2023 ILADS Annual Scientific Conference
October 19-21, 2023
Boston, MA
Thank you for joining us in Boston for the 24th Annual ILADS Scientific Conference. Check back soon for information on recordings from the conference. Save the date for the 25th Annual ILADS Scientific Conference, November 7-10, 2024 in San Antonio, TX.
Our Mission
The mission of ILADS is to educate healthcare professionals about the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases. The Annual Scientific Conference is intended for medical professionals including MDs, DOs, NDs, PAs, NPs, RNs, LCSWs, DCs, PhDs, psychologists, researchers and other professionals assisting patients with Lyme and related diseases. If you have questions about your eligibility to attend, please email conference@ilads.org.
Conference Highlights
Thursday, October 19
- Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals (8 AM-5 PM)
- Plenary morning session (8 AM-Noon): The Microbiome
- Afternoon Breakouts (1:30-5 PM):
- The Microbiome Part II
- New Treatments
- Exhibitor trade show
- Poster sessions
- Annual Members’ Meeting
- Welcome Reception
Friday, October 20
- Plenary morning session (8 AM-Noon): Microbial Impact on Physiology
- Afternoon breakouts (1:30-5 PM):
- Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia
- Naturopathic Treatments
- Exhibitor trade show
- Poster sessions
- ILADEF Reception
Saturday, October 21
- Networking breakfasts for NDs and Affiliate degrees
- Plenary morning session (8 AM-Noon): Research and Diagnostics
- Afternoon breakouts (1:30-5 PM):
- Pediatric Encephalopathy: An ILADS Collaboration with MAPS
- Adult Encephalopathy, Neuropsychiatric and Therapeutics
- Data Driven International Collaboration
- Exhibitor trade show
- Poster sessions
ILADEF Reception honoring Daniel J. Cameron, MD
Make plans to join us Friday evening, October 20th for the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) reception honoring this year's Pioneer Award honoree Daniel J. Cameron, MD. The reception will include a cocktail hour with silent auction, entertainment, dinner and award ceremony. Advance tickets are required and may be purchased for $250 per person during conference registration. This event is open to all, conference registration is not required.
Continuing Medical Education
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS) through the joint providership of MNI Great Lakes ECHO, LLC (MGLE) and ILADS.
MGLE is accredited by MSMS to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
MGLE designates this live activity for a maximum of 18.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Each physician should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses:
The ACCME is approved by the board of nurses as an acceptable provider of continuing education for renewal of license.
For all other members of the Healthcare Team:
A certificate of attendance will be provided to all other health care professionals requesting credits in accordance with state licensing boards, specialty societies, or other professional associations.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of grants are available for first-time conference attendees and those attending the Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals. If approved, grant funding will be awarded after the applicant has attended the conference. Learn more and apply for grants.
Exhibitors
Exhibitors will be on-site from Thursday morning through Saturday, showcasing products and services relevant to medical professionals who diagnose and treat tick-borne diseases. View exhibitors. To learn more about exhibiting or becoming a sponsor, please contact Scott Kersh, ILADS Conference Manager, at skersh@ilads.org.
Venue
The ILADS Scientific Conference takes place at the Westin Boston Seaport District hotel. For more details, visit the hotel page.
Full Conference Schedule (subject to change)
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Time | Topic | Speaker | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
7-8 AM | Breakfast | |||
8 AM-5 PM | Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals | Click Here for Schedule | ||
8-8:10 AM | Welcome Remarks | |||
8:10-8:45 AM | The Vector-Borne Infection- Mast Cell- Microbiome Connection and the Development of Autoimmunity | Tania T. Dempsey, MD | ||
8:45-9:25 AM | Precision Microbiome Medicine in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment | Keynote: K. Leigh Greathouse, PhD, MPH | ||
9:25-10:05 AM | Oral Bacteria in Extra-oral Infections | Keynote: Yiping Han, PhD | ||
10:05-10:50 AM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
10:50-11:25 AM | A Selective Antibiotic for Lyme Disease | Nadja Leimer, PhD | ||
11:25 AM-12 PM | The Role of Microbial Communities in Cancer and Autoimmune Disorders | Armin Schwarzbach, MD, PhD | ||
12-1:30 PM | Lunch - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
Microbiome Part II | ||||
1:30-2:05 PM | Antigen Specific T Cells during Treatment of Lyme Disease – Does the Gut Microbiome Impact the Immune Response to Lyme? | Felix Scholz, PhD | ||
2:05-2:40 PM | Microbial Contribution to Neuroinflammation and Neurodegenerative Diseases with Emphasis on Alzheimer's Disease | Medeya Tsnobiladze, ND | ||
2:40-3:25 PM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
3:25-4 PM | Access to Care in Lyme Disease: Clinician Barriers to Providing Care | Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD | ||
4-4:35 PM | Legal Risk Management: What You Wished You Learned in Medical School | Jennifer L. Barrett, JD | ||
4:35-5:10 PM | Emerging Trends in Tick-Borne Disease Research: Year in Review | Leona Gilbert, PhD | ||
New Treatments | ||||
1:30-2:05 PM | Neurological Manifestation of Toxoplasma Gondii: Are Parasites the Missing Link? | Eboni N. Cornish, MD | ||
2:05-2:40 PM | Extracorporeal Circulation as Platform Intervention for Organ Support: Implications for Blood Purification and Pathogen Eradication for Lyme Disease Treatment | Andriy I. Batchinsky, MD | ||
2:40-3:15 PM | Efficacy of Short-Term High Dose Pulsed Dapsone Combination Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Lyme Disease/Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) and Associated Co-Infections | Richard I. Horowitz, MD | ||
3:15-4 PM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
4-4:35 PM | The Role of Genetics in Regulation of the Immune System | Robert J. Hedaya, MD | ||
4:35-5:05 PM | Evidence-Based Approaches to Optimizing Energy, Autophagy and Healing | Thomas Moorcroft, DO | ||
#colspan# | ||||
5:30-6:30 PM | Annual Members' Meeting (open to ILADS members only) | |||
6:30-7:30 PM | Welcome Reception |
Friday, October 20, 2023
Time | Session | Speaker | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
7-8 AM | Breakfast | |||
8-8:05 AM | Welcome Remarks | Amy Offutt, MD | ||
8:05-8:45 AM | Probing the Long-Term Consequences of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Brain Health in Patients with and without a History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury | Chad J. Prusmack, MD | ||
8:45-9:30 AM | Long COVID and 'Long Lyme': More in Common than Meets the Eye | John S. Lambert, MD, PhD | ||
9:30-10:05 AM | A New Model for Long-COVID | Oral Alpan, MD | ||
