Nutrition & Supplementation in Clinical Care Conference 2026

Mark Blumenthal

Founder & Executive Director, American Botanical Council

Mark Blumenthal is the Founder and Executive Director of the American Botanical Council (ABC), as well as the editor and publisher of HerbalGram, an international, peer-reviewed quarterly journal. He was awarded Natural Health Magazine’s Hall of Fame Award for “… opening America’s eyes to the healing powers of herbs”.
Mark has over 35 years experience with herbs, medicinal plants and natural products. He has appeared on more than 500 radio or television shows, and has written over 600 articles for industry-related publications, as well as chapters for natural alternative medicine encyclopedias. He was an advisor for the World Health Organization (WHO) in its adaptation of the “Guidelines for the Assessment of Herbal Medicines.” and In October of 2007, Mark was selected as a recipient of the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s annual Apple award, recognizing his service and commitment to the supplement industry.

Gary Deng, MD, PhD

Director of Clinical Affairs & Samueli Endowed Chair in Integrative Oncology, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute
Program Director of Integrative Oncology, UCI Health

Dr. Gary Deng is the Samueli Endowed Chair in Integrative Oncology and the Director of Clinical Affairs at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. He is also a Professor of Medicine at the UC Irvine School of Medicine, the Associate Director of the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Program Director of Integrative Oncology at UCI Health. His professional expertise lies in an integrative, whole-person approach to health—supporting patients across the continuum of cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship.

Since 2003, Dr. Deng has pioneered a trusted integrative medicine physician practice, highly valued by oncology colleagues during his tenure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). He is principal investigator for federally funded research on acupuncture, yoga, and botanical agents, and has led the development of educational programs that have trained numerous physicians and researchers in integrative oncology. His scholarly work includes clinical practice guidelines, clinical trials, reviews, and textbook chapters.

Dr. Deng is a past president of the Society for Integrative Oncology, the founding Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at MSK, and a former Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. He earned his medical degree from Beijing Medical University in China and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Miami. He completed clinical training at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and research training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Melanie R. Fiorella, MD

Family Medicine Physician, UC San Diego Health

Melanie Fiorella, MD, is a board-certified family medicine doctor. She provides primary care for patients of all ages, including preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. She has a special interest in women’s health, mood disorders, back pain, gastrointestinal disorders and sleep problems.

Dr. Fiorella integrates lifestyle medicine – such as nutrition, mindfulness-based stress reduction and yoga – into the medical care of her patients. Where indicated, she refers patients to complementary therapies such as osteopathic manual therapy, acupuncture and massage. She also offers consults in integrative medicine through UC San Diego’s Center for Integrative Medicine.

As an assistant professor of family medicine and public health, Dr. Fiorella is involved in training medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is the director of the Integrative Medicine in Residency program.

Dr. Fiorella completed her residency at UC San Diego School of Medicine and earned her medical degree at State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. She is board-certified in family medicine and completed fellowship training in integrative medicine.

Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABIHM

Medical Director, Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc.

Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM, is a Board-certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine, She’s deeply committed to expanding integrative medicine, education and research globally. A leading proponent of Integrative Medicine, she serves on the Founding Board of the American Board Physician Specialties in Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). She is Co-founder and Medical Director of Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc. at Pacific Pearl La Jolla in La Jolla, California, U.S.A. since 2014, where she leads a team of experts in conventional, integrative and natural medicine. Dr. Guarneri is Co-founder and Treasurer of Miraglo Foundation, a non-profit public charity providing Integrative Medicine education and research; and serving the underserved in the U.S. and globally. A Clinical Associate Professor at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), she also is President of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) and the Past President of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM). She served as Senior Advisor to the Atlantic Health System for the Chambers Center for Well Being, among other healthcare system advisory positions. She is an accomplished author and the Professor of The Great Courses video series, “The Science of Natural Healing.” Her 60-minute television special, “Live Better Now with Mimi Guarneri, MD,” launched in November of 2018 at public television stations across the U.S.

