Healthy Living Retreat for Women

Laurie Ausserer is co-director of the Healthy Living Retreat. She is a health promotion specialist, and wellness coach. Laurie recently retired after 25 years at Stanford. While at Stanford, she managed the health education programs (Healthy Living) for the Health Improvement Program (HIP) and BeWell, and in the early years worked as clinic coordinator for a number of studies within the Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC). Laurie continues working as a health coach for the BeWell Program.

Julie Anderson, MPH, is co-director of the Healthy Living Retreat. This is Julie’s 28th year coordinating the Well-being Check-ins at Sierra Camp. She has a master’s in public health and is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach. Julie is the Manager of Lifestyle Coaching in the Stanford BeWell program. She enjoys trail running/hiking, volleyball, watching musicals with her daughter, and camping with her family.

Dr. Karen Adams is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of the Program in Menopause & Healthy Aging at Stanford University. She is board-certified in both OB-GYN and Lifestyle Medicine and is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner as well as a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She has practiced for over 30 years with focused expertise on menopause management, female sexual dysfunction treatment, and lifestyle medicine. She hosts the “Stanford Conversations in Menopause and Healthy Aging” podcast, and her TEDx talk, “Sleep, Sex, and Menopausal Zest,” has received over 165 thousand views.

Sally Duplantier is a gerontologist and researcher dedicated to making healthy aging accessible to everyone, including people in underserved and underrepresented communities. In 2019, she founded Zing to help older adults live their best lives longer.

MSN recently named Sally one of the “top 10 inspiring women to watch in 2025” for disrupting how we think about aging. She speaks regularly for organizations such as Stanford’s Healthy Living Program and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

Sally’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including Nutrients and The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Diane Friedlaender, PhD, is an educator, researcher, and community builder devoted to infusing humanity and justice into education. At Stanford University, she has taught over 25 courses on community building, leadership, purpose, and resilience. Before that, she spent 15 years as a researcher at the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. Beyond academia, Diane partners with schools, museums, and community organizations to document and design arts-integrated, equity-centered learning experiences that foster connection and deep learning.

Anne L. Friedlander, PhD, is the Associate Director of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine, an Adjunct Professor in the Program in Human Biology, and a member of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance. Over her extended tenure at Stanford, she has served as the Director of the Exercise Physiology Lab, the Director of the Mobility Division within the Stanford Center on Longevity, and the Associate Director for Education within the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Dr. Friedlander has broad research experience in the areas of metabolism, environmental physiology, and using physical activity and mobility to promote healthy aging. She is passionate about the benefits of movement on the aging process and specializes in giving talks, translating scientific findings on physiology and exercise into practical applications for people. 

Jacqueline Genovese holds an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction Writing and a master’s degree in Medical Humanities. She is the executive director of Stanford Medicine’s Medical Humanities and the Arts Program. She incorporates literature and the arts in the classes and programs she leads with physicians, residents, and military-affiliated students. Jackie received the Stanford University Amy J. Blue Award, the Stanford School of Medicine Inspiring Change Leadership Award, and an Award of Appreciation from the Stanford Undergraduate Veterans Association. She believes, like Victor Borge, that laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

Sarah Meyer Tapia, PhD, earned her graduate degree in Counseling and Health Psychology and her doctorate in Psychology. She is the Wellness Specialist for the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University, and head of the Stress Management Pillar of Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. For over 20 years, Sarah has worked in employee, student, community, and corporate wellness. Previously, Sarah served as director of Stanford Living Education, the wellness program for undergrads and graduate students, and as a manager for BeWell, the wellness program for faculty and staff. Outside the university, she coaches individuals and teaches workshops for companies including Square, Discord, and Nextdoor.

Jennifer Robinson, PhD, serves as the Associate Director for Christopher Gardner’s Nutrition Studies Group at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. She earned her PhD in Nutrition from UC Davis and has dedicated over 25 years to advancing health and wellness research. Collaborating with Christopher for more than a decade, she specializes in research operations and promoting scientific integrity. Outside of her professional life, Jennifer enjoys baking sourdough bread, practicing yoga, and spending time outdoors with her husband, young daughter, chickens, and their adventurous new puppy!

Mandy’s journey began just over 30 years ago following a life-altering accident that changed her from an elite, competitive athlete to a quadriplegic. Mandy has fought not only to survive, but to thrive, overcoming incredible obstacles to realize her dreams of graduating from Stanford with a degree in International Relations (class of ‘99), of having a successful career in television production, and of rearing a family.

As an engaging speaker, Mandy inspires others to embrace the power of their own mindset, resilience, and personal growth. She has poured her experiences into a forthcoming memoir.

Marcia Stefanick, PhD, is professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and professor of obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Stefanick is a leading pioneer in women's health research and has been at the forefront of the study of aging in both women and men, including the role of diet and nutritional supplements, physical activity, and body composition on chronic diseases. 

Dr. Stefanick is one of the Principal Investigators of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) for which she played a key leadership role in the dissemination of the landmark WHI Hormone Trials, which changed national recommendations regarding menopausal hormone use in older women. 

Dr. Stefanick championed the creation of the Stanford Center for Health Research on Women and Sex Differences in Medicine, for which she is the Co-Director. Her nearly 200 peer-reviewed publications, leadership roles within Stanford Prevention Research Center, Cardiovascular and Cancer Institutes, and School of Medicine, are a testament to her expertise and steadfast commitments to advancing a national research agenda on chronic disease prevention, aging well, women’s health, and the role of sex and gender differences in physiology, and population health across the life course.

Carol Sundermeyer, MS, is a Functional Aging Specialist, Comprehensive Pilates Instructor, and Peer Educator for the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. She developed and teaches the Better Bones and Balance fitness class for the Stanford Staff/Faculty Fitness Program. Carol also leads workshops in fitness for functional aging, bone health, balance, and spine health at Stanford Recreation and Wellness. She provides individualized functional aging consultations to clients seeking personalized guidance. In her free time, Carol enjoys dancing, hiking, international travel, and volunteering with shelter dogs.

Rosalyne Tu, MS, RDN, has been a practicing dietitian since 2003, with extensive training from UC Berkeley, Penn State, and Columbia University. Her education has provided a deep scientific understanding of nutrition and its societal impacts, but it is her hands-on experience—working with thousands of Stanford employees and managing the practicalities of feeding a family of five—that shapes the practical approach she brings to her nutrition classes. She was a nutrition coach and instructor at Stanford for 13 years and now is the Senior Manager of BeWell, Stanford’s employee wellness program for faculty and staff.

The second-winningest coach in NCAA basketball history, Tara VanDerveer cemented herself as one of the top coaches in the sport, both collegiately and internationally, and is a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

An ambassador for both Stanford University and the sport of college basketball, VanDerveer enjoyed an unprecedented level of success through an energetic and positive approach to the game. A five-time national coach of the year and 18-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, VanDerveer accumulated an impressive 1,064-220 record over 38 seasons at Stanford.

 VanDerveer led her Stanford teams to three NCAA Championships, one of four coaches in the history of the sport to win three titles.

In 1995-96 VanDerveer served as head coach of the USA Basketball National Team, leading the team to a 52-0 exhibition record and then to the Olympic gold medal with a perfect 8-0 run at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Her book Shooting From The Outside chronicled the 1996 Olympic and National Team experience.