Community of Educators
Welcome to the Faculty Page of the Andrew Weil Center Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, where diverse experts converge to share their wisdom and experience in advancing the Integrative approach to healthcare. With a curriculum designed to nurture comprehensive understanding, fellows have the unique opportunity to learn from over 66 distinguished professionals hailing from various disciplines. Here are a few you will learn from:
- About the Fellowship
- Fellowship Curriculum
- Fellowship Faculty
- Experiential Weeks
- Fellowship Tuition, Payment Schedule, and Scholarships
- How to Apply to the Fellowship
- Fellowship Q&A with Center Directors & Alumni
- Fellowship FAQ
- Book a Call
- RSVP for Information Session
Fellowship Interest Form
Andrew Weil, MD
Ann Marie Chiasson, MD MPH ABOIM
Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO
Victoria Maizes, MD
Vivian Kominos
George Schatz
Randy Horowitz
Donald Abrams
Omavi Bailey
Debra Bass
Vanessa Baute Penry
Adi Benito
Sheryl Berman
Apple Bodemer
Robert Bonakdar
B Bongaard
Fred Craigie
Rocky Crocker
Joseph Feuerstein
Alan Gaby
Mindy Green
Marsha Handel
Celia Hildebrand
Tori Hudson
Siri Chand Khalsa
Elizabeth Knight
Allison Lee
Dawn Lemanne
Ana Maria Lopez
Nisha Manek
Lewis Mehl-Madrona
Laura Micek-Galinat
Denise Millstine
Amita Nathwani
Sanford Newmark
Jose Antonio Pando
Lyn Patrick
Robert Rhode
David Riley
Ilene Ruhoy
Mia Sanders
Jaime Schehr
Rosie Sheinberg
Myles Spar
Tamara Steinitz
Joe Tafur
Genesa Wagoner
Jill Weintraub
Joy Weydert
Fellowship Interest Form
Join the Integrative Community
Andrew Weil Center integrative medicine Fellows, drawn from the U.S. and over 26 countries, apply integrative principles across 35+ medical specialties in hospitals, clinics, and private practices across the world.
Spring 2025-2027, Starts Janaury 27, 2025
Fellowship Interest Form
Andrew Weil, MD
Founder and Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair in Integrative Medicine and is a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Andrew Weil is the leading figure in integrative medicine, renowned for his integrative approach to health and wellness. He was educated at Harvard University and combines conventional and evidence-based alternative medicine practices to promote overall well-being. Dr. Weil advocates for natural remedies, emphasizing herbal supplements, dietary changes, and mind-body practices. His focus on preventive health measures and proactive lifestyle changes has earned him credibility and popularity among those seeking evidence-based integrative approaches to health. Through his accessible communication style via books, articles, lectures, and media appearances, Dr. Weil inspires individuals worldwide to take control of their health and embrace a holistic approach to wellness.
Ann Marie Chiasson, MD MPH ABOIM
Director of the Fellowship at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson is a respected physician and integrative medicine expert known for her work in mind-body healing and energy medicine. She combines her background in conventional medicine with evidence-based healing modalities, such as acupuncture, energy work, and mindfulness practices, to promote wellness. Dr. Chiasson emphasizes the importance of balancing physical, emotional, and energetic aspects of health for overall well-being. She is also an author and educator, sharing her knowledge and techniques through books, workshops, and lectures. Dr. Chiasson's integrative approach appeals to individuals seeking comprehensive and personalized methods for healing and self-care.
Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO
Associate Director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. She is a leading naturopathic doctor specializing in integrative oncology. She combines conventional cancer treatments with evidence-based natural therapies, emphasizing personalized care for patients. Dr. Alschuler is an educator and author, known for empowering patients and healthcare professionals with knowledge about holistic cancer care. Her approach integrates lifestyle interventions, nutrition, botanical medicine, and mind-body techniques, making her a respected authority in the field.
Victoria Maizes, MD
Internationally recognized as a leader in integrative medicine, she stewarded the growth of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. She is the founding co-chair of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine education committee. Dr. Maizes speaks worldwide to audiences on integrative medical education, women's health, healthy aging, nutrition, and cancer. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on integrative medicine and is the co-editor of the Oxford University textbook Integrative Women's Health and the author of Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child. Dr Maizes is the Body of Wonder podcast co-host with Dr Andrew Weil. Her groundbreaking work, vibrant advocacy, and empowering guidance have made her a true icon in the field, inspiring both patients and healthcare professionals worldwide.
Vivian Kominos, MD, FACC, ABOIM
Board-certified in integrative medicine and cardiology. She received her medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine. She returned to her home state of New Jersey to complete her internal medicine residency and cardiovascular fellowship at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. She founded her practice in 1989, blossoming, with her partners' help, into a full-service consultative and interventional practice. After 15 years of treating heart disease as an invasive cardiologist, Dr. Kominos looked to expand her knowledge and skills and completed the Andrew Weil Center Integrative Medicine fellowship program in 2007.
In 2012 she joined the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in NYC, where she established an integrative cardiology program. During her three years at the Center, she was fortunate to have worked with luminaries in integrative medicine: nutritionists, acupuncturists, physicians, and specialists in physical therapy, chiropractic, and homeopathy. Now, Dr. Kominos is back in her home state of New Jersey, where she has a private Integrative Cardiology and Wellness practice in West Long Branch. She promotes the principles of Integrative Medicine through community programs, professional lectures, and clinical consultations and serves on the American Board of Integrative Medicine.
George Schatz, MD
Dr. George Schatz is a board-certified family medicine physician working as medical director of the Banner University Alvernon Family Medicine Clinic in Tucson, Arizona. He is certified in functional medicine by The Institute for Functional Medicine. He has completed a residential fellowship in integrative medicine through the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. He has specialized training in functional medicine earned firsthand at Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and is the physician lead of the integrative medicine consult service for the Banner University Post-Acute COVID Clinic.
Randy Horwitz, MD, PhD
Medical Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine and a Professor of Medicine at from the University of Illinois, and a PhD (Immunology & Molecular Biology) from the University of Florida. He completed postdoctoral research training at the National Institutes of Health, residency training in Internal Medicine at University Hospitals, Cleveland (Case Western Reserve University), and a three-year fellowship in Allergy & Clinical Immunology at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Horwitz also completed a Residential Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, focusing on mind-body approaches to illness. He is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Allergy & Clinical Immunology, and Integrative Medicine.
