Natural Medicine Journal Podcast Natural Medicine Journal

Treating mold illness can be challenging. That’s why an integrative approach to diagnosis and treatment is often needed. In this interview, Eric Dorninger, ND, LAc, describes his integrative mold illness protocol. At his practice in Louisville, CO, Dorninger is well-versed in finding and treating underlying causes of chronic illness, which includes mold illness.

About the Expert
Eric Dorninger, ND, LAc, began his healthcare journey with a pre-med degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he immersed himself in diverse medical experiences, from volunteering at Porter Care Hospice to training as an EMT under herbalist Brigette Mars. His passion for holistic healing led him to pursue a doctor of naturopathic medicine and master of science in acupuncture at Bastyr University, culminating in a residency in naturopathic primary care. In 2005, he founded Roots and Branches Integrative Health Care, focusing on uncovering the root causes of chronic illness. Dorninger is not concerned with “what you have” as much as he is with “why you have it.” He uses reproducible, validated labs and imaging to find hidden, underlying causes of mystery illnesses and brings a relentlessly thorough diagnostic approach to solving the riddles of chronic illness. Dorninger's commitment to innovative diagnosis and treatment extends to his role as a certified Shoemaker practitioner, educator, researcher, and podcast host, enriching the field with his holistic approach to health and wellness.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is dominating headlines and dinner table conversations, and many of us are interested in understanding the impacts it may have on our lives and our practices. Emerging research points to the many ways we can expect AI to play in healthcare in the coming months and years, and it would be a good idea for healthcare providers to take heed.
This roundtable discussion features three experts: Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, who is a medical editor and naturopathic oncologist; Marina Sirota, PhD, who is a researcher and biomedical informatics expert and associate professor with University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); and Charlotta Lindvall, MD, PhD, who is a researcher, assistant professor at Harvard, and the Director of Clinical Informatics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
They discuss current research on AI in healthcare, and explore the concerns that need to be addressed before employing AI fully in the healthcare system.
About the Experts
Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, is editor in-chief of Natural Medicine Journal and the creator of Round Table Cancer Care. Kaczor is a naturopathic physician board certified in naturopathic oncology. She received her naturopathic doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine and completed her residency at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She is also the editor of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology and cofounder of The Cancer Pod, a podcast for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and everyone in between.
Marina Sirota, PhD, is an associate professor and the acting director at the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute at UCSF. Prior to that, she worked as a senior research scientist at Pfizer, where she focused on developing precision medicine strategies in drug discovery. She completed her PhD in biomedical informatics at Stanford University. Sirota’s research experience in translational bioinformatics spans nearly 20 years, during which she has coauthored over 170 scientific publications. Her research interests lie in developing computational integrative methods and applying these approaches in the context of disease diagnostics and therapeutics with a special focus on women’s health. The Sirota laboratory is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Pfizer, March of Dimes, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Dr Sirota also is the director of the AI4ALL program at UCSF, with the goal of introducing high school girls to applications of AI and machine learning in biomedicine, and she leads the outreach and advocacy efforts at the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute.
Charlotta Lindvall, MD, PhD, is a practicing palliative care physician, assistant professor, and director of Clinical Informatics at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She leads a cross-disciplinary research team of physicians, nurses, and computer scientists to develop AI to extract patient-centered outcomes from clinical narratives and conversations. ClinicalRegex, a software developed by her lab, is used to identify text-based primary outcomes in multiple clinical trials involving tens of thousands of patients in the United States. She leads the Clinical Informatics AI strategy at Dana-Farber and is a technical expert on AI for the National Quality Forum. Dr Lindvall has received multiple awards and prizes, including a NPCRC Junior Investigator Award, a Sojourns Scholar Award, and an Innovation Award from the National Quality Forum. Funding for her research includes grants from the Cambia Health Foundation, the Veteran Affairs, and the National Institutes of Health.