Mary L. Hardy, MD

Megan E. Jolicoeur, DO, FAAFP, ABOIM, IFMCP

Integrative Medicine Physician, UC San Diego Health

Megan Jolicoeur, DO, is a board-certified family medicine and integrative medicine specialist. She is also an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP).

She serves as an assistant professor for UC San Diego Family Medicine Department and currently sees patients at the UC San Diego’s Centers for Integrative Health. Through a holistic perspective, Dr. Jolicoeur empowers her patients to reach optimal wellness from a whole body and integrative approach that includes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Dr. Jolicoeur has a passion and expertise in integrative medicine, medical acupuncture, osteopathy, lifestyle medicine, nutrition and functional medicine. She currently holds additional certifications in medical acupuncture, mind body medicine, Ayurvedic counseling, and is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher.

She previously served as an active-duty naval officer and physician at Naval Branch Health Clinic Port Hueneme while also leading as the senior medical officer. During her time of service, she participated in a humanitarian mission called Pacific Partnership 2015 aboard the USNS Mercy and also established an integrative medical and acupuncture clinic for active duty, retired veterans and dependents.

Following her service with the Navy, she completed an integrative medicine fellowship at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine while also serving as a clinical instructor for UCLA. She completed her internship and residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. She served an additional year focusing on integrative medicine while also serving as junior attending physician.

Dr. Jolicoeur earned her medical degree at Touro University School of Osteopathic Medicine-California. She completed a bachelor’s degree in physiology and neurobiology from The University of Connecticut.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM).

Her hobbies include spending time with family, running, hiking, cooking and traveling. She uses yoga, meditation and time in nature to stay grounded and grateful.

David Kiefer, MD

Medical Director, Integrative Health Clinic at UW Health

David Kiefer, MD, is the medical director for the University of Wisconsin’s Integrative Health Clinic. He earned his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and completed his integrative medicine fellowship at University of Arizona Affiliated Hospitals in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Kiefer’s special interests include integrative health and mind-body approaches to health and healing.

Carla Kuon, MD

Integrative Medicine Physician, UCSF Health

Dr. Carla Kuon is an integrative medicine doctor who specializes in caring for patients with blood cancers. She has particular interests in integrative oncology, nutrition, functional immunology, genomics, mind-body medicine and traditional Chinese medicine.

Kuon earned her medical degree from the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She completed a residency in internal medicine at Tufts Medical Center. She completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at UCSF.

Kuon co-managed UCSF’s hematology-oncology inpatient service for more than seven years. She also directs the massage therapy consultation service for UCSF patients who are receiving chemotherapy for blood cancers.

Kuon believes that patients with chronic illnesses can improve their health through a whole-body approach that includes making nutritional changes, reducing stress and addressing the underlying drivers of illness. She personalizes her guidance to patients on biomedical and lifestyle-based options for enhancing their health.

Michael Kurisu, DO

Integrative Medicine Physician
Founder, Measured Wellness

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 very interested in the future direction of medicine and has created the Measured Wellness Clinic to empower 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. Dr. Kurisu will speak at WWD on health technology and wearable devices.

David Leopold, MD

Corporate Medical Director, Hackensack Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine

Dr. David C. Leopold is the Medical Director for Hackensack Meridian Integrative Health & Medicine. He believes in helping patients achieve a state of optimal health and functionality irrespective of underlying disease conditions. He works to empower patients with tools they can utilize to improve themselves. Dr. Leopold believes that within all patients is a person who can have better health, who wants to be well, but who may need assistance finding their personal path back to wellness. Dr. Leopold is Board Certified through the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Integrative Medicine and is a Diplomate of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management (formerly the American Academy of Pain Management).Prior to coming to Hackensack Meridian Health he was a member of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine where he served as the division’s Director of Health and Wellness and Cancer Survivorship Services and previously as the Director of Integrative Medical Education. He has special interests in integrative pain management, integrative cancer care and cancer survivorship, inflammatory bowel diseases and integrative medical approaches to chronic disease. After completing his medical residency at the University of Southern California and Board certification in Family Medicine, Dr. Leopold completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and Integrative Pain Management at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. He was among the first recipients of the Bravewell Scholarship for Integrative Medicine and completed a two-year Fellowship at the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Andrew Weil. In February 2016, Dr. Leopold completed Duke University’s Leadership Program in Integrative Healthcare. Dr. Leopold has also completed formal training as a physician acupuncturist and has practiced medical acupuncture for over 15 years.