In 2012, his textbook Integrative Rheumatology was released (Oxford University Press). In 2016, Dr. Horwitz was appointed to the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and USMLE test committee for Immunology. He also served as the Founding Chair of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM).
Donald Abrams
Donald I. Abrams, M.D. is the past chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, an integrative oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He graduated from Brown University and from the Stanford University School of Medicine. After completing an Internal Medicine residency at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco, he became a fellow in Hematology-Oncology at the University of California Francisco in 1980. During his fellowship, Dr. Abrams spent eight months working in the retrovirology laboratory of Harold Varmus, M.D. during the time that the first cases of AIDS were being diagnosed. He subsequently returned to the clinical arena where he was one of the original clinician/investigators to recognize many of the early AIDS-related conditions.
He conducted numerous clinical trials investigating conventional as well as complementary therapies in patients with HIV including therapeutic touch, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions, medicinal mushrooms, medical marijuana and distant healing. His interest in botanical therapies led him to pursue the two-year Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona which he completed in December 2004. His particular passion in the field involves nutrition and cancer. Since completing his Fellowship, Dr. Abrams has been providing Integrative Medicine consultation and group medical visits to people living with and beyond cancer at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health He retired from UCSF in 2020 but is now recalled Emeritus status to continue his clinical work in integrative oncology at the Osher Center.
Omavi Bailey, MD MPH
Omavi Bailey, MD, MPH, is a Somnologist, Epidemiologist, and Medical Doctor practicing pediatric and adult Sleep Medicine with board certifications from the American Board of Family Practice in Family Medicine and Sleep Medicine. His depth of knowledge and enthusiasm about natural and novel treatments for chronic disease prevention influences his use of sleep as an intervention to prevent chronic illnesses. His unique and integrative approach to sleep medicine integrates traditional non-invasive ventilation therapy with cutting edge solutions such as oral appliance therapy, Vivos System, Hypoglossal nerve stimulators, natural weight loss, cognitive behavioral therapy and herbal treatments for insomnia. Today, Dr. Bailey has expanded his practice online through theSleepMD's state-of-the art telemedicine and personalized sleep services at www.theSleepMD.com. However, before Dr Bailey specialized in Sleep Medicine, he had an established foundation and initiation into African traditional healing systems. He is currently the president of PROMETRA USA an international non-profit founded in 1971 to preserve and promote traditional healing systems in Africa. For more information on the work of Dr Bailey & PROMETRA USA please visit www.Prometra.org.
Debra Bass, JD LLM
Debra's professional and personal goal is to improve the public health. She firmly believes that the integration of complementary and alternative medicine into mainstream practice will improve the quality of patient care, and health outcomes in a cost effective manner and create a new paradigm that focuses on health and wellness.
Debra founded CUTTINGEDGE Medical Research Services in 1993, a patient information service, for patients in medical crisis. CUTTINGEDGE provides patients with access to information about all treatment options and practitioners (conventional and alternative) to allow patients to make informed choices about their healthcare.
As an attorney, Debra specializes in all aspects of healthcare delivery and reimbursement; dietary supplement and nutraceutical, food, drug and cosmetic regulation, including legislative efforts and regulatory compliance; government relations and strategic planning, and partnering consultancy to meet her client's goals. Our clients range from the small dietary supplement manufacturer of the top selling product in its class to a venture capitalist seeking a foothold in the consumer health products market.
She advocates for progressive public health policy, and assists and advises heathcare providers regarding the challenges of integrated practice, licensure, professional ethics and scope of practice issues, the importation and use of complementary and alternative medicines and regulatory compliance.
Vanessa Baute Penry, MD
Vanessa Baute, MD is an Assistant Professor of of Neurology at Wake Forest University.
She graduated from Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 2007 and completed Neurology Residency in 2011 and Neurophysiology Fellowship in 2012 at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. I have published on the importance of integrative treatment in neuromuscular disease and the role of nutrition in the medical school curriculum.
As she continues to expand the nutrition curriculum in both neurology and family medicine departments at Wake Forest, she has incorporated student community projects and talks. Her goal is to establish an integrative medicine elective in the upcoming years. Our center for IM will start offering clinic appointments including neurology services where she will see patients. Recently, she has been named Associate Director of Clinical Education.
Medical students who understand and live a "healthy brain lifestyle" will not only be more resilient physicians, but will be role models for their patients.
Vanessa Baute Penry, MD
Vanessa Baute, MD is an Assistant Professor of of Neurology at Wake Forest University.
She graduated from Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 2007 and completed Neurology Residency in 2011 and Neurophysiology Fellowship in 2012 at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. I have published on the importance of integrative treatment in neuromuscular disease and the role of nutrition in the medical school curriculum.
As she continues to expand the nutrition curriculum in both neurology and family medicine departments at Wake Forest, she has incorporated student community projects and talks. Her goal is to establish an integrative medicine elective in the upcoming years. Our center for IM will start offering clinic appointments including neurology services where she will see patients. Recently, she has been named Associate Director of Clinical Education.
Medical students who understand and live a "healthy brain lifestyle" will not only be more resilient physicians, but will be role models for their patients.
Adi Benito
Adi Benito is a clinical endocrinologist with an interest in the interaction of environmental factors (nutrition, environmental pollutants, stress) with the endocrine system. She is passionate about educating her patients and giving them practical tools to improve well-being.
She is a graduate of the Integrative Medicine Fellowship Class of 2010; is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism; and is a certified clinical densitometrist. She attended medical school in Spain, but her husband wooed her to the United States and she completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and a fellowship in Endocrinology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Sheryl Berman, PhD
Executive Director of Science, Education and Wellness Institute, Bellevue College in Bellevue, WA.
Berman, who earned a Masters degree in Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Wayne State School of Medicine in Detroit, has taught for 25 years at all levels from high school to medical school.
Most recently, she chaired the Basic Sciences department and was Dean of Natural Health Sciences at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash.
Dr. Berman is also a clinical microbiologist, with research interests in the use of probiotic bacteria in the prevention of sexually transmitted disease and immune health.