10:05-10:50 AM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
10:50-11:25 AM | COVID-19 and the Endocrine System | Pamela W. Smith, MD, MPH | ||
11:25 AM-12 PM | Host IgG Glycosylation Impairs Adaptive Immune Response to Acute Lyme Disease | Benjamin Haslund-Gourley, MD/PhD Candidate | ||
12-1:30 PM | Lunch - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
12:30-1:15 PM | Researched Nutritionals Sponsored Presentation - New Peer-Reviewed Published Research on the Disruption of Established Bacterial and Fungal Biofilms by a Blend of Enzymes and Botanical Extracts | Debby Hamilton, MD, MPH | ||
Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia Track | ||||
1:30-2:15 PM | Blood Pathobiome Microscopy of Bartonella, co-infections and SARS CoV2: Discoveries and Implications for Treatment | B. Robert Mozayeni, MD | ||
2:15-2:45 PM | Peripheral Nerve Demyelination Visualization in Patients with Vector-Borne Illness - a biomarker candidate for IVIG and other therapies for neuropathy | Marna E. Ericson, PhD | ||
2:45-3:30 PM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
3:30-4 PM | Utilizing Methylene Blue in the Treatment of Chronic Infections | Thomas Moorcroft, DO | ||
4-4:30 PM | Development of ImmunoBlots for Detection and Speciation of Babesia infections in Human Serum | Chandramouli Kondethimmanahalli, PhD | ||
4:30-5 PM | Innovative Methods for the Treatment of PANDAS - A Case Report | Omar Morales, MD | ||
Naturopathic Treatments Track | ||||
1:30-2 PM | Literature Based Herbal/OTC Lyme and Co-infection Regimen | Shirley Hartman, MD | ||
2-2:30 PM | Preserve the Good, Eradicate the Bad: Naturopathic Strategies for Optimizing Prescription Based Therapy and Minimizing Collateral Damage in the Setting of Vector Borne Illness | Lynn D. Klassen, ND & Carolyn Mukai, ND | ||
2:30-3 PM | A Deep Dive into the Pathophysiology of Lyme Disease and Babesia and the MOAs of Herbal Intervention. | Myriah W. Hinchey, ND | ||
3-3:45 PM | Break - Poster Viewing and Exhibit Hall | |||
3:45-4:15 PM | The Effects of Brainwave Entrainment Associated with the Mediterranean Diet on Clinical Symptoms of Depression: a Randomized Controlled Trial | Francisco Cidral Filho, ND, PhD | ||
4:15-4:45 PM | The Use of Natural Bioactive Nutraceuticals in the Management of Tick-Borne Illnesses | Samuel Shor, MD, FACP | ||
4:45-5:15 PM | Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) as an Adjunctive Treatment for Post-Infectious Syndromes Including Post Treatment Lyme Disease, Long COVID, and Myeloencephaltis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | James R. Neuenswander, MD | ||
6-9 PM | ILADEF Reception |
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time | Topic | Speaker | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
7-8 AM | Breakfast | |||
7-7:45 AM | ND Networking Breakfast | Hosted by Alexis Chesney, ND in Grand Ballroom B-E | ||
8-8:05 AM | Welcome Remarks | B. Robert Mozayeni, MD | ||
8:05-8:40 AM | Phage Borrelia qPCR Diagnostics in ME/CFS Patients: Results of Several Clinical Studies | Kenny De Meirleir, MD, PhD | ||
8:40-9:20 AM | Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells | Karl Morten, PhD / Jaibao Xu, PhD | ||
9:20-9:50 AM | Long Term Antibiotics for Chronic Lyme Disease - A Pilot Project with 468 Patients | Nima Machouf, PhD | ||
9:50-10:25 AM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
10:25-10:55 AM | Bacteria- Viruses Interactions: Implications for Persistent or Slow Infections Diagnostic and Treatments. | Louis C. Teulieres, MD, PhD | ||
10:55 AM-11:35 AM | Experience of Patient Data Analysis with Long Term Infections using Machine Learning | Marc Shawky, PhD, MSc | ||
11:35 AM-12:05 PM | High Throughput Plate-Based Assay Discriminates Acute Lyme Disease from Healthy Controls and Recently Treated Lyme Disease Patients | Benjamin Haslund-Gourley, MD/PhD Candidate | ||
12:05-1:30 PM | Lunch - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
12:30-1:15 PM | 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals Sponsored Presentation - Assessing the Long-Term Safety of the Tafenoquine Antimalarial Chemoprophylaxis Regimen | Geoffrey S. Dow, PhD | ||
Pediatric Encephalopathy: An ILADS Collaboration with MAPS Track | ||||
1:30-2 PM | Support for a Connection Between Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Tick-Borne Infections | Rosalie Greenberg, MD | ||
2-2:30 PM | Understanding Infection-Induced Molecular Mimicry: How this can Guide Treatment Decisions in Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, PANS, and Other Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders | Craig D. Shimasaki, PhD, MBA | ||
2:30-3:15 PM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
3:15-4 PM | PANS and Lyme in Children: A Functional Medicine Approach to Infectious Triggers including Lyme & Co-Infections | Nancy O'Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP | ||
4-4:45 PM | Roundtable Discussion | Rosalie Greenberg, MD; Craig D. Shimasaki, PhD; Nancy O'Hara, MD; James Neuenswander, MD | ||
Adult Encephalopathy/Neuropsychiatric/Therapeutics Track | ||||
1:30-2 PM | Microbes and Mental Illness: Past, Present and Future | Robert C. Bransfield, MD | ||
2-2:30 PM | Microdosed Psilocybin in the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease | Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, MD, JD | ||
2:30-3 PM | Peri-papillary Ischemia as a Potential Screening Biomarker for Early Detection of Tick-borne Infection | William V. Padula, OD SFNAP FAAO FNORA | ||
3-3:45 PM | Break - Exhibit Hall and Poster Viewing | |||
3:45-4:15 PM | Immunoglobulin Therapy in Complex Chronic Disease: The Chicken or the Egg | John C. Pittman, MD | ||
4:15-4:45 PM | What We Learned from Testing Ticks – Multipathogen Study in European Ticks | Tatjana Mijatovic, PhD |
Full Conference Schedule (subject to change)
The Vector-Borne Illness (VBI) Fundamentals course is a one-day track for medical professionals new to VBI diagnosis and treatment and for those veterans who want to brush up on the basics.
The VBI Fundamentals course is designed to educate medical professionals on the basics of diagnosing and treating Lyme and tick-borne diseases. The course provides specific step-by-step guidance using lectures, real-world case presentations and interactive discussions. Upon successful completion of the Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals course and associated quiz, attendees become eligible to participate in the ILADEF Physician Training Program. Completion of the in-person course is also a pre-requisite for becoming an ILADS Lyme Fellow.
In the Physician Training Program, participants shadow a seasoned ILADEF-designated expert in her/his office (or virtually) for one to two weeks, during which time the clinician observes firsthand how doctors come up with their diagnosis and treatment plan. Additionally, clinicians observe how to handle follow-up appointments and all their complexities.
Financial Assistance
There are a number of grants available to reimburse first-time attending professionals for the VBI Fundamentals registration fee. Click here for grant information or email accounting@ILADS.org to see if you qualify.
Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals Schedule
Time | Session Topic/Title |
---|---|
8:00 AM | Introduction to Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals |
Pathophysiology | |
9:30 AM | Break |
9:45 AM | Introduction to Co-Infections |
Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Babesiosis | |
Rickettsia | |
Mycoplasma/Chlamydia | |
Tick-borne Relapsing Fever | |
Viral Infection | |
Bartonella | |
12:00 PM | Lunch |
1:00 PM | Pediatric Lyme |
Presentation, Assessment and Psychiatric Manifestations of Tick-borne Disease | |
2:20 PM | Diagnostic Tools |
3:00 PM | Break |
3:15 PM | Lyme and Persistent Lyme |
4:00 PM | Cases and Questions |
Oral Alpan, MD
Oral Alpan, MD
Oral Alpan, MD, is the Laboratory and Medical director of Amerimmune in Fairfax, Virginia. He received his medical degree in 1990 from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in Ankara, Turkey. Dr. Alpan continued his education with an internship and residency in Pediatrics at Stony Brook University in New York and a fellowship in Allergy/Immunology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. Board-certified in Allergy and Immunology, Dr. Alpan is a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He is a Principal Investigator on numerous research studies in the field of immunology asthma and allergic disorders, and he has published numerous articles and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. His main interests are in immune dysregulation and development of assays to measure such immune responses.
Jennifer L. Barrett, JD
Jennifer L. Barrett, JD
Jennifer Barrett, JD, MBA is an attorney licensed to practice in the state of Oregon and is currently working for a national civil defense firm.
While a law student at Seattle University School of Law, she wrote a law journal note entitled: It’s About Lyme: Why Congress Must Enact Medical Insurance Coverage Laws for Lyme Disease Patients Now, which was published in Seattle University Law Review’s online companion journal, SUpra in January 2022. Currently, her note is the most downloaded article ever published on SUpra with over 1,150 downloads. In addition, last May she spoke at LymeBytes Symposium, a conference for medical providers and patients, about current and proposed laws related to Lyme disease.
Jennifer is grateful for her Lyme-literate providers who helped her reach remission after many years of suffering. She is passionate about helping Lyme-literate providers navigate challenging legal topics.
Andriy I. Batchinsky, MD
Andriy I. Batchinsky, MD
Dr Batchinsky is Ukrainian-born general surgeon, turned physician-scientist with 22 years of experience in preclinical and clinical research. He is the founding director of the Autonomous Reanimation and Evacuation Research program and Innovation Institute, a professor of surgery and medicine at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD, the past president of the International Society for Complex Acute IIlness; author of over 120 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters; an innovator in the field of critical care and extracorporeal life support.
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
Robert C. Bransfield, MD
Dr. Robert C. Bransfield, MD, DLFAPA is a graduate of Rutgers College and the George Washington University School of Medicine. He completed his psychiatric residency training at Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry and is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Bransfield’s primary activity is an office based private practice of psychiatry. In addition, Dr Bransfield is the Past President of ILADS, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation and the New Jersey Psychiatric Association. He has held a number of administrative positions with organizations involved with health, mental health and community related activities. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers—Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. Dr Bransfield has authored and co-authored a number of publications in peer-reviewed literature, other medical publications and books; has been active in political advocacy on an international, national, state and local level.
Francisco J. Cidral Filho, ND, PhD
Francisco J. Cidral Filho, ND, PhD
Bachelor’s in Naturopathy (Known as Naturology in Brazil), Specialization in Chinese Medicine, Master’s and PhD in Neuroscience, Post-Doctorate in Health Sciences. Co- founder and Associate Professor of the Laboratory of Experimental Neuroscience (University of Southern Santa Catarina – UNISUL – Brazil) and the Integrative Wellbeing Institute (Orlando, FL).
Dr. Cidral has been working as a professor and researcher in this field of Integrative Practices for more than 15 years. Published author with more than 30 A1 scientific publications, author of books and book chapters, speaker in renowned International Congresses and Conferences and Editorial Board member of various scientific Journals, Dr. Cidral is a major contributor to the field of Integrative and Complementary therapies, with emphasis on Low Level Light Therapy, a.k.a. photobiomodulation.
Additionally, for the past decade Dr. Cidral has been living in the USA and working on the scientific research and development of innovative health and wellness devices that promote physical and mental health and wellbeing in a non-invasive and non-pharmacological approach.
Eboni N. Cornish, MD
Eboni N. Cornish, MD
Dr. Eboni Cornish is the Functional Director of the AMEN Clinic east coast division. She has a particular interest in infectious diseases and other biological imbalances. Dr. Cornish’s approach to treating chronic tick-borne illness is to find the root cause of a person’s health problems by comprehensively evaluating the body’s various biological systems and taking an approach based on integrative healing strategies. Due to her passion for solving problems with neurological infections, she became interested in SPECT scan brain imaging. This has allowed her to assist her chronic patient population further. She is a board member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation, which is responsible for training numerous physicians on the treatment of Lyme Disease and co-infections. She was awarded the Northern Virginia Top Doctor Award in functional medicine for 2021 and 2022.
Tania T. Dempsey, MD
Tania T. Dempsey, MD
Dr. Tania Dempsey, MD, ABIHM is Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She received her MD degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and her BS degree from Cornell University. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at New York University Medical Center.
In 2011, she founded her own Integrative medicine practice which has evolved into AIM Center for Personalized Medicine, a destination Medical Center in Purchase, NY, focusing on complex, multi-system diseases. Dr. Dempsey is a leading expert in Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Dysautonomia, ME/CFS, Vector-Borne Infections and Autoimmunity.
She is an accomplished international speaker and writer and is well published in the medical literature on topics related to MCAS. She was involved in a research study in collaboration with the TILT (Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance) team at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio which led to the publication: Mast cell activation may explain many cases of chemical intolerance. Her most recent paper from January 2022 is titled “Post-HPV-Vaccination Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Possible Vaccine-Triggered Escalation of Undiagnosed Pre-Existing Mast Cell Disease?”.
Marna E. Ericson, PhD
Marna E. Ericson, PhD
After completing my PhD in cell biology I joined the faculty for15 years in Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, studying hair and skin biology, cancer, peripheral innervation, vector-borne diseases and now COVID. I became an adjunct faculty at Hormel Research Institute in the University of Minnesota and I am currently Director of Research at T Lab, Inc. in Gaithersburg MD (3 yr) and fellow at Think, Lead, Innovate Foundation. I often use advanced light microscopy techniques such as single- and multi-photon microscopy as well as dark-field fluorescence, high resolution brightfield microscopy and electron microscopy in my investigations. I have published 125 total publications including book chapters, reviews, abstracts with 57 peer-reviewed journal articles, h factor = 26.
Leona Gilbert, PhD
Leona Gilbert, PhD
Dr. Leona Gilbert is a Docent of Cell and Molecular Biology and the CEO of Te?ted Oy, a university spinoff company that has a goal to get the patient tested so they can be treated and recover quicker. Leona has over 20 years experience in research driven initiatives that provided valuable tools for patients.
