The Importance of Lifestyle Genetics in Healthy Aging: Relevance of Genetics from Preconception Across the Lifespan
This presentation provides the information you have been looking for in understanding how to use nutrigenomics as a guiding tool in the development of personalized lifestyle medicine intervention programs. The two faculty for this course are both acknowledged experts in genomic-focused health care and the clinical application of genetic analysis in the development of science-based clinical applications of this technology. This program will provide important news-to-use in the application of genetic analysis to complex patient problems
Hourly Schedule
July 30 - Tuesday
- 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm
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Speakers:
Jeff Bland, PhD
- 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
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Speakers:
Denise Furness, PhD
- 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
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Speakers:
Leslie P. Stone, Family Medicine/Obstetrics IFMCP
- 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
- Panel Discussion with all Faculty
Speakers
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Jeff Bland, PhD
Jeffrey Bland, PhD, is a pioneering figure in the food-is-medicine movement and a leading expert in nutritional biochemistry. As founder of Big Bold Health, he now focuses on longevity through immune health, championing the concept of immune rejuvenation as a pathway to healthy aging. Dr. Bland’s work highlights the powerful role of plant polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids in supporting immune resilience. Widely known as the “father of Functional Medicine,” he has spent more than 40 years advancing nutrition science, regenerative agriculture, and personalized approaches to lifelong vitality.
Dr. Bland began his career in academia as a university professor. In the early 1980s, he became a protégé of two-time Nobel Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling. Dr. Bland then spent decades as a natural products industry insider and entrepreneur, while also serving as a scientific advisor and mentor to dynamic founders and leading brands.
A lifelong educator, Dr. Bland has traveled the world many times over as a renowned speaker. In 1991, he and his wife, Susan, founded The Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2012, they established another educational nonprofit called The Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute, which brings together researchers, clinicians, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to focus on new models of healthcare delivery, advancements in medical nutrition therapy, and exciting emerging science.
Dr. Bland is the author of The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life, as well as additional books and many research papers. His next book will be published by HarperCollins in March 2027. The Nourished Gene: Rejuvenate Your Immunity, Reverse Chronic Symptoms, and Activate Your Longevity is now available for pre-order from all major booksellers.
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Denise Furness, PhD
Dr Denise Furness, PhD is a molecular geneticist and functional medicine practitioner. She is a pioneer in the field of nutrigenomics and epigenetics (precision medicine) with 20 years’ experience.
Denise began her career as a research scientist focusing on folate nutrigenomics, methylation, and DNA damage. She has published her work in peer reviewed journals and won numerous awards for her research and conference presentations.
In 2012 she founded Your Genes and Nutrition and began applying her knowledge in clinical practice. Denise has a special interest in fertility, thyroid and autoimmunity (after recovering from autoimmune thyroid disease herself), as well as healthy ageing. She is currently running a biological ageing study, aimed at improving mental health and naturally slowing the ageing process. -
Leslie P. Stone, Family Medicine/Obstetrics IFMCP
Leslie Stone, MD, is a Board Certified Family Practice Obstetrician with fellowship training in Surgical Obstetrics, a published researcher, and an internationally recognized lecturer. She is highly regarded for integrating functional medicine principles into evidence-based, insurance-reimbursed obstetric care. She is a primary author on multiple peer-reviewed publications in maternal and perinatal health and a co-founder of a clinically validated, integrated perinatal OB–nutrition care model designed to improve pregnancy and intergenerational health outcomes.
Dr. Stone was also the owner of a family practice clinic serving diverse clinical populations across two rural settings, bringing deep experience in rural and community-based care delivery. Since 2011, she and Emily Stone Rydbom have implemented the GrowBaby model in a high-Medicaid obstetric setting, demonstrating over a decade of improved pregnancy and birth outcomes across four states and four delivery systems. She has served as principal investigator on multiple GrowBaby studies and is the principal investigator of the ROOT Study, a 500 mother–baby dyad study launching in North Carolina (2026). She has delivered more than 5,000 babies and continues to provide OB call coverage.
