Leigh Frame, PhD, MHS

Dr. Leigh Frame brings nutrition and immunity together through clinical, translational research. Her T-shaped expertise in health, wellness, science, and medicine was developed through her wide-ranging experience in biomedical research (from wet bench to clinical research) and overseeing research and education programs. Dr. Frame is building a GW Integrative Medicine research program while directing the graduate education programs and the Office of Integrative Medicine and Health. She is also co-founder and Associate Director of the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center. Her interests include the role of the microbiome and nutrition in health, the consequences of malnutrition in obesity, vitamin D as an immune-modulatory hormone, research ethics, and social media. While working at the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery, Dr. Frame earned her PhD in Human Nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and received a Master of Health Science in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from the same school. Dr. Frame earned Distinction in Biochemistry from Mary Baldwin College (now University).

Iman Majd, MD, MS, L.A.c.

Dr. Iman Majd is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he is Board Certified in Integrative Medicine, Family Medicine, and Acupuncture. He is recognized as the first physician at UW Medicine to successfully develop a model that integrates acupuncture and integrative medicine consultations within primary care. Dr. Majd recently served as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and currently presides as the President of the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation (MARF). He also serves as the Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UW. A long-standing advocate for integrative medicine and health at both the national and international levels, Dr. Majd has collaborated with national organizations on initiatives designed to make integrative medicine more accessible to all patients. His teaching philosophy focuses on translating academic knowledge into practice and equipping the next generation of healthcare providers with the skills necessary for a data-supported, person-centered approach to health and well-being. Dr. Majd has contributed to various research studies in the fields of integrative medicine and acupuncture, including his research on auricular acupuncture for pain management in group settings, funded by the American Academy of Family Physicians. He has also explored the use of Chinese herbs for symptom management in COVID-19 patients and the application of acupuncture for pain management in patients with Long COVID. In his practice, Dr. Majd employs an integrated East-West approach to health, combining the knowledge and wisdom of both Eastern and Western medicine to educate, collaborate with, and empower his patients on their journey to optimal health.

Gurjeet Birdee, MD, MPH

Dr. Gurjeet Birdee is an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University, where he also serves as the Director the of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt. Dr. Birdee completed his undergraduate degree and medical degree at University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami in Florida. Dr. Birdee completed a fellowship in Academic and Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School while obtaining a Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and is also a certified Yoga Therapist. For over 10 years, Dr. Birdee performed research on integrative medicine and mind-body therapies supported by the National Institutes of Health at Harvard Medical School and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He formerly served as the Research director at the Osher Center at Vanderbilt. Dr. Birdee has a strong interest in preventative medicine and use of integrative medicine for management of chronic disease.

Eric Roseen, DC, PhD

Eric J. Roseen, DC, PhD is an assistant professor of medicine and director of the Program for Integrative Medicine and Health Disparities at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Roseen’s research is focused on the epidemiology of common musculoskeletal conditions, effectiveness of nonpharmacologic therapies for low back pain, and implementation of effective pain treatments in underserved communities. This work has aimed to provide evidence to inform policies that influence how musculoskeletal pain is managed in primary care settings. He received his doctor of chiropractic (DC) degree from the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, his MSc degree in epidemiology from the Boston University School of Public Health, and his PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.

Stephanie Cheng, MD

Dr. Stephanie Cheng is a palliative care physician with a longstanding commitment to integrative medicine. She has a special interest in holistic management of symptoms and improving quality of life through integrative approaches. She currently works at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, providing supportive care for patients with cancer, as well as the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health where she facilitates group medical visits, including groups focused on integrative symptom management, mindful self-compassion, forest therapy, and qigong. Dr. Cheng has a background in anthropology, earned her medical degree at Oregon Health & Science University, then completed a family medicine residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine, with an integrative medicine focus, at George Washington University. She has completed trainings in nature and forest therapy, chaplaincy, mind-body medicine, mindful self-compassion, mindfulness, and qigong. Dr. Cheng is passionate about planetary health and serves as a faculty affiliate at the University of California Center for Climate, Health, and Equity. She has also served as the Vice Chair of the Nature & Health Special Interest Group of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

Sian Cotton, PhD

Sian Cotton, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, founding director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health and the Turner Farm Foundation Chair at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  A Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Division Director for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Cotton has an active research lab with ongoing clinical studies focusing primarily on mindfulness-based interventions and integrative medicine practice-based research. She is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health, a group of over 85 leading academic institutions and served as 1 of 8 Congress Co-Presidents for the 2nd World Congress on Integrative Medicine in Rome September 2023.  Dr. Cotton is often invited to speak with community organizations and businesses, healthcare audiences, and academics about mind-body medicine for stress reduction, and preventive and wellness-based approaches to healthcare.