She is the author of several articles on probiotics, a contributing author to a clinical guide for the use of probiotics (to be published this winter) and a national speaker on the clinical use of probiotics and alternative laboratory testing.
Dr. Berman is also an HIV/AIDS educator, providing continuing education on HIV, AIDS and laboratory medicine to pharmacists, medical technologists and physicians, and informational presentations on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases to teens.
BCC's Health Science, Education and Wellness Institute comprises associate degree programs in seven fields: Diagnostic Ultrasound, Radiation Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Nursing, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education and Fire Services, as well as certificate training programs in 10 fields: Alcohol & Drug Studies, Breast Ultrasound, Clinical Lab Assistant, Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Infant Toddler Care, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy, Radiation Therapy.
Approximately 4,000 students are currently enrolled in these programs.
Apple Bodemer
Apple Bodemer is a Professor of Dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After finishing her Dermatology residency, she completed an Integrative Medicine fellowship through the University of Arizona. She was the first Dermatologist to be Board Certified in Integrative Medicine and currently serves on the American Board of Integrative Medicine. She is also Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine. Additionally, she is a founding faculty of the Integrative Dermatology Certificate Program—an intensive program for Bord Certified Dermatologists—and serves as core faculty for the Integrative Skin Health Series and the Integrative Esthetician Certificate Program through LearnSkin. She has authored several chapters on Integrative Dermatology in the primary Integrative Medicine textbook and written curriculum for the University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Fellowship program as well as for the National Veterans Association Whole Health Initiative.
Robert Bonakdar, MD, FAAFP, FACN, ABOIM
Dr. Bonakdar has been Director of Pain Management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine since 2002 and also serves as a member of the Scripps systemwide Opioid Stewardship Committee.
Most recently, Dr. Bonakdar served as an invited presenter to the congressionally mandated Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force and at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on non-pharmacological approaches to pain. He is a 2018 Mayday Pain Fellow and the editor of the Oxford University Press textbook of Integrative Pain Management.
Prior to medical school, Dr. Bonakdar received a Richter International Fellowship where he studied Eastern healthcare approaches in Southeast Asia including meditation, acupuncture, Tai Chi and herbal medicine. After completing his medical training, he completed a fellowship at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine / Scripps Clinic with a focus on integrative pain management. Additionally, he is certified in headache management by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, board certified in Integrative Medicine by the American Board of Integrative Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition.
Dr. Bonakdar's research and over 250 presentations have focused on non-pharmacological approaches to pain management including nutritional, mind-body and technology assisted approaches to health.
B Bongaard MD,FACP
After graduating from the AWCIM Fellowship in 2005, the knowledge was utilized to create a full Integrative Medicine service line in 2007: outpatient clinic, inpatient consultations, holistic nursing, integrative chaplain, and integrative language interpreter programs. We also launched the first IRB approved Integrative Research study in our hospital system and put Integrative Medicine in EPIC, the hospital EMR.
After retirement in 2014, upon moving to Maui, Dr. B saw the need for expansion of hospice services and certified as a Hospice Medical Director, adding Integrative Oncology services to Islands Hospice. Next, she set up Maui Cancer Resources, a nonprofit which offers cancer patients self-care skills, symptom management, quarterly workshops, a weekly support group, and individualized Integrative Oncology care plans.
In 2021, we looked at gaps in service here and worked to create and publish a booklet called Your Cancer Journey Guide, which helps cancer patients navigate through their journey from the first step to the finish line. Working at the state level, MCR is collaborating with the Quality of Life Action team to improve supportive cancer care for individuals in the State of Hawaii.
Lastly, in 2022, Dr. B initiated an original research pilot study to impact Chemotherapy Related Cognitive Impairment. Though the study is ongoing, results are encouraging, and a formal collaboration with the State is underway. Dr. B is also the past president of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.
Fred Craigie, PhD
Dr. Craigie is a retired clinical psychologist, educator, and writer. In 2015, he transitioned from a 37-year full-time faculty role at the Maine -Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Augusta, Maine, where he coordinated behavioral health teaching for residents and students and provided behavioral health care to a largely underserved primary care population.
He serves as Visiting Associate Professor at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and held an appointment as Associate Professor of Community and Family Medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth during the tenure of his family medicine teaching.
Since the mid-eighties, Fred has written and presented extensively about the healing and life-giving roles of spirituality in patient care, in the experience of health care providers, and in the life and culture of healthcare organizations. He takes particular joy in having founded and chaired the Tom Nevola, MD Symposium on Spirituality and Health, the oldest academic symposium on spirituality and health in the United States, beginning in 1987. He is also the founder of a spiritual care program at the Residency's affiliated hospital and served for many years as associate editor of a professional journal devoted to Christian faith and mental health.
With AWCIM, Fred has taught the Spirituality module in the fellowship program since 2001, teaches curricula in Spirituality and in Healing Relationships for the Integrative Health and Lifestyle program, and recently developed two sections for the new course on mental health and wellness. He is also the author of Spirituality and Relationships sections of the AWCIM program of integrative self-care apps.
He is the author of Positive Spirituality in Health Care: Nine Practical Approaches to Pursuing Wholeness for Clinicians, Patients, and Health Care Organizations, (Mill City Press, 2010) and Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful and Peaceful Living, (MSI Press, 2020), which was recognized as the 2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year in Body, Mind, and Spirit and the winner of the 2022 National Indie Excellence Awards in the category of Well-being.
In his personal life, Fred finds joy in his relationships with his wife and grown children and grandchildren. Along with regular reflection and conversations with other people, he pursues his own spirituality by playing fiddle and mandolin, running up and down the court playing basketball, doing carpentry and home projects, and resolutely following the subtleties and wonders of major league baseball. He was proud to call Maine "home" for 45 years before moving recently to the Cleveland area to be closer to two of the grandchildren and their great parents. Fred and his wife also live seasonally in Tucson.
Robert (Rocky) Crocker, MD
Robert Crocker joined the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in 2012. His first task was to open the Integrative Health Center in Phoenix and is instrumental in future health centers. He has been involved in the development of the Integrative health and lifestyle program, has been a key leader for the Integrative Health Coaching Program, and is deeply involved in the IMPACT study for clinical outcomes.
