, tenured associate professor appointment in the College of Nursing and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of USC.

And then things changed...

Dr. Swann's [previous] diet interventions taught a traditional portion control and "low-fat" approach.  Her work has shown this can be effective to promote health and change in many people; however, there are people who aren't successful with this approach -- herself included.

When first introduced to the concept of a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle, Dr. Adams was convinced that it couldn't be successful in a Southern culture that worshiped fried and comfort foods.  Foods that she herself enjoyed and tried to limit.  

It wasn’t until May 2016 when she was diagnosed with Type II diabetes at the age of 44 that she really allowed herself to be open to a whole foods, plant-based diet. Through her own research of the scientific literature and her personal experience losing weight and keeping it off this way, she's convinced that this lifestyle is the key to helping those who've struggled with weight and yo-yo dieting.  

Dr. Swann is committed to understanding the latest research behind a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle and promoting these evidenced-based approaches to the general public. She is currently beginning work on a research project, that will incorporate a whole foods, plant-based dietary intervention among African Americans who are receiving colon cancer screening.  This further illustrates her commitment to only promoting the best science to promote healthy eating and living.