She has a doctorate in biotechnology and a very long experience in bio-innovation and bio-business. She has supervised numerous PhD, MSc and BSc students and her various peer-reviewed articles span turning research results into translational value with developing novel delivery vectors as well as diagnostic lab-on-chip platforms. In addition, Leona’s publications also demonstrate the thorough investigation of how a common virus or bacterium can contribute to autoimmune diseases. Another highlight in these publications is the demonstration of a multi-disciplinary background and collaborative efforts between clinicians, microbiologists, diagnostic developers, nano-scientists, physicists and engineers. Gilbert’s research initiatives into complete diagnostic platforms and clinical profiling of patients for tick-borne and autoimmune diseases will allow a better understanding of how chronic conditions could be established with infectious pathogens.
K. Leigh Greathouse, PhD, MPH
K. Leigh Greathouse, PhD, MPH
Dr. K. Leigh Greathouse is an Associate Professor at Baylor University with appointments in Biology and Nutrition Sciences. Her background spans the fields of cancer biology, epidemiology, and nutrition. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and her M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Curtis Harris, where she discovered a novel microbiome-gene interaction in lung cancer associated with mutations in the tumor suppressor gene TP53. After completing her postdoctoral work, in 2015, she joined Baylor University. Currently, the focus of her laboratory at Baylor is on elucidating the relationship between diet and the microbiome and its impact on cancer etiology and effects on treatment for colorectal cancer.
Dr. Greathouse has received multiple awards for her work, including a Merit Award from the National Institutes of Health, Excellence in Research Leadership, Rising Star at Baylor University, and most recently Baylor Fellow. Among her publications she has 3 that have >100 citations. Funding for her research is obtained from the Department of Defense Career Development Award, the National Institutes of Health, as well as, the American College of Gastroenterology. She is currently on the editorial board for Carcinogenesis and is an associate editor for Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers. Her passion for cancer research is driven by her own experience as a survivor of stage IV uterine leiomyosarcoma, and her love of mentorship.
Rosalie Greenberg, MD
Rosalie Greenberg, MD
Dr. Rosalie Greenberg is a Board-Certified Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, known for her expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex psychiatric problems in children, and pediatric psychopharmacology.
Dr. Greenberg received her MD from Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she also completed her training in adult psychiatry, as well as a fellowship in child psychiatry, serving as chief resident. She subsequently served for years on the teaching faculty at Columbia.
A firm believer in the power of education, Dr. Greenberg is an author, researcher, lecturer, co-producer of an educational film, and creator and host of an award-winning cable TV show, all related to children’s health. These various activities have been geared to both medical professionals and the lay public, including presentations at both national and international conferences. Dr. Greenberg brings her 40+ years of experience to topics that range from adolescent suicide and pediatric bipolar disorder as well as the many psychological aspects attributed to Lyme disease. Working in New Jersey, where Lyme disease is endemic, she found a sizable number of the children she evaluated, tested positive for tick-borne illness, most of whom never had a known tick bite. For the past few years, she has focused on the psychiatric manifestations of infectious diseases, especially, tick-borne illnesses in children and adolescents.
Jody Greenfield, DO
Jody Greenfield, DO
Jody Greenfield, DO is board certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has been a clinician for nearly 30 years, and now focuses on the personalized care of patients with complex illnesses. Dr. Greenfield is a member of the ILADS medical education committee, focusing on the society’s webinars. He has been a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University and was an attending at Long Island Jewish Medical Center where he was a favorite teaching attending for Internal Medicine Residents and Medical students. He was formerly Instructor in Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has been awarded Most Compassionate Physician Award from his patient reviews by patientschoice.org. Today, Dr. Greenfield runs Get Well Medical Care of South Florida in Boynton Beach, FL.
Yiping Han, PhD
Yiping Han, PhD
Dr. Yiping Han is Professor of Microbial Sciences in the Section of Oral & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dental Medicine, and in Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, at Columbia University. Dr. Han received BS in Biochemistry from Nanjing University in China, MS and PhD in Microbiology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and postdoctoral training at UCLA and SUNY Buffalo. Dr. Han has extensive experience in host-pathogen interactions, protein-structure function analyses, bacterial genetics, and translational studies. She is a pioneer in elucidating the role of oral microbiota in systemic complications including pregnancy complications and colorectal cancer and coined the term “mobile microbiome”. Her laboratory has demonstrated hematogenous translocation of oral bacteria into the pregnant uterus in both animals and humans and has reported the first evidence of oral bacteria causing preterm birth and stillbirth in humans. Her lab was also the first to report the molecular mechanism by which oral commensal Fusobacterium nucleatum stimulates colorectal cancer and has identified the novel FadA adhesin uniquely encoded by F. nucleatum as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker. Dr. Han is an elected fellow of American Academy of Microbiology and President-Elect of the Anaerobe Society of the Americas. She is an Editor of mBio.
Shirley Hartman, MD
Shirley Hartman, MD
Education:
- BS Iowa State University – 1977
- MD University of Iowa – 1982
- Family Practice Residency 1982-1985
Work History
- North Beaches Family Practice 1985-1986
- Mandarin Wellness Center (owner) 1986-2023
Affiliations
- Board member Florida Lyme Disease Association 2012-present
- Member ILADS International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society 2013-present
Benjamin S. Haslund-Gourley, MD/PhD Candidate
Benjamin S. Haslund-Gourley, MD/PhD Candidate
Ben Haslund-Gourley researched N-glycoprotein alterations in sepsis and diabetes with the Marth Lab while obtaining his undergraduate degree in Biology at UC Santa Barbara. He was accepted to the MD/PhD program at Drexel University College of Medicine in 2019 and is entering his fifth year of the physician-scientist training program. He joined the Comunale Lab to apply glycoproteomic and glycomic analytical techniques to translational research. His work with Lyme disease patient sera provided by the Lyme Disease Biobank detected N-glycan biomarkers specific to acute Lyme disease. This work was confirmed using multiple analytical methods including HPLC, MALDI-MS, and UPLC-ESI-MS at two research institutions and has earned the Lyme X Phase 1 Prize. Ben is passionate about translating scientific findings to improve patient outcomes and hopes to develop a high-throughput plate-based acute Lyme disease diagnostic using a glycomic platform.