Prior to coming to AzCIM, Dr. Crocker was with American Specialty Health (ASH) as its chief medical officer. He was involved in the management and ongoing development of the company's medical management programs and products, as well as oversight of ASH's clinical service operations.
Dr. Crocker had a distinguished career in private practice and as national medical director for both UNICARE/Cost Care and WellPoint Health Networks. He also previously served as chief of staff at River Oaks Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, and as a part-time clinical instructor in the University of Mississippi's family medicine program.
Dr. Crocker is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice and has held leadership positions in many industry organizations, including America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO). In addition, Dr. Crocker served on the board of directors of URAC from 2001 through 2010 including serving as chairman of URAC's board of directors.
Dr. Crocker holds a bachelor's of science degree in chemistry from Mississippi College, he later graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and he is a graduate of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. He has served as a health consultant, provided oversight of previous humanitarian relief efforts in Central Asia, and more recently has been working with aboriginal communities in Australia.
Joseph Feuerstein
Dr. Feuerstein studied Medicine at the University of London and Business Management at the University of Cambridge. He completed his internship in trauma and general surgery at Tel Hashomer/Tel Aviv University teaching hospital, before serving as a combat physician in two elite units of the Israeli Navy. He then emigrated to the USA in 2002 and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the Stamford Hospital/Columbia University Family Residency Program where he served as the chief resident.
He finished the University of Arizona Fellowship in 2007 and started working as the Director of Integrative Medicine at Stamford Hospital. He now runs an insurance-based consultation service in Integrative Medicine, working with physicians from all over the Tri-state area. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Columbia University, where he teaches a monthly seminar on botanicals to the third-year medical students. He received certification in Medical Acupuncture from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and certification in the ASCH Clinical Hypnosis. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly appear in local TV, radio and magazines discussing varied health topics.
Alan Gaby, MD
Alan Gaby, MD received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, his MS in biochemistry from Emory University and his MD from the University of Maryland. He then worked in private practice for 19 years, specializing in nutritional medicine and bone health. He is past-president of the American Holistic Medical Association and gave expert testimony to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the cost effectiveness of nutritional supplements.
Dr. Gaby has written numerous scientific papers. He is the author of "Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis" and "The Doctor's Guide to Vitamin B6", and co-author of "The Patient's Book of Natural Healing". He is Chief Medical Editor for Aisle 7 (formerly Healthnotes). In 2011 he completed a 30-year project - a textbook called "Nutritional Medicine" - which is now in its 3rd edition (2024) (www.doctorgaby.com).
Dr. Gaby is renowned for his ability to analyze clinically relevant research related to the field of nutrition.
Mindy Green, RA, RH(AHG), MS
Three decades of experience in the natural products, beauty and health care industries, make Mindy Green a genuine, national authority on botanicals. She has worked at Aveda Corporation (2003-2009) in the botanical research division of R&D as their clinical aromatherapist, developing functional blends and providing training on essential oils and herbs. She now runs her own consulting company, Green Scentsations, LLC.
Decades of wellness-industry expertise is complemented by Mindy's active, longstanding licensure as an esthetician and massage therapist. She has taught clinical aromatherapy at the Boulder College of Massage Therapy, UC Boulder, U Minnesota, Metro State College Denver, and for Dr. Andrew Weil's Fellowship at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine. She has trained for many aromatherapy cosmetic companies including Decleor of Paris, is a trained Hauschka and Jurlique esthetician, and lectures internationally on holistic skin care, nutrition, botanicals and natural health.
Prior to working at Aveda, she founded and owned several herb and essential oil businesses, focusing on her specialization in botanical therapies, product development, and aromatherapy education. She co-founded Simpler's Botanical Company in 1982. The California School of Herbal Studies is among Mindy's business ventures; she was co-owner and a faculty member from 1985 to 1995. From 1995 to 2001 she served as Director of Education and later, Director of Research for the medical library at Herb Research Foundation in Boulder.
Mindy served on the Cosmeceuticals Scientific Advisory Board for the Supply Side West trade show and conference, and as committee chair for Botanicals in Cosmetics for the American Herb Products Association. Currently serving on the Governing Advisory Board of the American College of Healthcare Sciences, her former role as Program Specialist at the Integrative Resource Center of Anschutz Cancer Center at University of Colorado Hospital is indicative of Mindy's dedication to, and leadership in, wellness and healthcare. She is a nationally certified Registered Aromatherapist and has served on the education committees of the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists, and the Aromatherapy Registration Council. Mindy is a founding and professional member of the American Herbalists Guild and an advisory board member to the American Botanical Council, publisher of HerbalGram Magazine.
A prolific writer and lecturer, Ms. Green has authored over 65 published articles on botanicals, skin care and wellness. She is co-author of Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art (2009); author of Calendula and Natural Perfumes, and has contributed to numerous books on herbs and healing. She conducts seminars and training programs across the country and abroad on integrative health. As a botanical-therapies expert, she has been interviewed more than 400 times by leading magazines and newspapers.
Ms. Green holds a bachelor's degree in Holistic Health Sciences and a master's in Health and Human Services from Columbia Pacific University. From Purdue University she received extensive training in the advanced uses of essential oils.
She has worked for Pharmaca, an integrative pharmacy in Boulder, CO as an herbal practitioner and esthetician.
Marsha J. Handel, MLS
Ms. Handel has been a medical librarian at Beth Israel Medical Center for over twenty years, with a specialty in Integrative Medicine. She is co-author of the award winning book Alternative Medicine Resource Guide and has published articles, book chapters and taught professional-level classes on search techniques and resources in the field of integrative healthcare.
As the Director of Informatics and Online Education at the Center for Health for Healing, Ms. Handel developed the Center's educational web at www.healthandhealingny.org, and in 2006 received a 2-1/2-year NIH grant to develop a multimedia patient education website on the Integrative Approach to Chronic Diseases: Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Chronic Pain. She has developed and collaborated on many other health web sites, including the Addiction Recovery Guide, Healing Chronic Pain, Healing Digestive Disorders, Preparing for Surgery, and Integrative Approaches to IBS.
