Women’s Wellness Day 2023 – Anchored in Wellness

Registered Participants

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Registration

Registration is closed for 2023. Please join us in 2024!

Speakers

Keynote

William W. Li, MD on “Eat to Beat: From Diet to Cancer Prevention”

William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and author of the New York Times bestsellers “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself” and the recently released “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer.” His groundbreaking research has led to the development of more than 30 new medical treatments that impact care for more than 70 diseases including diabetes, blindness, heart disease and obesity. His TED Talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views. Dr. Li has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, CNBC, Rachael Ray and Live with Kelly & Ryan, and he has been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, The Atlantic and O Magazine. He is President and Medical Director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, and he is leading global initiatives on food as medicine. 

Learn more about Dr. Li’s work in his two books “Eat to Beat Your Diet” and “Eat to Beat Disease.”

Website: drwilliamli.com

Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube: @drwilliamli

Featured Speakers

Tieraona Low Dog, MD on “Your Inner Wisdom: Your Compass to Well-Being”

Founding Director of Medicine Lodge Ranch and Former Fellowship Director, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

Tieraona Low Dog, MD, is an internationally recognized physician, educator, author, and expert. Dr. Low Dog is a founding member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine, was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, and served as the Chair of the Dietary Supplements and Botanicals Admission Evaluation Sub-Committee from 2010–2020. Dr. Low Dog has spoken at over 600 medical conferences, has written 54 peer-reviewed articles, 24 medical textbook chapters, and authored five books of her own, including four with National Geographic: Fortify Your Life, Healthy at Home, Life Is Your Best Medicine, and Guide to Medicinal Herbs.

More on Dr. Tieraona Low Dog

Tara Scott, MD on “The Hormone Symphony: Keys to Achieving Balance Naturally”

Known as the Hormone Guru

Tara Scott, MD, hormone guru, helps people find the cause of their symptoms and get them on a path to optimal health. With over 25 years of clinical experience and board certifications in obstetrics/gynecology, functional medicine and integrative medicine, she has helped thousands of patients struggling with hormone issues related to endometriosis, breast cancer and more. 

Dr. Scott has been speaking and educating others on hormones and integrative medicine for over 10 years. She has taught her approach to doctors on five continents and shared her expertise in interviews for The List TV, Women’s Health, Shape, Newsweek, Parents, Authority Magazine, and in numerous podcasts. 

More on Dr. Tara Scott

Julian Thayer, PhD on “Stress, Resilience and Mental Health: A Neurovisceral Integration Perspective on Emotional Wellbeing”

Distinguished Professor Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, UCI

Julian F. Thayer received his Ph.D. from New York University in psychophysiology with a minor in quantitative methods. Thayer has held faculty positions at Penn State University and the University of Missouri. Before moving to the Ohio State University in 2006 as the Ohio Eminent Scholar Professor in Health Psychology, Thayer was Chief of the Emotions and Quantitative Psychophysiology Section in the Laboratory of Personality and Cognition at the National Institute on Aging. Thayer is currently Distinguished University Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine and the Ohio Eminent Scholar Professor in Health Psychology Emeritus and Academy Professor at The Ohio State University. He has published over 400 research papers and book chapters covering a wide range of topics including behavioral medicine, cardiology, emotion, psychopathology, bioengineering, research design and multivariate statistical techniques. Thayer has received numerous research awards, including the Sigma Xi Research Recognition Award, the Early Career Award for Contributions to Psychosomatic Medicine from the American Psychosomatic Society, and distinguished scientist awards from the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, The Society for Psychophysiological Research, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and the American Psychosomatic Society. 

More on Julian Thayer

Robert Bonakdar, MD on “Emerging Integrative Therapies for Migraines”

Director of Pain Management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine

Dr. Bonakdar has been the 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 the 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. 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 of Neurologic Subspecialities, and board certified in Integrative Medicine by the American Board of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Bonakdar has a special interest in nutrition and is the founder and course director of the Scripps CME conference Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update, now in its 18^th year. He is also a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and recipient of the 2020 ANA Mark Bieber Award.

More on Dr. Bonakdar

Geoffrey Abbott, PhD on “The Hard Science of Herbal Medicine: Understanding Botanical Therapeutics at the Molecular Level”

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics and Vice Dean, Basic Science Research, UCI School of Medicine; Samueli Scholar, UCI

Geoffrey W. Abbott, PhD, is a Samueli Scholar, recognized by the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute in 2022 for scientific contributions of national distinction and for the promise of his molecular mechanistic research in botanical ethnomedicine to advance scholarship in integrative health. He earned a doctoral degree in biochemistry from University of London, then followed with postdoctoral research at Yale University. He was made a tenured full professor at Weill-Cornell Medical School in 2011. From there, he moved to UCI School of Medicine, where he serves as vice dean for basic science research and senior associate dean for academic personnel. Funded by multiple National Institutes of Health institutes, Abbott currently studies ion channel modulation by proteins, neurotransmitters, metabolites, modern synthetic drugs and herbal medicines.

More on Geoffrey Abbott

Shaista Malik, MD, PhD, MPH, FACC on “Whole-Person Care: Why Now?”

Founding 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 in Integrative Medicine
Medical Director, Integrative Cardiology and Cardiac Rehab

Dr. 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. 

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. 

More on Dr. Shaista Malik

Sanaz Demehry, MS, PA-C on “A Guided Meditation: Connecting to Your Higher Self”

Physician Assistant, Herbalist, UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, UCI Health

Sanaz Demehry, PA-C, MS, is an integrative, herbal and functional medicine practitioner who studied integrative/environmental medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil and studied herbal medicine with world-renown Native American herbalist Tieraona Low Dog, MD.  

Sanaz has had a diverse career working in urgent care, neurology, mindfulness, women’s health, in addition to an eight-year private practice in Southern California.  She currently splits her time between Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and Rossignol Medical Center where she works in integrative pediatrics, women’s health and autism. A passionate advocate and speaker for evidence based, natural and traditional approaches to medicine, Sanaz has presented at national, state, and local conferences, and offers yearly workshop/trainings in the areas of herbal medicine, women’s health, pediatrics and nutrition.

More on Sanaz Demehry

Morning Experientials

Gentle Yoga to Energize Your Morning

with Jaclyn Leong, DO

Staff Physician, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher; CorePower Yoga – Yoga Sculpt, Yoga Training

A combination of breath work, supported meditation, and gentle movement sequences will guide your relaxation and align energizing intentions for digestion and the wellness day ahead.

*Bring a yoga mat. Towels will be provided.

OR

Mindful Awe Walk

with Jessica Drew de Paz, PsyD

Director of Mindfulness and Clinical Psychologist, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Turn a simple stroll into an “Awe Walk.” Awe can be defined as a sense of wonder and reverence, making us feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves. Join us, as we connect to the world around us, and to each other.

Schedule of the Day

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Sponsors

Marketplace Vendors

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2023 Women’s Wellness Day Committee Members