Ralph E. Carson, CEDRD, PhD

Dr. Ralph Carson is a clinical nutritionist and exercise physiologist with nearly 40 years of experience in the treatment of addictions, mood and anxiety disorders, sports nutrition and eating disorders.

Prior to joining ERC Pathlight, Dr. Carson was the Executive Director of FitRx in Brentwood, Tennessee, an outpatient program for people of size struggling with both medical and psychological complications of binge eating. He is also a Clinical Nutritional Advisor to Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In addition to his successful clinical practice, Dr. Carson is committed to community education and teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals specializing in exercise therapy, sports nutrition, eating disorders and mood and anxiety. He was a faculty member of the University of Alabama at Huntsville for over 20 years, and previously nutritional advisor to numerous university athletic departments, and speaks regularly to professional and lay audiences alike. Dr. Carson is the author of two books “Harnessing the Healing Power of Fruit” and “The Brain Fix: What’s the Matter with Your Gray Matter”, and has published more than 20 articles.

Additionally, Dr. Carson is an active board member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) and in 2018 received the IAEDP Lifetime Achievement Award for Nutrition. He is a previous board member of the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA). Dr. Carson has earned multiple degrees, including a Bachelor of Science from Duke University; Bachelor of Health Science from Duke University Medical School; Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Oakwood College; and a Ph.D. in Nutrition from Auburn University.