Celia Hildebrand
Celia Hildebrand, DAOM, LAc has worked in the field of health care delivery for almost 40 years. She has been a student of body/mind connections and practitioner of therapeutic modalities since her teenage years but especially after a biking accident at the age of 23 resulted in extensive physical injuries. She earned both a Master (2002) and clinical Doctorate (2015) in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, with focused study and clinical practice in trauma, rehabilitation, and community health. In 2019 Dr. Hildebrand was awarded a Fulbright to teach acupuncture for pain, PTSD, and trauma in western Ukraine. Since 2022 she has travelled frequently to Ukraine to teach and practice within hospitals, training more than 130 medical doctors, physical therapists, combat medics and psychologists to use auricular acupuncture for trauma, anxiety, pain and recovery. In July 2024 she received a Rosalind Franklin Society award in Science and Medicine. Celia has been a professor, academic dean and chair of clinical education for East Asian medical schools and most recently has practiced within the Veterans' Administration hospital system and the University of Arizona's Banner Health System. Dr. Hildebrand maintains a private practice in Tucson, AZ and finds a deep appreciation for the Quixotic quest of tilting at windmills.
Tori Hudson
Dr. Tori Hudson, Naturopathic Physician, graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1984 and has since served the college in many capacities including Professor, Medical Director, Associate Academic Dean, and Academic Dean. She is currently an adjunct clinical professor at NUNM, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Bastyr University. Dr. Hudson has been in practice for more than 35 years, is the medical director of her clinic, A Woman's Time, in Portland, OR, and is the director of product research and education for Vitanica. She is also the founder and co-director of Naturopathic Education and Research Consortium, a nonprofit for accredited naturopathic residencies.
Siri Chand Khalsa MD, MS
Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, MD, MS, founder and CEO of Chandrima is a pioneer in the realm of Integrative, Ayurvedic, and Lifestyle medicine. With over three decades of education, training, and clinical experience, Dr. Khalsa has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between traditional and modern healthcare practices. Her unique approach is rooted in the belief that true healing encompasses the mind, body, and spirit, and she is passionate about empowering clinicians to adopt this holistic perspective in their own practices.
Elizabeth Knight, PhD, DNP, FNP-C
Elizabeth is an integrative health coach, educator, scientist, and nurse practitioner with over ten years experience working in health care. She received her training in integrative health and lifestyle promotion through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and is a UESCA certified running coach. Her clinical work has included intensive care, community health, mobile outreach, primary care, and college health. As a nurse practitioner, she has deep knowledge of preventive health care, health education, and how the healthcare system works (and doesn't work).
She completed her graduate work at the University of Arizona's College of Nursing, earning both a clinical Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a PhD as one of the first students to complete this prestigious dual degree program. Her doctoral thesis focused on trajectories of women's cardiovascular symptoms. Her scholarly work has continued to focus on gender equity in health care, including meeting the needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
Allison Lee, MD
Dr. Lee is a psychiatrist in private practice in Sacramento, California.
She has a BA in psychology from Smith College and earned her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed residency at the Harvard Longwood Psychiatry Residency Training Program where my focus was in community mental health and homeless outreach.
She initiallly worked at Kaiser Permanente in the adult outpatient psychiatry clinic and later transitioned to private practice. She juggled family and work for many years but suffered physician burnout and became disillusioned with conventional psychiatry. She developed an autoimmune disorder and experienced firsthand the frustrations with the current health model. In 2009, she made the decision to step away from her career, prioritizing her health and family commitments, not knowing when and if she would ever return to the field of medicine. The same day she closed her practice doors her husband and she closed escrow on a hobby farm in the beautiful Sierra Foothills. Living in the farm-to-fork capital of America sparked my interest in organic gardening and nutrition.
In the summer of 2014, a friend from residency invited Dr. Lee to attend an immersive CME course at Canyon Ranch, a health and wellness resort in Tuscon. Here, she was introduced to integrative medicine. She was amazed how much better she felt after only a few days of clean eating, self-care, and mindfulness practice. One day, as she explored the resort grounds, she found myself alone in the desert at the outskirts of the property. In front of her was a labyrinth, a concept that was new to her. As she walked it, she felt a "calling" to return to medicine, but with a fresh approach. She knew then that she would be returning to Tucson. Within a couple of months, she re-opened her practice doors and applied to the AWCIM Fellowship. Since then it has been an exciting journey of personal growth, connections and renewed purpose. She completed the AWCIM Fellowship in 2018. Her current interests are in consciousness studies and psychedelic assisted therapy, recognizing its potential as an emerging treatment modality. She is excited to continue lifelong learning and thrilled to be a part of this evolution in healthcare!
Dawn Lemanne MD, MPH
Dr. Lemanne is a Stanford-trained medical oncologist who incorporates integrative approaches into each patient's care. She is a 2011 graduate of the AWCIM Fellowship and practices in Ashland, Oregon.
Ana Maria Lopez MD, MPH, ABOIM
Dr. Ana Maria Lopez is a medical oncologist and integrative oncologist at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, where she serves as Director of Integrative Oncology. Her clinical practices focuses on integrative oncology. Dr. Lopez is most interested in the dynamic intersection between mind, body, and health and has conducted and published research on integrative approaches to cancer care.
Nisha Manek MD, FACP, FRCP (UK)
Dr. Manek received her medical degree from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. She completed her specialty training in Rheumatology at Stanford University, Stanford, California, following which she joined the division of rheumatology at Mayo clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She was faculty at Mayo clinic for more than 11 years before transitioning to Arthritis Health, Scottsdale. Dr. Manek has special expertise in complementary and integrative medicine for rheumatic diseases. She received the Bravewell scholarship and completed the associate fellowship in integrative medicine from the University of Arizona, Tucson in 2006. While at Mayo clinic, Dr. Manek served on many boards including the rheumatology division inflammatory arthritis clinical working group; the task was setting the standard of care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis as well as other rheumatic diseases. As an educator, she was on the Mayo College of Medicine Internal Medicine residency selection committee as well as a mentor to many of the brightest young medical recruits in the Minnesota Future Doctor's program. She also mentored specialist fellows at Mayo who went on to successful careers in Rheumatology around the world and the US. This dedication to education also led her to serve on the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP, under the umbrella of the American College of Rheumatology) E-learning subcommittee. Among the many awards during her career, Dr. Manek received the Top Educator award at Mayo clinic internal medicine program.