Robert J. Hedaya, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA
Robert J. Hedaya, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA
ROBERT J. HEDAYA, MD, ABPN, DLFAPA has been at the cutting edge of medical practice, psychiatry and psychopharmacology since 1979. With the publication of his first book, Understanding Biological Psychiatry (Norton, 1996) he pioneered the use of Functional Medicine in the Psychiatric field. He is now pioneering the use of HYLANE technology in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Hedaya is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center, where has been awarded the “Teacher of the Year” on 3 occasions. In keeping with his ability to move the feed forward, he was first invited to teach PNIE (Psycho-Neuro-Immuno-Endocrinology) to Georgetown Psychiatry Residents in the early 1990’s. He is a faculty member at the Institute for Functional Medicine, author of two additional books (The Antidepressant Survival Guide, and Depression: Advancing the Treatment Paradigm), and the founder of the Center for Whole Psychiatry and Brain Recovery. Dr. Hedaya is an editorial volunteer for Advances in Mind-Body Medicine and Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. He has been featured in the local and national media (20/20, 60 minutes, Vogue, the New York Times, Washington Post etc.) on many occasions and is a frequent, nationally and internationally recognized speaker.
His website is www.wholepsychiatry.com
Myriah W. Hinchey, ND
Myriah W. Hinchey, ND
Dr. Hinchey has continued to advance her clinical practice by studying under pioneering Lyme physicians Dr. Tom Moorcroft, Dr. Richard Horowitz, and Dr. Neil Nathan; mycotoxin specialist, Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker; and lifestyle and functional medicine doctors, Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Jeffrey Bland.
Rooted in functional and naturopathic medicine, Dr. Hinchey shares her unique approach to Lyme and co-infections with other practitioners by lecturing at numerous medical conferences, including the annual meetings of IADS and CNPA.
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
Richard I. Horowitz, MD
Dr. Richard Horowitz is a board-certified internist and the medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, an integrative medical center specializing in the treatment of Lyme and other TBD’s. He has treated over 13,000 Lyme and TBD patients in the last 30 years and is one of the founding members and past president elect of ILADS. Dr Horowitz also previously served as a member of the HHS Tick-borne Disease Working Group and was recently elected to the NYS Department of Health TBDWG. For dedicating his life to helping those stricken with this devastating illness, he has been awarded the Humanitarian of the Year award by the Turn the Corner Foundation and awards from Project Lyme.
Dr H is the author of two best-selling books on Lyme disease, Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease (2013, St Martin’s Press, NY Times Best Seller), and How Can I Get Better? An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme and Chronic Disease (2017, St Martin’s Press, National bestseller). He recently released his first science fiction/climate change novel, Starseed R/evolution, The Awakening, a humorous attempt to prevent humanity from self-destructing and causing a 6th extinction event on this planet.
Amir Khadir, MD
Amir Khadir, MD
Amir Khadir, an infectious disease specialist, is director of the first clinic operating within the public health system in Canada dedicated to specialized care for patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease. As a member of Quebec Parliament he took part in the advocacy work by patient groups that brought the government to set-up, in May 2022, a network of clinics for patients with chronic complex diseases such as chronic Lyme, PTLDS or otherwise defined chronic complications of Lyme disease.
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, MD, JD
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, MD, JD
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer, M.D. is a nationally recognized physician with expertise in the fields of nutrition, allergy, environmental medicine, Lyme disease and the healing of mind-body-spirit as a unified whole. Dr. Kinderlehrer co-founded The New England Center for Holistic Medicine in Newbury MA, and has taught extensively, including practitioner training courses at The Omega Institute, The National Institute of Behavioral Medicine, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. He created and organized the Lyme Fundamentals course which is presented annually at the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society conferences. He is the author of several articles in medical journals, the Lyme Times and Psychology Today. His integrated medical practice in Denver, CO focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne illness. Dr. Kinderlehrer is the author of Recovery From Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tick-Borne Illness, which was released in March, 2021.
Lynn D. Klassen, ND & Carolyn Mukai, ND
Lynn D. Klassen, ND & Carolyn Mukai, ND
Dr. Klassen, ND maintains a focused practice on Lyme disease and chronic illness. As a Lyme Literate ND (LLND), Dr. Klassen is trained in the latest developments in the testing and treatment of these difficult diseases. Dr. Klassen is the owner of Tandem Clinic in Vancouver’s Olympic Village, currently serving as the president of the BCND, and has developed Canada’s first and only CNME accredited naturopathic residency focused on Vector-borne illness and Chronic Complex Disease. “Like you, I’m frustrated by the lack of knowledge of tick borne illness in the medical system and the lack of understanding of the impact it’s having on people’s lives. I see patients every day that are overlooked by the medical system; no one should feel like they are not heard by their health care practitioner.”
Dr. Mukai, ND focuses her naturopathic practice on complex chronic disease, including Lyme disease and associated illnesses. She practices at Tandem Clinic in Vancouver, where she completed her 2-year residency in Vector-borne illness and Complex Chronic Disease. Dr. Mukai is passionate about collaborating with other health providers with the goal of increasing practitioner awareness of tick-borne illness. “My goal as a naturopathic physician is to provide comprehensive care for Lyme disease and associated illnesses while also raising awareness for these conditions as it relates to other chronic, complex, or unexplained illnesses. It is especially important to me to educate other practitioners.
Chandramouli Kondethimmanahalli, PhD
Chandramouli Kondethimmanahalli, PhD
Chandramouli Kondethimmanahalli, PhD. is Sr. Scientist at IGeneX Inc. Reference Laboratory in San Francisco Bay Area. For several years, Dr. Kondethimmanahalli research focused on tick-borne diseases particularly, bacterial pathogenesis, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccine development. He worked as a Postdoctoral Scientist in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University evaluating clinical relevance of surface proteins as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for tick-borne rickettsia diseases. He discovered several protein biomarkers as potential diagnostics markers using advanced multi-OMICS technologies. He used Canine infection models for vaccine development for ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. At IGeneX Inc, Dr. Kondethimmanahalli is leading Research, Development, and Immunoblots manufacturing. He is developing new and/or improving existing serologic tests for Lyme, TBRF, Babesiosis, Bartonellosis and Rickettsia diseases. Dr. Kondethimmanahalli authored over 35 publications, reviews, book-chapters and conference proceedings.
Dr. Kondethimmanahalli received his M.S. in biochemistry from Kuvempu University, India and PhD. from University of Mysore, India. He worked as a Postdoctoral Scientist in University of South Alabama and Los Angeles Biomedical Institute from 2004-2007. He also worked in a Global Collaborative Research between Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia f
John S. Lambert, MD, PhD
John S. Lambert, MD, PhD
Dr. Lambert is a full professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mater Hospital and UCD school of medicine in Dublin. He is qualified in adult and pediatric infectious diseases, having trained in Rochester NY and subsequently with academic appointments in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland Institute of Human Virology, until 1999 when he returned to the UK and received additional qualifications from Kings College Hospital in London. He has been in Dublin since 2005, and has developed a clinical and research structure over the years to study both tickborne infections and Long COVID. Dr. Lambert was in receipt of an Irish health research board grant for the study of Long COVID, dating back to 2020, and has managed almost 3000 patients with tickborne infections and evaluated over 1500 patients with Long COVID over the years. Dr. Lambert has over 240 peer reviewed publications to his name. He established the Lyme Resource Centre in Scotland (www.lymeresourcecentre.com), a foundation dedicated to education and prevention throughout the European Union.
