Changing Lives Through Nutrition
Nutrition Sciences alumna Claire Gundlach, RDN, LD, is changing lives through her work at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Further, her reach has extended beyond her own patients after she contributed to an article in People Magazine, educating readers how to eat well when you lose your appetite from breast cancer treatment.
As a clinical dietitian at MD Anderson, Gundlach covers a variety of cancer clinics including general, genitourinary, breast, and their associated radiation and chemotherapy. She also covers gynecologic oncology and has a few publications in that category. Gundlach is always on the move treating patients—meeting with them in the clinic to assist them with side effects from cancer treatment, checking to see if they are gaining the weight they need, or following up virtually to ensure their remission process is flourishing.
Gundlach originally became interested in learning about nutrition when her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma while she was in high school. He would ask her what kinds of foods were high in antioxidants, and upon her research, she was able to help guide him toward foods such as blueberries—and importantly, she was able to be a part of his journey towards healthy remission.
“It was very empowering to help my dad in this situation. So, I went to school for nutrition, and it was always my goal to get back and help patients in situations like how my dad was,” she recalled.
Today, her nutritional guidance for her patients enhances quality of life and makes it possible for them to successfully battle cancer, overcome the side effects, and experience happy and healthy lives cancer-free. Nearly 10 years later, Gundlach expresses that her job is rewarding, and she loves the joy it gives her to see her patients thriving.
“When patients come back to me in three to six months and explain how much better they feel and the miracles they experienced during their cancer journey thanks to their diet, health, and lifestyle changes it gives me great purpose,” she stated.
Her undergraduate education at Baylor University gave her the foundation to make such a difference. Gundlach began her journey studying Chemistry, but after some time decided that she wanted to major in something similar but would allow her to utilize her extroverted personality and be able to make personal connections with people. Baylor’s Career Center connected her with advisers who pointed her toward a degree in Nutrition Sciences offered through the Department of Human Sciences and Design.
“The career counseling at Baylor was awesome. They told me that I can study nutrition sciences, which was something that I had always been interested in but did not know it was a possible major,” she explained.
Once she was guided in the direction of pursuing nutrition, Gundlach took off and never looked back. She found Stanley Wilfong, RD, LD, FAND, Senior Lecturer and Program Coordinator for Nutrition Sciences, played an important role in her education.
“I cannot give Baylor’s Nutrition Sciences program enough credit. It is full of such wonderful professors—especially Professor Wilfong—and if it wasn’t for them, I actually wouldn’t have gotten a dietetic internship and would have had to wait another year,” she said.
That timeliness was important because the dietetic internship was a crucial step in becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). As for advice for future Baylor students in the process of matching with a dietetic internship, Gundlach advised, “Go ahead and shoot for the moon, but also give yourself a couple backup matching places. It’s more important to get the ball rolling while it’s hot than having to wait.”
Gundlach attributes much of her professional success to the strong foundation she received through Baylor’s Nutrition Sciences program. She especially valued the meaningful personal connections she was able to make with her professors and the smaller class sizes which allowed her to feel fully comfortable asking questions and seeking help when needed. Today, she remains in contact with Wilfong.
“It’s an incredible program with a very open environment that just really lets student thrive,” she said.
Gundlach continues to exemplify the Baylor mission of serving others. From discovering her passion for nutrition as a student to currently helping cancer patients live healthy lives after treatment, she is a true inspirational story of following her passion and using her talents to serve others. Through her expertise, compassion, and commitment to patient care, Gundlach continues to make a lasting impact—one patient, one family, and one success story at a time.
ABOUT ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Established in 2014, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences seeks to enhance health, quality of life, and human flourishing for all individuals and communities through education, research, and innovation. It includes seven academic departments—Communication Sciences and Disorders; Health, Human Performance, and Recreation; Human Sciences and Design; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Physician Assistant Studies; and Public Health. Robbins College offers 13 bachelor’s degrees, 10 master’s degrees, and six doctoral degrees, as well as nine graduate programs in partnership with the U.S. Army. Graduate programs in Robbins College are offered in a variety of modalities, including on campus, online, and hybrid.