12th Annual Thought Leaders Consortium: Advanced Course on Immuno-Metabolism

Speakers

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  Jeff Bland, PhD Functional Medicine Founder and Pioneer
  

  Jeff Bland, PhD

  Functional Medicine Founder and Pioneer

  Dr. Jeffrey Bland is a personable and highly respected thought leader who has spent more than four decades focused on the improvement of human health.

  He is known worldwide as the founder of the Functional Medicine movement, which represents his vision for a care model that is grounded in systems biology and informed by research that he has a unique ability to synthesize. His pioneering work has created the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute (PLMI), as well as the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the global leader in Functional Medicine education. Since 1991, hundreds of thousands of healthcare practitioners have participated in PLMI and IFM programs, and this collective knowledge has positively impacted the lives of patients all over the world.

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  David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM Author and World-Renowned Neurologist
  

  David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM

  Author and World-Renowned Neurologist

  Dr. Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition.

  Dr. Perlmutter received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was awarded the Leonard G. Rowntree Research Award. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and has published extensively in
  peer-reviewed scientific journals including Archives of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and The Journal of Applied Nutrition. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by institutions such as the World Bank and IMF, Columbia University, Scripps Institute, New York University, and Harvard University and serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

  Dr. Perlmutter’s books have been published in 32 languages and include the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain, The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar, with over 1 million copies in print. Other New York Times bestsellers include Brain Maker, The Grain Brain Cookbook, The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan, and Brain Wash, co-written with Austin Perlmutter,
  M.D. He is the editor of The Microbiome and the Brain authored by top experts in the field and published in December2019 by CRC Press. His latest New York Times bestselling book, Drop Acid, focuses on the pivotal role of uric acid in metabolic diseases, and was published in February 2022.

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  Elroy Vojdani, MD Functional and Predictive Immune Testing Authority
  

  Elroy Vojdani, MD

  Functional and Predictive Immune Testing Authority

  Dr. Elroy Vojdani is the founder of Regenera Medical, a boutique Functional Medicine practice in Los Angeles, California.

  Upon graduating medical school from the University of Southern California and completing his residency at USC Keck School of Medicine, Dr. V began his career as an Interventional Radiologist, diagnosing and treating complex, late-stage cancers and other extremely debilitating diseases. While this experience gave him unique insights into hospital based medicine, his desire to stop disease before it reached the point of becoming a chronic illness remained at the core of his desire to practice medicine. Today, he continues in his father’s footsteps – pioneering to find answers to medical conditions that go undiagnosed and untreated.

  Dr. Vojdani has co-authored over 20 articles in the Scientific literature and continues an integral role in research related to Autoimmune, Neurodegenerative, and Autoinflammatory conditions.  He is also the co-Author a medical textbook entitled “Food Associated Autoimmunity”.

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  Austin Perlmutter, MD Author and Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician
  

  Austin Perlmutter, MD

  Author and Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician

  Dr Austin Perlmutter is a board-certified internal medicine physician, New York Times bestselling author, published researcher and international educator. His mission is to help people improve their health by targeting the biological basis of “stuckness” in our brains and bodies. His writing, presentations, podcasts, and online educational programs explore how environmental factors influence our cognitive and mental state and have reached millions. Dr. Perlmutter currently serves as the managing director at Big Bold Health, a food-as-medicine company focused on helping people rejuvenate health through better immune function, where he is running a first-of-its kind study exploring the effects of plant nutrients on human aging through epigenetics.

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  Jill Carnahan, MD Medical Director Flatiron Functional Medicine
  

  Jill Carnahan, MD

  Medical Director Flatiron Functional Medicine

  Dr. Jill Carnahan is Your Functional Medicine Expert® dually board certified in Family Medicine for 10 years and in Integrative Holistic Medicine. She is the Medical Director of Flatiron Functional Medicine, a widely sought-after practice with a broad range of clinical services including functional medical consultations, nutritional consultations, chiropractic therapy, physical therapy, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, and therapeutic massage. As a survivor of breast cancer, Crohn’s disease, and toxic mold illness she brings a unique perspective to treating patients with complex illness. She specializes in searching for the underlying triggers that contribute to illness through cutting-edge lab testing and practicing personalized medicine.

