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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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