We are pleased to welcome Dr. Zwickey back to help us hone in on the important relationship between autoimmunity, immunity and trauma. This subject area is often covered by those who are not immunology experts and researchers. We are excited that Heather will delve into this key topic as immunology expert, connecting us with latest updates.

Heather Zwickey got many of us up to speed with COVID during her popular Vaccine Intensive talks. She is a frequent speaker in immunology and often speaks on topics linking immunology and alternative medicine. She earned a Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center with a focus on infectious disease and vaccine development. Dr. Zwickey went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship and teach at Yale University School of Medicine where she worked on immunotherapy for cancer. Dr. Zwickey launched the NUNM Helfgott Research Institute and established the NUNM School of Graduate Studies. She has also considerable background in nutrition and has lectured considerably on the microbiome.

Dr. Gustafson works in her own compounding pharmacy where she is often called up to work for NDs in response to the allopathic standard of care. In regards to thyroid care, there can be an intricate mix called for that needs to be assessed in care support. Dr. Gustafson will walk us through these possibilities which often have timing, dosage, testing and issues with supplementation.

Natalie Gustafson, PharmD, specializes in a holistic approach to medicine, with a focus on how compounded medications can help accomplish this goal. She’s been published in NDNR where she discussed optimal thyroid management and is an invited speaker for the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM), the Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OANP), Central Oregon Health Council, Hawaii Doc Talks, the British Columbia Naturopathic Association (BCNA) and Institute of Women’s Health & Integrative Medicine (IWHIM) to name a few. During the day, she can be found practicing as a compounding pharmacist and ensuring compliance and quality, where she is the owner and Director of Pharmacy at Lloyd Central Compounding Pharmacy.

What if the link between the mind and the body was a superhighway? Understanding that pain, mood, and immune signaling are all delicately interwoven with the nervous system, Dr. Zelfand will outline simple-yet-powerful tools for using the body to heal the nervous system - which in turn will help the mind heal the body. Drawing upon the principles of psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology, Dr. Zelfand will introduce the polyvagal theory (as proposed by Stephen Porges, PhD), along with the concepts of neuroception, shaking (the work of Peter A Levine, PhD), and the gut-brain axis - all lovingly wrapped in naturopathic medical philosophy, and delivered with a sprinkle of Dr. Zelfand's quirky, entertaining teaching style.

Erica Zelfand, ND specializes in integrative mental health. In addition to treating patients of all ages in her medical practice, Dr. Zelfand is a psychedelic therapist and ketamine provider. She is also a lead educator in the country's first licensed psilocybin facilitator school (InnerTrek.org), mentor, and an acclaimed international speaker. Her work focuses on bridging the gaps between mind, body, and spirit, and building a bridge between conventional and alternative modalities. She is the author of a literature review on the potential of ascorbic acid to treat opioid withdrawal (PMID 33132774) and has written many articles on a variety of health topics. Dr. Zelfand is also the CEO of Right to Heal (RightToHeal.com), a nonprofit committed to empowering individuals to reclaim their health. To learn more, please visit DrZelfand.com, or @DrZelfand.

Dr. Rubman will update us in his work with Autoimmunity and steroidal hormones, focusing in on clinical issues involving steroidal hormones including strengths and weaknesses of currently used laboratory measures. We will consider the biochemistry of the steroidal cascade of the sexual and adrenal hormones, their precursor substances, and their metabolites. Important factors affecting modulatory enzymes and the management of precursors and metabolites will be discussed. This will be demonstrated through case study and the focus theme will be autoimmune issues. special attention will be paid to dysautonomia in Western and Eastern perspectives.

Andrew Rubman, ND, FABNE, is Medical Director of Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines in Southbury, Connecticut and a Fellow of the specialty society, The Endocrinology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (EndoANP). He also has a sub-specialty of diagnosing and treating peri-menopausal women and has contributed to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) nutritional protocol used as a component of the curriculum of all medical schools in the US.

