Dema has been a Registered Dietitian for over twenty years, exhibiting a diverse background that began with her work as a clinical dietitian specializing in nutrition support and trauma at several academic and tertiary care hospitals in Michigan and Pittsburgh. She later transitioned to academia, serving as part-time faculty in the Department of Health Professions, Food and Nutrition at Youngstown State University for the past seventeen years. Her interests and research centered on nutrition assessment, particularly the application of physical assessment skills within the Nutrition Care Process. Additionally, she has dedicated her efforts to training dietetic students, preceptors, and registered dietitians in integrating nutrition-focused physical examination skills into dietetic training and clinical practice. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Akron, a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, along with her dietetic internship; a Master of Science from Wayne State University; and is currently a doctoral candidate in Health Sciences at Youngstown State University, where she is researching autism and gastrointestinal health. Dema has published and presented her research on various nutrition topics and has been an invited speaker at both local and national conferences.