Emmeline Edwards, PhD

Emmeline Edwards, Ph.D., is director of the Division of Extramural Research of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). In that capacity, she is responsible for development of scientific programs or areas of science that fulfill NCCIH’s mission as well as planning, implementation, and policy. Prior to joining NCCIH, Dr. Edwards served as deputy director of the Extramural Program at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Currently, Dr. Edwards is chair of Women in World Neuroscience (WWN), an independent mentoring and networking organization with the primary mission of identifying, promoting, and implementing mentoring and networking opportunities for women neuroscientists across the world. Before coming to the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Edwards earned her Ph.D. in neurochemistry from Fordham University, did postdoctoral research in behavioral pharmacology and neuroscience at the State University of New York, and was a tenured associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Maryland. Her research there focused on the neural mechanisms of complex behaviors and characterization of a genetic model of affective disorders. She also served as chair of the Graduate Studies and Research Committee and as a member of the Dean’s Executive Council at the University of Maryland. 

Daniel G. Gallegos-Pérez, MD, DrPH

Daniel is a post doctoral research fellow at the Program on Integrative Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill. His research focuses on Primary Health Care and Health Systems strengthening, evidence and information synthesis and dissemination, and Therapeutic Pluralism (Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Health and Medicine). He has been a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) since 2016. He is the immediate past chair of the Integrative, Complementary, and Traditional Health Practices (ICTHP) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) and a visiting fellow of the Australian Research Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney.

Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC

Dr. Kathryn Hansen is a dedicated healthcare leader with over two decades of experience in integrative health. She currently serves as the Director of Integrative Health Programming at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt. Dr. Hansen's career spans key leadership roles, including directing clinical operations and piloting integrative medicine group visits at Vanderbilt. Her clinical expertise as a nurse practitioner and a massage therapist informs her practice that focuses on chronic pain and disease management through lifestyle and behavior change. Dr. Hansen is actively involved in research and academic initiatives, serving on the Executive Committee of the Bravenet Practice-Based Research Network and contributing to groups within the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. She is passionate about improving access to care via implementation of high-quality integrative health at a systems level.

Rick Hecht, MD

Rick Hecht is Professor of Medicine at UCSF. He has served as Research Director of the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health and Osher Foundation Endowed Chair for Research in Integrative Medicine from 2002 to 2023. He is trained in internal medicine, HIV medicine, and clinical epidemiology. His research focuses on rigorous testing of lifestyle interventions and the health effects of mind-body interventions. He is the author of over 250 peer-reviewed articles, and has been the principal investigator of 20 NIH grants. He has played a variety of leadership roles in the field of integrative medicine research, including serving as Chair of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

Nadine Ijaz, PhD

Professor Ijaz’s interdisciplinary research program in the field of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine (TCIM) addresses a wide range of paradigmatic, policy, evidentiary and sociological questions, with a focus on issues of social, epistemic and ecological justice.  She is presently President-Elect of ISCMR (International Society for Traditional, Complementary & Integrative Medicine Research). Prior to her academic career, Professor Ijaz worked for fifteen years as a clinician and educator in the fields of medical herbalism, holistic nutrition, and shiatsu therapy, including in a government-subsidized integrative oncology clinic in Canada.

Catherine Justice, DPT, C-IAYT, FAIHM

Catherine Justice is an Integrative Physical Therapist, a Certified Yoga Therapist, and Program Manager for Integrative Health at Hennepin Healthcare Systems, a safety-net hospital system based in Minneapolis. Catherine received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Minnesota and is a graduate of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine’s two-year Fellowship program. She is a Certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists and a Certified CranioSacral Therapist with the Upledger Institute. Her primary areas of research center around whole-person approaches to chronic pain and therapeutic applications of yoga. Catherine serves as the Associate Editor for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy and is the founder of The Art of Wellness, an organization dedicated to optimizing well-being for individuals, organizations, and communities. She is a freelance writer and frequent speaker on integrative health, trauma-informed care, yoga therapy, and health equity for podcasts, workshops, and conferences. In addition to her work in healthcare, Catherine serves as the Co-Artistic Director for Rough Magic Performance Company, a non-profit theater company dedicated to telling women’s stories and supporting women artists. Catherine is passionate about increasing access to integrative medicine and enhancing well-being for historically unserved communities and everyone in need.