Nadja Leimer, PhD
Nadja Leimer, PhD
Dr. Nadja Leimer, a senior scientist in the lab of Dr. Kim Lewis at Northeastern University, Boston, earned her PhD from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in 2016. She contributed to the discovery of an antibiotic for Lyme disease, now licensed by a biotech company. Currently, she is actively involved in preclinical development for an IND submission, with an expected Phase I clinical trial in 2024 and determined to find novel treatments for Lyme disease patients.
Nima Machouf, PhD
Nima Machouf, PhD
Nimâ Machouf obtained her PhD in epidemiology and public health from the Université de Montreal and did post-doctoral research at McGill. She was coordinating research for 20 years in the field of HIV and viral hepatitis at Clinique L’Actuel and Quartier Latin in Monreal, as a CTN investigator in the Canadian Observation Cohort (CANOC) collaboration, a Canadian HIV researchers partnership that integrates registered HIV/AIDS data across eight databases in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. For the past 2 years, she has joined Dr. Khadir’s Tick Born Disease Clinic team and the Quebec Chronic Complexe Diseases Network, focusing on research into the management of patients suffering from chronic symptoms linked to Lyme disease and Long Covid.
Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD
Elizabeth L. Maloney, MD
Dr. Elizabeth L. Maloney is a Minnesota family physician. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School and its affiliated Family Medicine residency. Her current focus is on tick-borne diseases education and policy. She began providing comprehensive, evidence-based, accredited continuing medical education courses for physicians in 2007 and subsequently became the founder and president of Partnership for Tick-borne Diseases Education, a non-profit organization providing online and live evidence-based continuing medical education programming and materials on tick-borne diseases for physicians and other healthcare professionals. The hallmark of her teaching is that it represents a broad-based and detailed evaluation of the evidence. Dr. Maloney has authored several peer-reviewed papers on Lyme disease, including treatment guidelines. The hallmark of all of her work is that it represents a broad-based and detailed evaluation of the evidence.
Dr. Maloney also acts as a consultant to government agencies and private organizations. She was an appointed member of the 2021 federal advisory committee, Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (TBDWG); prior to that appointment she worked on three different subcommittees of the TBDWG. Dr. Maloney was a peer reviewer for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Maloney enjoys speaking to the general public on tick-borne diseases, where she emphasizes the need to consistently use tick bite prevention strategies.
Kenny De Meirleir, MD, PhD
Kenny De Meirleir, MD, PhD
Kenny De Meirleir is emeritus professor in physiology, pathophysiology and medicine.
He is a certified specialist in internal medicine, cardiology and rehabilitation medicine.
He has practiced medicine for 40 years and has developed since 1989 specific interests in chronic fatigue syndrome and later in chronic diseases which had developed after infections.
He holds a PhD in physiology (1985) and became a full time professor at the Free University of Brussels in 1985.
He has examined, diagnosed and treated almost 20.000 ME/CFS patients in all 5 continents of the world. Currently his scientific and medical practices are situated in Belgium at Himmunitas and Whittemore-Peterson Institute at the University of Nevada (USA).
Tatjana Mijatovic, PhD.
Tatjana Mijatovic, PhD.
Tatjana Mijatovic holds PhD. in Molecular Biology. T. Mijatovic authored 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals (21 as first or senior author/ 29 as co-author) and holds 2 granted patents as first author. Since 2011 T. Mijatovic is Project Leader, Lab Manager and CSO at R.E.D. Laboratories. R.E.D. Laboratories is Belgium-based Biotech Company developing and performing specialty tests to assess multifactorial afflictions like TBDs, CFS, chronic immune dysfunctions, chronic infections, intestinal dysfunctions, autism, etc. Dr Mijatovic is active in a number of international scientific groups and networks. Previously, Dr Mijatovic performed as (i) R&D Project Leader and Head of Biology in Biotech Company specialized in the discovery of new anti-cancer agents, (ii) Publications Manager consultant for Pharmaceutical Companies and (iii) scientist at the University of Brussels (ULB) in Belgium.
Thomas Moorcroft, DO
Thomas Moorcroft, DO
Dr. Tom treats some of the sickest, most sensitive patients suffering from chronic Lyme disease, tick-borne co-infections, mold illness as well as children with infection-induced autoimmune encephalitis (PANS/PANDAS).
He focuses on optimizing the body’s self-healing systems in order to achieve optimal health with simple, natural interventions; utilizing more conventional approaches when needed. Each individual is a unique unity of body, mind and spirit.
He is the creator of the Thrive With Lyme Blueprint which assists those suffering with Lyme and related illnesses tap into the true source of radiant health within them and optimize healing. He also teaches practitioners how to easily and effortlessly excel at treating patients with complex, chronic illnesses in his Lyme Disease Practitioner Certification and Mentorship program.
Dr. Tom’s goal is to empower each of his patients to get in touch with their inner source of health so they can experience optimal health.
Omar Morales, MD
Omar Morales, MD
Dr. Omar Morales was born in San Diego and lived in Tijuana until 2003. He studied at The University of Guadalajara, receiving a secondary degree in Transfusion Medicine with a focus on immunological diseases. He later moved to Puerto Vallarta where he developed a special interest in treating tropical diseases with a hematological approach. He is CEO and founder of Lyme Mexico Clinic which employs a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to address the challenges of Lyme disease. Additionally, Dr. Morales is currently Chair of the ILADS Latin America work group, on the advisory board of CA Spinal Rehab Clinic, oversees the Puerto Vallarta blood bank, serves as the Medical Sub-Director of the Biomedical Center, and is President/Co-Founder of Biomedical Cancer Institute. Dr. Morales is also an active researcher of the renowned Biomedical Center de Occidente and contributes to national and international publications.
Karl J. Morten, PhD
Karl J. Morten, PhD
The Morten lab has a long-standing interest in understanding the role of mitochondria in health and disease and have built up over the last 15 years technologies allowing this to be studied in a high throughput format. Our research is multi-disciplinary working closely with clinicians, engineers and mathematicians. One of the leading groups in Oxford working on Mitochondria, the group collaborates widely in Oxford supporting groups to carry out experiments in this area leading to a number of publications.
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
Dr. B. Robert Mozayeni was trained in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at Yale and at NIH. He has had pre- and post-doctoral Fellowships in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale, and also at NIH where he was a Howard Hughes Research Scholar at LMB/DCBD/NCI and later, Senior Staff Fellow at LMMB/NHLBI/NIH. He is an expert in Translational Medicine, the science and art of advancing medical science safely and efficiently. He is a Fellow of the non-profit Think Lead Innovate Foundation and is a co-founder of the Foundation for the Study of Inflammatory Diseases. He is a Founder of the Foundation for the Study of Inflammatory Diseases to crowd-source medical solutions for complex conditions using existing knowledge, diagnostic methods, and therapies to meet patient needs immediately. He is the Chief Medical Officer of Galaxy Diagnostics, LLC. And, he was recently appointed to be a Board member of the Human-Kind Alliance. Dr. Mozayeni has held admitting privileges (since 1994) on the clinical staff of Suburban Hospital, a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine and an affiliate of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.