Dr. Manek firmly believes in innovative approaches to health and wellness. This has brought her to Scottsdale, Arizona to learn Physics! With mentorship of Dr. William A. Tiller, Professor Emeritus of Stanford University Department of Material Science and Engineering, she is studying the potential power of human consciousness and intention in healing. This new area which Dr. Tiller calls “information medicine” has potential application in chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases. Related to the subject of consciousness and healing, Dr. Manek moderated HH 14th Dalai Lama's visit to Mayo clinic in 2008. Dr. Manek believes in a revolutionary approach to getting the best results for patients with chronic diseases such as arthritis. She is passionate about patient centered care underpinning the special needs of inflammatory conditions, and the long-term patient-doctor relationships.
Dr. Manek grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, and returns to her home in Africa annually. She speaks Kiswahili and Gujarati (Indian dialect). She has a love of the arts, music, traveling, writing, as well vegetarian cooking.
Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD
Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine and trained in family medicine, psychiatry, and clinical psychology. He completed his residencies in family medicine and in psychiatry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has been on the faculties of several medical schools, most recently as associate professor of family medicine at the University of New England. He continues to work with aboriginal communities to develop uniquely aboriginal styles of healing and health care for use in those communities. He is interested in the relation of healing through dialogue in community and psychosis. He is the author of Coyote Medicine, Coyote Healing, and Coyote Wisdom, a trilogy of books on what Native culture has to offer the modern world. He has also written Narrative Medicine, Healing the Mind through the Power of Story: the Promise of Narrative Psychiatry, and, his most recent book with Barbara Mainguy, Remapping Your Mind: the Neuroscience of Self-Transformation through Story. Lewis currently works with Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, which serves the five tribes of Maine. He also works part-time at Acadia Hospital and with the Family Medicine Residency at Eastern Maine Medical Center. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Coyote Institute for Studies of Change and Transformation. Lewis has been studying traditional healing and healers since his early days and has written about their work and the process of healing. His primary focus has been upon Cherokee and Lakota traditions, though he has also explored other Plains Cultures and those of Northeastern North America. His goal is to bring the wisdom of indigenous peoples about healing back into mainstream medicine and to transform medicine and psychology through this wisdom coupled with more European-derived narrative traditions. He has written scientific papers in these areas and continues to do research. He writes a weekly (almost) blog on health and mental health for www.futurehealth.org. His current interests center around psychosis and its treatment within community and with non-pharmacological means, narrative approaches to chronic pain and its use in primary care, and further developing healing paradigms within a narrative/indigenous framework.
Laura Micek-Galinat MD, MPH, DABOIM, CCMS
Dr. Micek-Galinat is a family physician with over 30 years clinical experience, who later trained with AzCIM, Class of 2014. She then enrolled in Tulane's Culinary Medicine program and became one of the first 10 culinary medicine specialists in the nation.
She has always worked in an academic setting, initially at Rutgers Medical School, where she was the Residency Program Director. She then joined a community residency program where she was the Director of our Integrative Medicine in Residency program. She developed HEALERS, thanks to a grant from the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), which is an evidenced based wellness curriculum covering a variety of integrative medicine topics including nutrition, mind-body and reflective practices, listening and doctor-patient communication, resiliency and burn-out prevention and spirituality.
She relocated to Tucson in 2020. After working at the Department of Family and Community Medicine for the past year, she is now taking some time to focus on my health. Her passions are teaching about using food as medicine, both to the public and health professions, in addition to combating the current physician burn-out crisis.
Denise Millstine, MD, BBE
Denise M. Millstine, MD, is a faculty physician in the department of Internal Medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. She is board certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Millstine provides adult primary care services at the Internal Medicine Health Center. Her clinical interests include women's health, preventative medicine, and chronic disease management. She is currently a member of American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Society General Internal Medicine (SGIM).
Dr. Millstine earned her medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine and was Chief Resident at University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Center in Worcester, Mass. Dr. Millstine began a fellowship in Integrative Medicine with the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in the fall of 2009.
Amita Nathwani
Amita Nathwani, MA is an esteemed Ayurvedic Doctor with over 20 years of clinical experience. As a renowned author, teacher, and practitioner, she is widely recognized as the provider for the providers. Amita is a graduate of the Maharishi School of Ayurveda in India and the Maharishi International University (MIU) in the United States. Her education, which spans continents, enables her to preserve the traditional teachings of Ayurveda while adeptly translating them into conventional medical models. Amita's extensive background includes teaching Anatomy and Physiology at acupuncture schools for over five years. This experience has equipped her with the unique ability to bridge the gap between the theoretical foundations of Ayurveda and their practical applications. Her deep understanding of pathophysiology enhances her capacity to integrate Ayurvedic principles seamlessly with contemporary medical practices. Through her multifaceted career, Amita continues to inspire and educate both practitioners and patients.
Sanford 'Sandy' Newmark, MD
Sanford Newmark, MD is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California and Director of Clinical Services at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. He is also the head of the Pediatric Integrative Neurodevelopmental Program at the Osher Center, specializing in the treatment of Autism, ADHD and other developmental or chronic childhood conditions. He also has a long-standing interest and expertise in nutrition and its impact on childhood development and general health. He combines conventional medicine with nutrition, behavior management, and various complementary modalities. Dr. Newmark has lectured widely on both autism and ADHD and has authored 3 chapters in Integrative Medicine textbooks. He has written a book entitled ADHD Without Drugs, a Guide to the Natural Care of Children with ADHD. His UCTV talk on ADHD has had over 4.6 million views.
Jose Antonio Pando, MD
During the mid to late 80's, after completing my medical training in Latin America, Dr. Pando moved to the United States were he started doing research in Immunology and psycho-neuro-immunology at the University of Miami. He completed his Internship and Fellowship at Yale University Primary Care Program and moved to the mid-atlantic area for Fellowships in rheumatology at Georgetown University and National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has been in private practice for the last 20 years and during this time, the practice he started with his wife has evolved from a conventional medical practice into a Wellness Center were they offer state of the art rheumatological care, physical therapy, massage, pilates, healing touch and offer a movement studio with multiple exercise modalities. Dr. Pando strongly believes in integrating old (ancestral) concepts like the use of energy medicine, diet, exercise and mindfulness with the current scientific advances for the wellbeing of our patients and our community in general.