Christine Kaiser, DACM, LAc, LCH, FABORM

Christine Kaiser is the Connor Endowed Director of Reproductive Well-being and Clinical Manager of Acupuncture at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health.

Maria R. Mascarenhas, M.B.B.S.

Maria R. Mascarenhas, M.B.B.S., is a Pediatric Gastroenterologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She serves as the Section Chief of Nutrition in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Medical Director of the Clinical Nutrition Department and Director of the Integrative Health Program. Dr Mascarenhas is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is one of an elite group of pediatricians who are board-certified in pediatrics, nutrition and pediatric gastroenterology and board eligible in integrative medicine. To complement her extensive training and clinical skills she has additional training in pediatric massage, ayurvedic nutrition, auricular acupressure and clinical hypnosis. Dr Mascarenhas has been responsible for developing and advancing several nutrition focused and innovative programs in the division and hospital. She has single-handedly developed the nationally recognized comprehensive Integrative Health Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia which is considered a model in the field. She is now working to bring wellness education to the underserved. Dr Mascarenhas is widely published including her latest publication: Anti-Inflammatory Family Cookbook which is getting rave reviews from pediatricians, registered dietitians and families.

Samantha Simmons, MPH

Samantha Simmons, MPH is the CEO of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health, responsible for the oversight and execution of all operations and strategy of the Academic Consortium. In this role, Ms. Simmons is the key catalyst to building the community of health centers, integrative health programs, scientific and business leaders within the field of integrative health to execute the mission and vision of the Consortium. Ms. Simmons is an accomplished leader in the field of integrative medicine with an extensive background in many facets of promoting transformation in healthcare through collaborative initiatives and strategic partnerships. She is passionate about health policy advocacy and driving utilization of models of whole person care for underserved populations and is the P.I. of the Whole Health in the States (WHITS), a grant initiative geared towards these goals.

Roshini Srinivasan, MD, RYT-500

Roshini is a first-year resident in Internal Medicine at Duke Hospital. She was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Human Nutrition and Integrative Approaches to Health and Wellness. She subsequently graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 2024 having completed additional coursework in the medical humanities. Her interest in Integrative Medicine stemmed from an early age, rooted in her own spirituality and witnessing the role of culturally humble medicine in effective healthcare. As both a professional and personal pursuit, Roshini began engaging in research in the lab of Dr. Maryanna Klatt at Ohio State University, studying mindfulness and resilience development. These efforts led her to continue work in the Integrative Medicine space throughout her medical education, returning to University Hospitals Connor Whole Health as a Research Intern engaging in multiple projects related to acupuncture and mindfulness as adjunctive therapies for a variety of conditions, as well as studying the clinical delivery and measurement of patient-reported outcomes in Integrative Health and Medicine. She has published numerous scholarly articles and presented posters and long-form talks at national and international research conferences.  Now a resident in Internal Medicine, she hopes to continue her efforts towards career goals of endocrinology and women's health. She is also a lifelong student of yoga, having completed her 500-hour teacher training in 2016 and 95-hour children's yoga teacher training in 2024.  Outside of work, she enjoys music, dancing, and spending time with her friends and family. 

Jon Wardle, ND, MPH, PhD

Jon is Professor of Public Health and Foundation Director of the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University. Since its establishment in 2020, the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine has developed one of the largest clinical trial units in regional Australia, as well as globally recognised research and development programs in functional foods, First Nations medicines traditional medicines, herbal medicines, medicinal cannabis and psychedelics. In addition to clinical qualifications in nursing and naturopathic medicine, Jon has postgraduate qualifications in public health, law and health economics and holds visiting positions at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Oxford University and University of Technology Sydney. Jon has published over 250 scientific research publications, convenes the traditional medicine special interest group of the Public Health Association of Australia, and serves as Deputy Chair of the Australian government’s National Health and Medical Research Council Natural Therapies Working Group. Jon is passionate about improving health via integrative health approaches.