Dr. Parrella is a family physician and obesity medicine specialist. She is a nationally recognized expert and frequently invited speaker, educator and strategist for universities, hospitals, communities, and businesses. An Associate Professor in both the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Surgery, she is the Chief of Lifestyle Medicine, the Medical Director for Rush University’s Center for Weight Loss and Lifestyle Medicine, and the Director of Strategic Planning and Implementation within the Department of Surgery.

Dr. Parrella received her medical degree at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital where she was Chief Resident with concentrations in Faculty Development as well as Substance Abuse. She is board certified both by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Obesity Medicine, with additional certification in Chinese herbal medicine.

She has practiced in private and employed practice models, designed and directed medical education and has been involved in developing two hospital-based interdisciplinary and interprofessional weight management programs. In addition, she has been partnering with global organizations including United Airlines to help create programs to care for their employees. She has appeared in multiple media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Healthline, Morning Consult, Thrive Global, Bariatric Times, Yahoo!News Insider, and huffpost.com.