James A. Neuenschwander
James A. Neuenschwander
Dr. Neuenschwander, MD (aka Dr. Neu) is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical school and is dually board certified in both Emergency Medicine as well as Integrative and Holistic Medicine. He has practiced integrative medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1988 and has focused on the treatment of medically complex children and adults including those on the autism spectrum as well as those impacted by post-infectious and toxin induced illnesses. He is a long time member of multiple professional organizations including ILADS and is the current president of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS)–an organization dedicated to the integrative treatment of children.
Dr. Myriah Hinchey is a Connecticut-licensed naturopathic physician and the founder/medical director of TAO: Center for Vitality, Longevity, & Optimal Health, an integrative medical center for healing located in Hebron, Connecticut.
Following graduation from naturopathic medical school, Dr. Hinchey completed a mentorship with renowned functional medicine pediatrician, Nancy O’Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP. During her time with Dr. O’Hara, she became aware of how frequently Lyme and tick-borne disease are underlying issues for children with ASD and PANS/PANDAS. Later, she herself was diagnosed with multiple tick-borne illnesses, and found herself immersed in the work of Master Herbalist Stephen Buhner. His evidence based herbal approach to healing Lyme disease and co-infections inspired her to correspond with him in developing products and treatment protocols, which ultimately led to the protocols that she used to heal herself and her patients.
Nancy O’Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP
Nancy O’Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Nancy O’Hara is a board-certified Pediatrician. Prior to her medical career, Dr. O’Hara taught children with autism. She graduated with highest honors from Bryn Mawr College and as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh. After residency, chief residency and general pediatric fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. O’ Hara entered general private practice in 1993, and in 1999 began her consultative, integrative practice solely for children with special needs. Since 1999 she has dedicated her functional medicine practice to the integrative and holistic care of children with chronic illness and neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders such as PANDAS/PANS/BGE, ADHD, ASD, Mold, and Lyme disease and co-infections. She is also a leader in the training of clinicians, both in the United States and abroad. Dr. O’Hara has written a comprehensive guidebook, “Demystifying PANS / PANDAS: A Functional Medicine Desktop Reference on Basal Ganglia Encephalitis”, which is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8BC6XFR. She also has fully comprehensive and easy-to-access membership and mentorship programs at www.drohara.com.
Amy Offutt, MD
Amy Offutt, MD
Dr. Offutt is the medical director and co-owner of Heart & Soul Integrative Health and Yoga which she co-founded with her husband, Brad, in 2007, located in Marble Falls, Texas. Her first seven years of practice were focused on rural family medicine and obstetrics after which she transitioned to approach the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases using integrative medicine. She completed medical school at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio and completed a residency in Family Medicine at Christus Health. She has completed a fellowship with the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and has a Master’s Degree in Integrative Medicine from George Washington University.
William V. Padula, OD SFNAP FAAO FNORA
William V. Padula, OD SFNAP FAAO FNORA
William V. Padula OD SFNAP FAAO FNORA is a graduate of Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University of Health Sciences. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association International (NORA), and the National Academy of Practice.
Dr. Padula completed a fellowship at the Gesell Institute where he was also Director of Vision Research. He was the founding Chairman of the Low Vision Section for the American Optometric Association, and the founding President of NORA. Dr. Padula was appointed the National Consultant in Low Vision Services for the American Foundation for the Blind. He is the Past Chairperson of the National Academy of Practice in Optometry, and served as Treasurer of the National Academy of Practice (NAP) of which he has been honored as Senior Fellow.
Dr. Padula founded the first low vision clinic at the Zhongshan Eye Research Hospital in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China, which was named in his honor. He lectures and consults internationally.
Dr. Padula has authored numerous publications including three books and he is the primary author of a chapter on vision in Brain Injury Medicine. Dr. Padula is an inventor. He has recently been awarded the Most Innovative Rehabilitation Technology Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitative Medicine (ACRM) for 2021 and the Bright Ideas Pitch competition from the American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
John C. Pittman, MD
John C. Pittman, MD
John C. Pittman, MD specializes in the care of patients with complex chronic illnesses including tick-borne infections. He grew up in Tifton, GA, received his medical degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia in 1986 and attended the Pediatric Residency Program at NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Pittman worked as an emergency physician then opened the Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine in Raleigh, NC in 1994. He is a founding member of the NC Integrative Medical Society. He began working with patients with tick-borne infections in the early 2000’s, attending his first ILADS conference in 2006, regularly attending conferences since. Dr. Pittman is a current member of the ILADS Membership Committee.
Kristine L. Profetta-Gedroic, MD
Kristine L. Profetta-Gedroic, MD
Kristine Profetta-Gedroic, MD is an integrative physician and founder of The Gedroic Medical Institute in Morristown, NJ. She is a thought leader in epigenetics and the science of the microbiome. She has helped nearly 7,000 patients recover their lives from complex, chronic illness. She attended undergraduate school at Harvard University and medical school at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Gedroic completed her internship at Cornell University in NYC, followed by a residency in Family Practice at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ. She later completed a fellowship at the University of Arizona in Integrative Medicine. She had received board certification in Family Practice as well as the Integrative Medicine Boards. Dr. Gedroic served as the Medical Director of the Chambers Center for Well-Being at Morristown Hospital in NJ in 2016. She continues to serve as volunteer faculty for Rutgers University in the Department of Medicine. She published her first book, A Nation of Unwell in 2018. She lives in Mendham, NJ with her three sons.
Chad J. Prusmack, MD
Chad J. Prusmack, MD
Functional medicine Neurosurgeon in Colorado focuses on Traumatic Brain Injury, Minimally invasive spine surgery, sports medicine and complications chronic illness of the brain. Founder of Resilience Code www.myresiliencecode.com
Christine Saba, MD
Christine Saba, MD
Dr. Christine L. Saba is board certified in pediatrics and serves as an assistant clinical professor at George Washington Medical School and Georgetown University Medical Center. She graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1992 and did her internship and residency at Georgetown. Dr. Saba has been in solo practice since 2000, creating Saba Integrative Medicine in 2014 to focus on patients with chronic conditions or undiagnosed symptoms that require multimodal care. Her focus includes treatment of tick-borne illness and the sequela related to those infections. Before medical school, Dr. Saba received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer Southern School of Pharmacy. Serving as the first senior clinical pharmacist in Johns Hopkins Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, she developed research protocols for analyzing various pediatric medications. She also enhanced her research skills as a medical manager of cardiovascular protocols at Squibb Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Saba is particularly interested in enhancing patients’ quality of life and thus incorporates many treatment modalities, including homeopathy and herbs. She is certified to practice acupuncture, with training in the Japanese model.