In this interview, Karolyn talks with Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD, who is the Director of Health Promotion & Communications and Director of Mindfulness Research and Practice at Harvard. Cheung discusses the recent release of the 2023/2024 Healthy Living Guide and her work with the new Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health at Harvard.
About the Expert
Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD, is lecturer, director of Health Promotion & Communication, and director of Mindfulness Research and Practice at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition. She is the editorial director of The Nutrition Source, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s nutrition website and co-editorial director of Asian Diabetes Prevention Initiative and Obesity Prevention Source. Her work focuses on translating science-based recommendations into public health communications and programs. Her insight into healthy living and mindfulness practice led to Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, coauthored with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh (2010).
 

On this podcast episode, you will get a “state-of-the-union” of naturopathic medicine. Karolyn is joined by 3 naturopathic medicine experts: Natural Medicine Journal Editor-in-Chief, Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO; Executive Director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), Laura Farr; and the President and CEO of the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM), Michelle Simon, PhD, ND. All 3 experts provide different perspectives on naturopathic medicine, specifically regarding consumer education, research, legislation, and future goals.

About the Experts Laura Culberson Farr has served as Executive Director of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians since 2017 and has worked with the naturopathic profession since 2005. A political organizer by training, her advocacy work as a grassroots organizer and consultant spans over 28 years. She has a deep knowledge of the complexities of healthcare reform, and has become an expert on how naturopathic doctors, conventional clinics and insurers can work together to improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs. She is married to a naturopathic physician and is passionately committed to integrating naturopathic medicine into primary care systems across the country.
Michelle Simon, PhD, ND, is President and CEO of the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM), a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educating consumers about natural medicine.  INM focuses on increasing awareness of natural medicine, demonstrating its efficacy in helping to transform healthcare systems, and connecting patients to naturopathic doctors. She earned her naturopathic doctorate from Bastyr University and her PhD in Biomedical Engineering is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been awarded Physician of the Year by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and Champion of Naturopathic Medicine by the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Tina Kaczor, ND, FABNO, is editor in-chief of Natural Medicine Journal and the creator of Round Table Cancer Care. Kaczor is a naturopathic physician board certified in naturopathic oncology. She received her naturopathic doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine and completed her residency at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She is also the editor of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology and cofounder of The Cancer Pod, a podcast for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and everyone in between.

The CDC recently announced that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is more common than previously thought. To address this condition from an integrative approach, Karolyn talks with leading CFS expert Jacob Teitelbaum, MD. Teitelbaum discusses his most recent research, as well as the integrative approach he pioneered to help patients regain their energy levels. Teitelbaum is the lead author of 8 studies looking at effective integrative treatments for fibromyalgia and CFS.
About the Expert
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, is a board-certified internist and nationally known expert in the fields of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sleep and pain. He has authored numerous books including the best-selling From Fatigued to Fantastic! (now in its 4th edition). He is the lead author of numerous studies on effective treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and one study on effective treatment of autism using NAET. He also developed the popular free smartphone app “Cures A-Z.” Teitelbaum lives in Kona, Hawaii.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autoimmune diseases are the third most common category of diseases in the United States after heart disease and cancer. There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune diseases, making this area of medicine complex and in need of attention from an integrative standpoint. Rheumatology expert Anastasia Stocker, ND, LAc, has expertise in working with patients who are on autoimmune medications. She describes the benefits and risks of medications while exploring integrative approaches that can help with medication tapering or discontinuation when appropriate.

About the Expert

Anastasia Stocker, ND, LAc, received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine and master of science in acupuncture and Oriental medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle, and her bachelor of science in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. This multidisciplinary academic career forged her health philosophy: Healing should be an integration of evidence-based science and traditional natural medicine.
Stocker practices at Aria Integrative Medicine in Seattle, with a focus on autoimmune diseases, digestive wellness, environmental medicine, and women's health. She is also the vice president of the Gastroenterology Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
Stocker is interested in autoimmune diseases and using her clinical experience in managing complex cases while utilizing integrative approaches. She is passionate about intersecting naturopathic medicine with acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, visceral, and craniosacral therapies to facilitate lasting improvements in patients with acute and chronic disease.