Leslie J. Bonci, M.D., Dr.P.H.

Leslie J. Bonci, one of the country’s most recognized sports nutritionists, is the director of sports medicine nutrition for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She serves as the sports dietitian for the University of Pittsburgh’s department of athletics and is a nutrition consultant for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Riverhounds professional soccer team, Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays. In addition, she is the company nutritionist for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and a sports nutrition consultant to numerous high schools and universities. She is also the consulting nutritionist for the US Olympic Canoe and Kayak Team.

A popular former national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association for eight years, Bonci is a frequent guest on local and national TV news programs, a commonly-quoted nutrition expert in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and serves on the editorial advisory board of Fitness magazine. She has her own weekly segment, “The Winning Plate,” on Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV’s Pittsburgh Today Live show, and she has done satellite media tours on behalf of Heinz, Gatorade, and the California Dried Plum Board. Her expertise in the areas of sports nutrition, weight management, eating disorders and digestive health resulted in two book publications: “Total Fitness for Women,” which she co-authored, and the “American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion,” of which she was sole author. An avid long-distance runner, she has written chapters in several sports medicine textbooks and writes regularly for the Training and Conditioning Journal.