Karen Lindsay, RDN, PhD

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Early Career Samueli Endowed Chair, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Karen Lindsay, PhD, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with expertise in maternal and child health, nutrition-stress interactions, mindfulness and mindful eating. She is Assistant Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and of Population Health and Disease Prevention at University of California, Irvine (UCI), as well as Samueli Early Career Endowed Chair for Integrative Health in the UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. She was the recipient of a K99/R00 award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to study the effects of the interplay between nutrition and psychological stress during pregnancy on gestational glucose-insulin metabolism.

Her current research continues to interrogate the interaction between diet and psychological states in pregnancy and the implications for gestational diabetes risk, with a view towards developing whole person interventions that can support both maternal psychological and physical health during pregnancy. In this regard, she has conducted pilot studies of prenatal mindfulness-based interventions to understand feasibility and potential efficacy for improving, dietary behaviors and cardiometabolic markers in addition to maternal mental wellbeing. One current project will deliver a mindfulness program to pregnant women with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes to explore whether this modality can support improved glycemic control through improved stress management skills.

Karen became interested in the field of prenatal nutrition and health during her undergraduate studies in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, where she first learned about the concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. That is, the conditions and exposures that occur in utero (including maternal diet/nutrition) that can program the developing fetus towards lifelong health or risk of disease. This topic fascinated her and opened her eyes to the critical nature of maternal nutrition during pregnancy, as it impacts the lives of both mothers and their unborn children. She embarked on a PhD soon after graduating as a dietitian to conduct nutrition intervention research with pregnant women. When she discovered her flare for research and academia, she pursued her postdoc at UCI where she gained new insight to the role of prenatal stress as an additional exposure that influences fetal development, pregnancy outcomes, and offspring health. She began asking questions about how maternal stress and nutrition may work synergistically to influence these outcomes, especially given the known interactions between stress and eating behavior outside of pregnancy. This curiosity led Karen to her work today, in which she integrates mindfulness into nutrition research for pregnant people to optimize their overall wellbeing, with potential for long-term impact on both maternal and child health.

Tieraona Low Dog, MD, ABOIM

Founding Director, Integrative & Functional Medicine Fellowship Program
Founding Member, American Board of Integrative Medicine
Editor, Oxford University Press Integrative Women’s Health
Founding Director, Medicine Lodge Ranch in New Mexico

From a young age, Dr. Tieraona Low Dog has been deeply drawn to the natural world and the field of natural medicine. Her academic journey encompasses a diverse range of disciplines including massage therapy, martial arts, midwifery, and herbal medicine, before going to earn her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Her career is characterized by her advocacy for health care that is not only compassionate and effective but also equitable and mindful of environmental sustainability. She is the Founding Director of the Medicine Lodge Academy, a school dedicated to the advancement of natural medicine through both online and in-person educational offerings offered for both clinicians and health enthusiasts alike.

As a pioneer in the field, Dr. Low Dog not only served as a founding member of the American Board of Physician Specialties’ American Board of Integrative Medicine; but she was also among the first cohort of physicians to be board certified in this newly emerging field. Her leadership extends to her tenure as Director of the first Inter-professional Fellowship in Integrative Health and Medicine, Fellowship Director for the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine that was founded by Andrew Weil, MD, and Co-Founder and guiding teacher for the New York Zen Center’s Fellowship in Contemplative Medicine. She currently oversees the Integrative and Functional Medicine Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute.