Lyn Patrick, ND
Lyn Patrick ND graduated from Bastyr University in 1984 with a doctorate in naturopathic medicine and has been in private practice as a state-licensed naturopathic physician in Arizona and Colorado for 39 years. She is a published author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, a past Contributing Editor for the former Medline-indexed Alternative Medicine Review journal, and recently authored a chapter in the textbook Clinical Environmental Medicine (Elsevier 2019). She speaks internationally on environmental medicine, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, endocrine disruption, metal toxicology, and other topics. She is currently Faculty for the Metabolic Medicine Institute Fellowship in collaboration with the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is continuing to educate primary care providers through the EMEI Global (Environmental Medicine Education International) Environmental Medicine Training Course and EMEI Review podcasts. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, hiking, and kayaking the mountains, lakes, and rivers of southwestern Colorado.
Robert Rhode, PhD
Dr. Rhode started learning about motivational interviewing in 1984 when he was teaching in the Family and Community Medicine Residency program at the Univ of AZ. It was a style that fit with his preference of not arguing with clients. He likes the strategic part of motivational interviewing because he was studying engineering before he changed to psychology. At the turn of the century, he had some worry that motivational interviewing was becoming so widely known that he would soon no longer be teaching it. He subsequently learned that he had, for the first time in his career, been on the leading edge of innovation and various health promoting fields were just starting to explore this approach. For the next 24 years, he provided trainings about 2-3 times a month to some agency or group. These groups were as small as three and as large as 750, from Americus, Georgia to Bethel, Alaska, from Nogales, Mexico to Burlington, Vermont for physicians, dentists, counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and students. He strives to describe the MI concepts and make them memorable using video examples and popular media.
David Riley, MD
Dr. Riley is the Editor-in-Chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, a peer reviewed medical journal indexed in the National Library of Medicine. He is the founder of the Integrative Medicine Institute which is conducting health services research on effectiveness, safety, patient satisfaction, and costs when complementary and alternative therapies are integrated with conventional medicine.
Dr. Riley's primary interest in medicine is conducting health services research and improving patient care through the evidence-based integration of conventional and alternative therapies. He attended Georgetown and the University of Utah Medical Schools and graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in 1983. His undergraduate studies were at the University of North Carolina, where he graduated in 1976 with a BA in music and honors in psychology. He is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico Medical School, board certified in Internal Medicine, a certified yoga instructor and is studying the Biodynamic approach to osteopathy. In 1993 Dr. Riley completed a three-year training program in homeopathy at the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy in Albany, California.
He has conducted many clinical trials. He was the principle investigator on the International Integrative Primary Care Outcome Studies I and II. This multi-center outcomes study evaluated patient care outcomes when complementary and alternative therapies were integrated in primary care. He has been involved in the development and implementation of data collection networks collecting practitioner and patient outcome and satisfaction data. Southwest Health Options, co-founded by Dr. Riley, was an independent practice association (IPA) managing the delivery of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for insured patients in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As the medical director of Southwest Health Options, Dr. Riley directed the peer review and utilization management, and developed credentialing standards acceptable to both the insurance industry and the CAM community.
Dr. Riley is a board member of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPCUS), a technical advisory board to the FDA for regulatory issues concerning homeopathy. Dr. Riley lectures and consults internationally on a range of healthcare issues with a focus on research, education, and regulatory affairs.
Ilene Ruhoy, MD, PhD
Ilene S. Ruhoy, MD, PhD is a pediatric and adult neurologist. She received her MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed her neurology training at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital. She also holds a PhD in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Dr. Ruhoy is an alumni of the class of 2010 at the University of Arizona's Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.
Dr. Ruhoy has been a contract researcher for the US. Environmental Protection Agency's National Exposure Research Laboratory in the Ecology Research Program. She has published numerous articles and scholarly presentations on the afterlife of pharmaceuticals in our environment.
Mia Sanders, MD, FACOG
Jaime Schehr ND, RD
Dr. Jaime Schehr holds dual licenses as a Naturopathic Physician and Registered Dietician, making her one of the few practitioners in the country with both expertise. She is currently faculty at the Institute for Family Health, a teaching based-outpatient clinic in NYC. Dr. Schehr is the director of dietetic interns at the Institute for Family Health, where she also serves as a preceptor to medical residents on integrative medicine. Dr. Schehr owns a private practice with offices in NYC and CT. In addition to primary care, Dr. Schehr focuses much of her time teaching healthcare professionals and students of medical/academic universities on how to successfully incorporate Nutrition therapy into their practice.
Rosie Sheinberg, MD, ABoIM
Dr. Rosanne Sheinberg is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington, having moved from Baltimore and Johns Hopkins in 2022. Her areas of clinical expertise include anesthesiology, cardiac anesthesiology and perioperative transesophageal echocardiography. Dr. Sheinberg served as the program director of the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship Program at Johns Hopkins, until 2016.
Prior to receiving her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of California, Davis, she was a member of the Joffrey Ballet in New York City, toured as a member of Phantom of the Opera and danced for Carnival Cruise Lines. She earned her M.D. from Johns Hopkins. She completed her residency and performed a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Sheinberg joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2011.
She subsequently pursued a fellowship in Integrative Medicine through Dr. Andrew Weil's program at the University of Arizona, Tucson and became board certified in Integrative Medicine in 2014. She helped start and is medical director of Sibley Memorial Hospital's new Integrative Medicine clinic, co-director of the 1 st -year medical student curriculum on integrative medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and contributed to the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine Fellowship's module on Integrative Pain Management and currently co-authored a module on perioperative integrative medicine. She is part of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers in Integrative Medicine and led the educational component of the Consortium's non-pharmacologic pain management project and participated in a white paper on the topic of evidence-based nonpharmacologic strategies for comprehensive pain care. She completed her training in medical acupuncture from Helms Medical Institute.
Her interest is in utilizing the principles and practices of integrative medicine and adding these modalities within the western medical system to enhance health, wellness and facilitate recovery. In particular, she has an interest in enhancing preparation for and recovery from surgery using evidence-based integrative principles, practices and techniques. This interest extends to an integrative approach to treating acute and chronic pain.