  Featured in People magazine, Shape, Parade, Forbes, MindBodyGreen, First for Women, Townsend Newsletter, and The Huffington Post as well as seen on NBC News and Health segments with Joan Lunden, Dr. Jill is media savvy and full of wisdom. Her YouTube channel and podcast features live interviews with many of healthcare’s most respected clinicians. She co-authored the Personalized and Precision Integrative Cardiovascular Medicine Textbook with Dr. Mark Houston. Her new book, Unexpected: Finding Resilience though Functional Medicine, Science, and Faith is now available for purchase anywhere books are sold. She is executive producer, film writer and is featured in a new documentary about her journey overcoming illness called Doctor/Patient set to be distributed this year

  A popular inspirational speaker and prolific writer, she shares her knowledge of hope, health and healing live on stage and through newsletters, blog articles, books, and social media posts! Her patients and fans alike are encouraged by her science-back medical knowledge delivered with authenticity, love, and humor. She is known for inspiring her audience to thrive even in the midst of difficulties. If you want to stay in touch or get the latest updates, you can follow her @drjillcarnahan on Instagram.

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  Dale E. Bredesen, MD Professor, New York Times Best Selling Author, Founding President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging UCLA
  

  Dale E. Bredesen, MD

  Professor, New York Times Best Selling Author, Founding President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging UCLA

  Dr. Bredesen graduated from Caltech and received his MD from Duke. He served as Resident and Chief Resident in Neurology at UCSF, then postdoctoral fellow with Nobel laureate Prof. Stanley Prusiner. He was the Founding President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

  The Bredesen Laboratory studied basic mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative process, and the translation into effective therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease, leading to the publication of over 220 research papers. He established the Alzheimer’s Drug Development Network with Dr. Varghese John, leading to the identification of new classes of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease. His work led to the discovery of subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease, followed by the first description of reversal of symptoms in patients with MCI and Alzheimer’s disease, with a precision medicine protocol, and a recent successful proof-of-concept trial. Dr. Bredesen is the author of two New York Times best sellers. He is currently a professor at UCLA.

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  Navaz Habib, DC Founder of 'Health Upgraded'
  

  Navaz Habib, DC

  Founder of 'Health Upgraded'

  Dr. Navaz Habib, is the bestselling author of ‘Activate Your Vagus Nerve’, and the newly released ‘Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve’ He is also the host of ‘The Health Upgrade Podcast’.

  After graduating as class valedictorian from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 2010 and went on to practice traditional chiropractic for years, until he utilized the power of functional medicine to transform his own health.

  He is the founder of ‘Health Upgraded’ an online functional health consulting clinic, supporting optimal health by elevating the awareness and function of the Vagus nerve.

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  Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP IFM Certified Practitioner
  

  Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP

  IFM Certified Practitioner

  Kara Fitzgerald, ND, IFMCP, is engaged in clinical research on DNA methylation using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her virtual and in-person Functional Medicine clinic. She has published a consumer book, Younger You and Program based on her ground-breaking 8-week study that resulted in a 3-year reversal of biological aging. She also has a Younger You companion cookbook, Better Broths and Healing Tonics. Dr. Fitzgerald is on faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), and is an IFM Certified Practitioner. She regularly lectures internationally and hosts the podcast New Frontiers in Functional Medicine. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National University of Natural Medicine in Oregon.

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  Michael Kurisu, DO Osteopathic, Integrative, Data-Centric, Family Physician
  

  Michael Kurisu, DO

  Osteopathic, Integrative, Data-Centric, Family Physician

  Michael Kurisu, DO is an Osteopathic Family physician with extensive training in an array of hands-on techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of many different chronic disease states. The internal capacity to heal is the cornerstone of Dr. Kurisu’s approach to medicine. He has received training in both the alternative health field as well as conventional allopathic medicine allowing him to integrate all aspects of health as it pertains to each patient. Dr. Kurisu is a board certified in Family Medicine and board certified in Holistic and Integrative Medicine. He trained at UCSD and is founding faculty of the Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSD, as well as the Osteopathic Center San Diego. He applies evidence-based integrative therapies for management of complicated, chronic disease states and works closely with many different patients and health care
  practitioners in the community. He is also data-centric and very interested in the future direction of medicine and has created the Measured Wellness Clinic empowering patients to take greater control of their health. He has also partnered with patients creating
  the 501c3 Precision Healthcare Ecosystem. Dr. Kurisu holds faculty positions and teaches at several different national and international medical schools. He thoroughly enjoys teaching, surfing, and spending time with his wife, two sons, and his dog.

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  Patrick Hanaway, MD Certified Family Physician
  

  Patrick Hanaway, MD

  Certified Family Physician

  Patrick Hanaway, MD, is a board certified family physician trained at Washington University. Dr. Hanaway served on the executive committee for the American Board of Integrative Medicine and is past president of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. For the past 20 years, he has worked with his wife in clinical practice at Family to Family: Your Home for Whole Health Care in Asheville, NC.