Dr. Low Dog’s dedication to public service is exemplified by her appointments to significant positions, including her service on the White House Commission for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy by President Bill Clinton and her advisory role at the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, being appointed by HHS Secretary Thompson under President George W. Bush. Her leadership has been instrumental in her long-standing role (25 years) as Chair for various dietary supplements and botanicals expert panels at the United States Pharmacopeia.

Recognized as a foremost authority in integrative medicine, women’s health, dietary supplements, and herbal medicine, her scholarly work encompasses over 54 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 25 chapters in medical textbooks, and numerous authoritative books on health and medicine. Dr. Low Dog’s global influence is highlighted by her participation in over 600 medical and scientific conferences worldwide.

Throughout her career, Dr. Low Dog has received numerous accolades in recognition of her work and contributions to the field of integrative and complementary medicine. These honors include being named an “Innovator in Complementary and Alternative Medicine” by Time magazine, alongside awards from NPR’s The People’s Pharmacy, the New York Zen Center, and the American Herbal Products Association, among others. Her commitment to excellence in research, education, and patient care continues to inspire and impact the field of integrative medicine globally.

Shaista Malik, MD, PhD, MPH, FACC

Professor of Medicine, UCI Department of Medicine
Associate Vice Chancellor for Integrative Health, Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences
Founding Executive Director, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute
Susan Samueli Endowed Chair of Integrative Medicine
Medical Director, Integrative Cardiology and Cardiac Rehab

Shaista Malik is a tenured professor in the UCI division of cardiology, department of medicine. She is the founding medical director of the preventive cardiology and cardiac rehab programs. Dr. Malik is the founding executive director of the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and the founding associate vice chancellor, integrative health, of the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences.    

Dr. Malik received her BA and BS degrees from Stanford University. She received her MD degree from UC Irvine School of Medicine and graduated with AOA honors. She also completed a MPH degree with honors and a PhD degree both from UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.  

She has received several National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, including a career development award, a K23, from NIH (NHLBI) looking at the role of cardiac CT in those with diabetes and the principal investigator of a R01 grant, looking at the genetic, protein, and imaging markers of early heart disease, as well as co-PI of three R01 grants investigating the role acupuncture in treating hypertension by targeting autonomic nervous system changes.  

She has authored over 70 publications, co-edited two textbooks on preventive cardiology, and written over 20 book chapters. Her research efforts have had high impact with an h-index of 50 and garnering 29,779 citations. She has been recognized as an expert in cardiovascular imaging, with leadership roles in the American College of Cardiology’s Imaging Council, a standing member of NIH’s study section in cardiovascular disease, and a member of the oversight committee of the American Heart Association’s Strategic Focused Research Network. She has served on several editorial boards, including as section editor for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Imaging and Current Cardiology Reports. She is currently the associate editor for the Frontiers in Medicine, Precision Medicine journal and the associate editor for the Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine journal.   

As a cardiologist, Dr. Malik specializes in integrative cardiology and precision health. Her excellence in clinical care has earned her recognition as a Physician of Excellence by the Orange County Medical Association and Southern California Super Doctors. In the area of integrative health, Dr. Malik takes a whole-person approach using all modalities of care and the latest diagnostic testing, along with the patient’s history, to determine the root causes of illness and provide personalized therapies that can achieve optimal health and healing.

Ryan McNally, ND, MS, PA

Naturopathic Doctor, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Ryan A. McNally is a licensed UCI Health naturopathic practitioner and physician assistant with the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute.

His clinical focus is on integrative medicine with a special interest in age-related disease, hormone restoration, and promoting longevity and healthy aging. Additional areas of expertise include mental health (anxiety and depression), weight loss and optimizing body composition.

McNally received his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from what is now the Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Tempe, Ariz, followed by residency training at the Griffin Hospital Integrative Medicine Center in Bridgeport, Conn. Next, he completed a master’s of science degree in physician assistant studies at Northeastern University in Boston. Previously he served as chief medical officer at Bastyr University in San Diego.

Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, CN, CNS, IFMCP 

Deanna Minich is a nutrition scientist, international lecturer, teacher, and author, with over twenty years of experience in academia and in the food and dietary supplement industries.

Throughout the years, she has been active as a functional medicine clinician in clinical trials and in her own practice (Food & Spirit™), which has now become oriented towards groups, workshops, and retreats. She is the author of seven consumer books on wellness topics, four book chapters, and over fifty scientific publications. Her academic background is in nutrition science, including a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (1995) and a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Medical Sciences (nutrition focus) from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands (1999). For a decade, she was part of the research team led by the “Father of Functional Medicine,” Dr. Jeffrey Bland, and has served on the Nutrition Advisory Board for The Institute of Functional Medicine, as well as on the Board of Directors for the American Nutrition Association.

Since 2013, she has been part of the faculty for the Advanced Practice Module in Environmental Health offered by the Institute for Functional Medicine and has been teaching a graduate level course in metabolic detoxification at the University of Western States. Over the decades, she has taught thousands of nutrition classes for health coaches, fitness trainers, and healthcare professionals, including for programs offered by the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In conjunction with her academic degrees and extensive teaching experience at the university level, she is both a Fellow (FACN) and a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) through the American College of Nutrition. She is Chief Science Officer at Symphony Natural Health, where she leads the medical advisory team, oversees scientific communication, and provide educational leadership for the company’s plant-derived nutraceuticals. In 2025, she was the recipient of the Linus and Ava Helen Pauling Award in Functional Medicine from the Institute for Functional Medicine. She is passionate about helping others to live well using therapeutic lifestyle changes that impact their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Sheila Patel, MD

Primary Care Physician, UC San Diego Health

Shelia Patel, MD, is a board-certified physician providing primary care at Family Practice in Vista, CA. She is a member of the UC San Diego Health Physician Network.

UC San Diego Health Physician Network is an alliance of health care providers based in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties. Members of the network collaborate on developing shared systems, infrastructure and quality initiatives to provide high-value health care in the region.

Dr. Patel provides preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases for people of all ages. She has practiced a full-spectrum of family medicine, from prenatal care and deliveries to emergency room coverage and primary care for all ages. Dr. Patel also worked as a hospitalist and as a wound care specialist. She is passionate about bringing holistic healing practices into the Western medical system. Dr. Patel currently is the chief medical officer for Chopra Global and splits her time between working in family medicine and her duties at Chopra Global.

Dr. Patel completed her residency at Ventura County Medical Center and earned her medical degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She is board certified in family medicine.

Robert Rountree, MD

Dr. Robert Rountree has been providing a unique combination of traditional family medicine, nutrition, medical herbology, and mind-body therapy in Boulder, Colorado, since 1983. In addition to writing numerous book chapters and magazine articles, he is co-author of five books on Integrative and Nutritional Medicine: The New Breastfeeding Diet Plan (McGraw-Hill, 2006), Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, 2nd Edition (Avery Publishing, 2003), A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health (Avery, 2002), Immunotics: A Revolutionary Way to Fight Infection, Beat Chronic Illness and Stay Well (Putnam, 2000), and A Parent’s Guide to Medical Emergencies (Avery, 1997). He is the medical editor for Delicious! Living and serves as a technical editor for Alternative and Complementary Therapies and Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association. A long-standing member of the adjunct faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine in Gig Harbor, WA, and a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, he has lectured widely to professional audiences as well as the general public, and frequently appears on radio shows throughout the United States.

Douglas Triffon, MD

Medical Director, Lipid Clinic, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine

Research Focus:
Atherosclerosis
Cholesterol

Clinical Interests Within Specialty:
Cardiac rehabilitation
Preventative cardiology

Board Certifications:

American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, 1985
American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine, 1982

Medical Education: Ohio State University College of Medicine, MD, 1979

Residencies: University of California, San Diego, Intern/Resid, 1982

Fellowships: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Fellowship, Cardiovascular Disease, 1985

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