Myles Spar, MD, MPH
VP and National Director for Medical Services, AndHealth Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Spar attended the University of Michigan Medical School and worked as a humanitarian for Doctors without Borders, which triggered his appreciation for the role of lifestyle and community as well as personal engagement in each person's ability to achieve their goals in health and life in general. Besides his Internal Medicine training. he completed formal training in Public Health and health services research at UCLA and in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine while establishing and running a free integrative medicine program at an FQHC in the L.A. area. For this work, he is the recipient of the prestigious Bravewell Leadership Award, the highest honor in his field. He is board certified in Internal and Integrative Medicine. Dr. Spar has pursued his passion for root-caused medicine through training in functional medicine and serving as chair of the American Board of Integrative Medicine. As a clinician, researcher, author, teacher, speaker for multiple media outlets and on the TedX stage, Dr. Spar went on to specialize in personalized medicine for patients focused on optimal performance and chronic illness. He wrote the book Optimal Men’s Health, published in 2020 with Oxford University Press. As a specialist in Integrative Men’s Health, he has advised NBA players, celebrities and executives on maximizing performance through optimizing health. Dr. Spar served as Chief Medical Officer and National Medical Director for Vault Health before joining AndHealth in 2022. He is on clinical faculty of the University of Arizona AWCIM Fellowship and the Academy for Integrative Health and Medicine Integrative Medicine Fellowship.
Tamara Steinitz MS, RDN
Tamara retired from her faculty position at Utah State University after a long career in education. She was the director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and a Professional Practice Professor. She taught many courses, including Education and Counseling Methods, Community Nutrition, and Advanced Practicum capstone courses, overseeing supervised practice and service-learning in campus/community efforts. She also taught a Study Abroad course with a colleague in Crete, Greece for four summers, focusing on the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.
Completing the IHeLp and Coaching programs was extremely valuable to me both personally and professionally. The way we eat affects many facets of life, and life affects the way we eat. The more ways we can honor the complexity of adopting new self-care habits, the more likely we can truly help patients and clients make those changes. Incorporating integrative health concepts and practices into my philosophies and work courses has broadened my scope of practice and ability to truly meet people where they are. I've been consulting with a local medical practice to provide Nutrition Coaching to their patients, and have enjoyed mentoring students and providing course content and reviews at AWCIM for a number of years.
Joe Tafur, MD
Joe Tafur, M.D., is a Colombian-American family physician originally from Phoenix, Arizona. After completing his family medicine training at UCLA, Dr. Tafur spent two years in academic research at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry in a lab focused on mind-body medicine. After his research fellowship, over a period of six years, he lived and worked in the Peruvian Amazon at the traditional healing center Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual. There he worked closely with master Shipibo healer Ricardo Amaringo and trained in ayahuasca curanderismo. In his book "The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor's Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine," through a series of stories, Dr. Tafur shares his unique experience and integrative medical theories. He is currently a fellow at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine. Additionally, he is involved the Ocotillo Center for Integrative Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. To learn more about his work you can also visit drjoetafur.com.
With his multicultural community in Phoenix, Dr. Tafur co-founded the Church of the Eagle and the Condor (CEC) (learn more at churchofeagleandcondor.org). This spiritual community is dedicated to promoting the spiritual unity of all people through the practice of traditional Indigenous spirituality and sacred ceremonies. The CEC is currently pursuing legal protection for their practice of sacred Ayahuasca ceremony.
Dr. Tafur is also a co-founder of Modern Spirit, a nonprofit dedicated to demonstrating the value of spiritual healing in modern healthcare. Among their projects is the Modern Spirit Epigenetics Project, an epigenetic analysis of the impact of MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Their first results have now been submitted for publication. Learn more at modernspirit.org.
Genesa Wagoner, MD
Dr. Wagoner has been in Pediatric practice since 1995 and works at Providence Pediatrics – San Pedro. She completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in 2015 and continues to study and apply natural therapies in her practice, in addition to more conventional treatments. "Sometimes medicines are necessary, but I like to use a holistic approach whenever possible, such as nutrition and natural therapies," she notes. She believes in a whole person approach that includes listening, and understanding to who a person (or family) is before making recommendations. The goal is to help her patients heal when needed and thrive the rest of the time. Dr. Wagoner earned her Bachelor of Science at University of California, Irvine, a Master’s in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and her medical degree from University of California, San Francisco. She completed her internship and residency at Harbor UCLA Medical Center and an Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has a special interest in social justice and health equity and is the Co-Chair of the Providence Medical Associates DEI and Anti-Racism Taskforce. In her spare time, Dr. Wagoner enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, walking at the beach, dancing, yoga, and smiling whenever possible.
Jill Weintraub, MD, FACR
Dr. Jill Weintraub is the founder of integrative rheumatology consultant, a rheumatology practice that combines conventional rheumatology with the fundamentals of integrative med. She did her medical training at Mount Sinai medical center and her rheumatology special training at NYU Medical Center hospital for joint diseases.
Joy Weydert, MD, ABOIM, FAAP
Dr. Weydert is Clinical Professor (Volunteer) of Integrative Medicine and General Pediatrics at the University of Kansas Health System and is also the Pediatric Content Contributor and Faculty Mentor for the AWCIM fellowship. While in practice she has had a special interest in health promotion and disease prevention in children using an integrative approach to healing. Over the years she has successfully used this integrative approach to treat chronic pain, such as headaches, fibromyalgia, abdominal pain, and arthritis; inflammatory bowel disease, eczema, and behavioral issues such as sleep disorders, ADHD, and ASD. She received her undergraduate degree in nursing from the Graceland University and later attended the University of Kansas School of Medicine where she graduated in 1990. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at Indiana University, Riley Hospital for Children. After many years in private practice, she returned to training and completed the residential fellowship at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. She is board certified in both pediatrics and Integrative Medicine and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics where she was a founding member of the Section of Integrative Medicine (SOIM). She is past Chair of the Executive Committee for SOIM. She has authored various manuscripts and book chapters on integrative medicine in children and speaks widely on the same subject both locally and nationally.