We have come to rely on Dr. Guggenheim for insight into neurology and autoimmunity. These insights are due to work with unique issues particularly as her work at OHSU has led to work with long COVID, POTS and Ehler Danlos Syndrome, but she started off back in 2015, helping us explore rheumatology. She has a keen perspective on links between rheumatology and autoimmunity. She will update and connect the dots between all of these interests as they relate to autoimmunity and its updated challenges, which seem especially relevant to the reactivation of autoimmune challenges in the 'post' pandemic era.

Alena Guggenheim is a 4th generation physician. Her medical education started on the floor next to her mother’s desk at the age of 4. Dermatology textbooks were particularly fascinating. Now she is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. She graduated from the National University of Natural Medicine in 2007, then completed her residency in 2009 at the same institution. Dr. Guggenheim specializes in the care of children and adults with chronic pain and joint hypermobility disorders. She enjoys working with patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and associated complex symptoms. She likes to help patients navigate health care options and empowering them to make informed decisions.

Dr. Gordon has studied the relationship between neurotransmitters and hormonal cascades in women’s health and well-being as a holistic process rather than a reduction to neurobiological terms or pathological categories often found in neuroscience and psychiatry. This lecture discusses the connection between autoimmunity and the mind-brain continuum at the confluence of the HPO and HPA axes.

Susan Gordon, PhD, is a Core Adjunct Professor of Psychology at National University, La Jolla, California, and Research Director / Psychotherapist at the Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut. She has a doctorate in the History and Philosophy of Psychology from Saybrook University, studied Naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University, and is an invited lecturer at L’Institut des Systèmes Complexes Paris Île-de-France.

According to a very recent article published in The Scientist, 80 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, most of which are lifelong and debilitating. The first revolution in the treatment of autoimmune diseases which began about 50 years ago was the development of blood biomarkers for the screening of these disorders. Presently, in several labs, predicting antibodies have been developed that can guide practitioners not only in finding the underlying causes of autoimmune disorders but in predicting, preventing and treating them as well. The aim of this presentation is to discuss these.

Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, CLS, obtained his MSc and PhD in the fields of microbiology and clinical immunology from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, with postdoctoral studies in comparative immunology at UCLA and tumor immunology at Charles Drew/UCLA School of Medicine and Science. He is presently an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda University in California and an adjunct professor at the Lincoln College of Post professional, Graduate, and Continuing Education at the National University of Health Sciences.

His ongoing research focuses on the role of environmental triggers in complex diseases. Dr. Vojdani’s research has resulted in the development of more than 300 antibody assays for the detection of many autoimmune disorders and other diseases. He holds fifteen US patents for laboratory assessments of immune disorders associated with the brain and gut, and has published more than 170 articles in magazines and scientific journals. He has just published the book Neuroimmunity and the Brain-Gut Connection with Nova Science Publishers

Patients commonly present to primary care with musculoskeletal pain. A correct diagnosis is paramount to helping the patient and directing appropriate treatment. Patients may present with a single area of concern, yet there is no clear reason why that area should be symptomatic. Or patients may present with multiple areas of complaint, yet each of these areas has a unique or specific diagnosis. Other times, these multiple areas relate to an underlying systemic or autoimmune component. This talk will describe clinical patterns and presentations that should alert the physician of an underlying autoimmune condition and then how to diagnose these issues. Furthermore, clinical reasoning will be discussed about appropriate systemic versus local treatments. Finally, naturopathic approaches to treat some of the more common systemic conditions will be discussed.

Dr. Terrance Manning II, ND, RMSK is a specialist in interventional orthopedic and orthobiologic medicine with a focus on non-surgical treatment options for joint, tendon, and ligament conditions. Dr. Manning’s credentials include completion of a 3-year CNME accredited post-graduate residency in interventional orthopedics and orthobiologic medicine, a doctorate from the National College of Natural Medicine, advanced certification in musculoskeletal ultrasonography (RMSK).

Dr. Manning utilizes a treatment approach that combines his diagnostic expertise, state-of-the-art image-guided treatment techniques, and a deep understanding of regenerative medicine/orthobiologic medicine to provide his patients with effective improvement of their condition. In addition to working at RestorePDX, a collaborative MD/ND pain management practice, Dr. Manning runs training connected to NOMA (Naturopathic Orthopedic Medical Academy) and teaches at NUNM.