  After 10 years as chief medical officer at Genova Diagnostics, Dr. Hanaway became the chief medical education officer at The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), where he oversaw the development and implementation of IFM’s programs worldwide. He has taught with IFM since 2005, he leads the GI Advanced Practice Module, and he continues his support of IFM as co-chair of the Expert Advisory Board.

  In 2014, Dr. Hanaway helped develop the collaboration between IFM and the Cleveland Clinic, where he was the founding medical director. He later became the research director and now serves as a research collaborator at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. His research interests focus on evaluating outcomes of Functional Medicine models of care.

  The focus of Dr. Hanaway’s work is to leverage his skillset to transform medical practice through education, research, and clinical care. In addition, Dr. Hanaway has been initiated as a Mara’akame [indigenous healer] by the Huichol people of the Sierra Madres in Mexico. He holds community fires, leads ceremonies, and offers traditional healing sessions.

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  Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL Neuroendocrinologist
  

  Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL

  Neuroendocrinologist

  Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist, with expertise in obesity, diabetes, metabolism, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry. He has dedicated his retirement from clinical medicine to help to fix the food supply any way he can, to reduce human suffering and to salvage the environment, by interacting with all stakeholders to bring them together around a common vision of metabolic health: protect the liver, feed the gut, support the brain. Dr. Lustig graduated from MIT in 1976, and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980. He also received his Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) degree at University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2013. He is the author of the popular books Fat Chance (2012), The Hacking of the American Mind (2017), and Metabolical (2021). He is the Chief Science Officer of the non-profit Eat REAL, he is on the Advisory Boards of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, the Center for Humane Technology, Simplex Health, Levels Health, Journeys Metabolic, and Myka Labs. He is also the Chief Medical Officer of BioLumen Technologies, Perfact, and Kalin Health.

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  Ashley Koff, RD Chief Nutrition Officer
  

  Ashley Koff, RD

  Chief Nutrition Officer

  Ashley Koff RD is a nationally recognized dietitian with a career that’s spanned a variety of different areas of dietetics and business. A 25+ year private practitioner, Koff’s focus has been to help people identify and make their better nutrition choices more often practicing what she now calls “truly personalized nutrition,” while coining terms such as “Qualitarian” “INFObesity” and the mantra “Better Not Perfect”. She’s written two books, authored chapters for several others, developed app-based personalized nutrition programs and The BNP Toolkit to help practitioners more easily evaluate and optimize their patient’s total nutrition. You may have seen her as a national media expert with regular segments on shows like Good Morning America, Today Show, The Doctors and The Dr Oz Show. Ditching a career where she helped create not better options (Smart Start, Raisin Bran Crunch), Koff helped launch ingredients such as hemp seeds (Manitoba Harvest), bifidobacteria infantis (Align), coconut water (ONE), acai (Sambazon), gummy / chew supplements (SmartyPants), refrigerated protein bars (Perfect Bar) and glucoraphanin (TrueBroc). Selected as the Global Wellness Ambassador for Westin Hotels, inStyle magazine Hollywood’s Nutritionist, among CNN’s Top 100 Health Makers and as an advisor for The Partnership for a Healthier America and Tufts University Nutrition Entrepreneurship program. Today she helms a team at The Better Nutrition Program a company she founded in 2019 and is a fractitional Chief Nutrition Officer for entities like Vitaboom.

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  Darshan Shah, MD Specialist, Surgeon, and Founder of Next Health
  

  Darshan Shah, MD

  Specialist, Surgeon, and Founder of Next Health

  Darshan Shah, MD, is a health and wellness specialist, board-certified surgeon, published author, entrepreneur, and founder of Next Health, the world’s first and largest Health Optimization and Longevity clinic. With expertise in all body systems, he has performed over 20,000 surgical procedures, including trauma surgery and complex reconstructive procedures. As a Longevity Medicine specialist, he has advised thousands of patients on how to optimize their well-being and extend their health span and lifespan. Dr. Shah began his career at an accelerated MD program and earned his medical degree at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest doctors in the United States. He continued his training at the Mayo Clinic, one of the most prestigious medical institutes in the country. After earning his board certification, he opened medical/surgical centers throughout California, started four other companies in the Health and Wellness space, and has published a book, authored numerous papers and patented medical devices. Dr. Shah’s belief in continual education and self-improvement has earned him alumni status at Harvard Business School, Singularity University, and other prestigious institutions. His passion is speaking on the topics of longevity and health, having done over 100+ speaking engagements and appearances.