Carol DeFrancesco is a senior research associate in Health Promotion and Sports Medicine and Addiction Medicine at OHSU. She earned a B.S. in nutrition from Oregon State University and an M.A. in liberal studies from Reed College, graduating with honors from both institutions. She also played on the Oregon State University basketball team.

DeFrancesco completed her Dietetic Internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She began her career at OHSU in the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, working with William E. Connor and Sonja L. Connor on omega-3 fatty acid research, patient counseling in the Lipid Disorders Clinic and editing Lipid News.

She joined Health Promotion and Sports Medicine to lead ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives), an award-winning program that prevents eating disorders and drug use among female athletes. She also coordinated PHLAME (Promoting Healthy Lifestyles Assessing More Effects), a research project studying health and safety behavior changes in firefighters.

DeFrancesco trained in motivational interviewing under William Miller, Ph.D., in 2000 and remains an active member of the international network of motivational interviewing trainers. She was selected as a trainer for new motivational interviewing trainers for the annual international conferences in New Orleans in 2018, Tallinn, Estonia 2019 and Albuquerque, New Mexico 2020 British Columbia, Canada 2023 and 2025. She teaches sports nutrition for the Graduate Programs in Human Nutrition, and motivational interviewing at OHSU. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and is a frequent speaker and trainer.