Felix Scholz, PhD
Felix Scholz, PhD
Dr. Scholz completed a Bachelor of Science in Germany in 2002 and a PhD in Cell Biology at the University of Kiel, Germany in 2006. He completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (Department of Nephrology) He then pursued his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Immunology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Scholz has received numerous awards and grants from the University of Kiel, Germany and the University of Minnesota. Dr. Scholz’s passion is research and development. He is dedicated to continuous growth in the field of immunology leading to improvements in the detection and treatment of modern-day infection. He led research and developmental teams for private laboratories after switching from academia into industry, conducting research in the field of allergy and infectious diseases. As the CEO of Infectolab Americas he is dedicated to continuous growth in the field of immunology leading to improvements in the detection and research of modern-day infection.
Armin Schwarzbach, PhD
Armin Schwarzbach, PhD
Dr. Armin Schwarzbach, Medical Doctor and Specialist for Laboratory Medicine, founder of ArminLabs, has been at the forefront of tick-borne research for more than 20 years and is an expert in diagnosing and treating infectious diseases. He is an Advisory Board member of AONM London, England, and Board Member of the German Borreliosis Society and former Board Member and Member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), and Board Member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF) and has served as an expert on advisory committees on Lyme Disease in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, England, Sweden and Germany.
Marc Shawky, PhD
Marc Shawky, PhD
Marc Shawky is Full Professor at Université de Technologie de Compiègne, France, with the Computer Science department, Costech Laboratory. He is a member of the European network of excellence AI4EU, working groups “AI for health”, “Ethics of AI” and “AI Explainability”. He is focusing his research works currently on generalizing the use of artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning, to comfort the diagnosis of clinical physicians for long-term persistent infections.
Craig D. Shimasaki, PhD, MBA
Craig D. Shimasaki, PhD, MBA
Dr. Shimasaki received his BS in Biochemistry from the University of California at Davis, his PhD in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of Tulsa, and his MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Business. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Oklahoma and is the co-founder and CEO of Moleculera Labs, a neuroimmunology precision medicine company focused on identifying the underlying roots of neurologic, psychiatric, and behavioral disorders triggered by an autoimmune response. He has spent over 35 years working in the fields of molecular biology, viral pathogenesis, and infection-triggered autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Shimasaki started his career at Genentech and worked across all stages of research, development, clinical trials, and regulatory approval of technology innovation from bench-to-bedside. His research work includes epitope mapping of HIV proteins, genetic-based predictors of breast cancer risk, influenza, RSV diagnostics and therapeutics, and the pathogenesis of infection-triggered neuropsychiatric disorders. He has co-founded multiple companies and led multiple products through the FDA approval process. Internationally, he teaches and mentors scientists, physicians, and biotech leaders on translating their research into acutely needed medical interventions. His passion is to translate scientific discoveries into acutely needed products so that more patients can live longer, healthier lives.
Samuel Shor, MD
Samuel Shor, MD
Dr. Shor is an Associate Clinical Professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Shor received his MD from Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, and subsequently cultivated an interest in managing chronic fatigue syndrome and associated conditions, which ultimately led to his expertise in Lyme disease. Dr. Shor has presented to Congress on Lyme disease, appeared on NPR’s nationally syndicated Diane Rehm Show twice, and in 2010, was invited to serve on the Virginia Governor’s Task Force on Lyme disease. Dr. Shor serves as Chair of the Loudoun County Lyme Commission, while actively pursuing clinical activity in the management of complex patients, and overseeing research and contributing to publishing in peer-reviewed literature.
Pamela W. Smith, MD, MPH, MS
Pamela W. Smith, MD, MPH, MS
Pamela Wartian Smith, M.D., MPH, MS spent her first twenty years of practice as an emergency room physician with the Detroit Medical Center in a level 1 trauma center and then 28-years as an Anti-Aging/Functional Medicine specialist. She is a diplomat of the Board of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Physicians and is an internationally known speaker and author on the subject of Anti-Aging/Precision Medicine. She also holds a Master’s in Public Health Degree along with a master’s degree in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine. Dr. Smith is in private practice and is the senior partner for The Center For Precision Medicine with offices in Michigan and Florida. She has been featured on CNN, PBS, and many other television networks, has been interviewed in numerous consumer magazines and has hosted two of her own radio shows. Dr. Smith was one of the featured physicians on the PBS series “The Embrace of Aging” as well as the on-line medical series “Awakening from Alzheimer’s” and “Regain Your Brain”. Dr. Pamela Smith is the founder of The Fellowship in Anti-Aging, Regenerative, and Functional Medicine and is the past co-director of the master’s program in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine at The Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida. She is the author of eleven best-selling books. Her best seller, “Max Your Immunity,” was released in late 2021. Her newest book What You Must Know About Women’s Hormones, 2nd was released in the spring.
Louis C. Teulieres, MD
Louis C. Teulieres, MD
MD 30 years experience in inectious diseases and clinical immunology at Pasteur Institute and universities hospitals in France Since 2003Clinical practice : immune and infectious, Lyme and associated diseases and neurodegenerative conditions: neuroborreliosis and ASD . Since 2017 member of Phages research and clinical joint development group (Phelix Charity and Leicester University)
Medeya Tsnobiladze, ND
Medeya Tsnobiladze, ND
Dr. Medeya Tsnobiladze is a Naturopathic physician practicing in Connecticut. She has a 12 year teaching experience training Physician Assistant students and Naturopathic medical students. Before attaining her ND degree, she completed MS degree in Biophysics and trained at Neuroscience PhD program.
Currently specializing in Integrative Neurology, she combines her deep understanding of physiology and biochemistry of the body with a core naturopathic approach of treating the whole person.
Jiabao Xu, PhD
Jiabao Xu, PhD
Dr Jiabao Xu is a lecturer in the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow. She has been at the forefront of new innovations in the development of data mining and artificial intelligence models in single-cell Raman studies. Her expertise has been instrumental in an Innovate UK-China call (£750k) for the identification of clinical pathogens by Raman spectroscopy using large datasets (>500k single-cell spectra). Currently, the methods are undergoing extensive validation studies in a series of hospitals in China.
Full Conference Schedule (subject to change)
Join us Friday, October 20 for an evening of entertainment to support the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF), and honor this year's Pioneer Award recipient, Daniel J. Cameron, MD.
We'll kick-off at 6 PM with a cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by dinner and an award ceremony. Tickets are $250 per person. A portion of your ticket may be tax-deductible.
The dinner is open to all and we encourage you and your guest(s) to attend this charity event to support our education and research mission.
2023 Pioneer Award Recipient
Daniel J. Cameron, MD
Dr. Cameron is a past-president of ILADS, serving two terms from 2007-2009 and 2013-2015. He has led the field of clinical epidemiology in Lyme disease as an author of the 2004 and 2014 ILADS evidence based treatment guidelines and analytic reviews. Dr. Cameron graduated from the University of Minnesota with an MD in Medicine and a MPH degree in epidemiology, followed by residencies at both Beth Israel Medical Center and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.