Talks: Nutritional/Metabolic Considerations in MCAS Evaluation and Treatment

Mitigating Iatrogenic Psychological Toxicity: Three Secrets for Optimal Patient Outcomes

Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP is the Founder and Medical Director at Minnesota Personalized Medicine, a practice dedicated to serving patients suffering from mystery, complexity, and severity despite extensive medical evaluations.

Talk: Changing the Medical Paradigm Around Complex Chronic Illness

Dr. Grach (“Gray-ch”) is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Senior Associate Consultant in General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic-Rochester. She completed her B.A. in the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Science and Medicine at the University of Chicago and obtained an M.S. in Physiology from Georgetown University. She then received her M.D. degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. During residency, she pursued additional training at the Bateman Horne Center of Excellence for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, and received multiple awards, including General Medicine Outstanding Achievement Endowed Fellowship Award, for her work. Since starting her position as a staff physician in General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, she has played an active role in re-shaping the care of patients with Long COVID, ME/CFS and related complex chronic diseases through her involvement in the specialty clinics, working groups, and outside programs, including the Minnesota Department of Health’s Long COVID Council and the U.S. ME/CFS Clinician Coalition. She was recently selected as the Research Chair for ME/CFS, POTS, and Fibromyalgia for Mayo Clinic-Rochester.

Talks: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Current Concepts AKA Mast Cell 101

Diagnosis of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Treatment of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome AKA Mast Cell 102

Development of a Comprehensive MCAS Assessment Tool

Proposed Steps for Transforming Our MASTerMinds Group into a Formal Professional Society

After training at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Dr. Afrin practiced and researched hematology/oncology at MUSC 1995-2014 while also working in educational administration and medical informatics. Since the mid-’00s, his clinical/research work has come to focus in mast cell disease. Since 2014-17 furthering this work at the University of Minnesota, he has been developing an independent institute (located in the greater New York City area) for advancing care, research, and education in mast cell disease. His publication record includes some of the most highly accessed articles about mast cell activation syndrome and a popular book in the field.

Talks: Caring For Underserved and Complex Patients

Diagnostic and Pain Management Essentials for Hypermobile Connective Tissue Disorders

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, and then completed her residency in 2009 from 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 healthcare options and empower them to make informed decisions. When not seeing patients, Dr. Guggenheim enjoys spending time in nature with her family and riding horses.

Talks: Small Fiber Neuropathy

Seeking Additional Means to Diagnose and Manage Cranial Cervical Instability: Potential Role of the Multi-Cervical Unit (MCU)

Dr. Saperstein is the director of the Center for Complex Neurology, EDS & POTS in Phoenix, AZ. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dr. Saperstein is a graduate of Boston University School of Medicine. He completed a Neurology residency at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, followed by a Neuromuscular Disease/Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Dr. Saperstein is board-certified in Neurology, Neuromuscular Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Clinical Neuromuscular Pathology. Dr. Saperstein is well-known for his research and publications regarding immune-mediated and small-fiber neuropathies. He is actively involved in the management of patients with neuromuscular and autonomic disorders.

Talk: Compounding Medications for MCAS Patients: Tried and True Formulas

Suzanne is one of the founders and sole owner of Community Compounding Pharmacy. She opened CCP in 2008, but has been working as a compounding pharmacist for over 22 years. Suzanne’s focus in compounding has always been working closely with integrative practitioners. Before becoming a compounding pharmacist, Suzanne spent many years studying western herbal medicine, which gave her a foundation for creating therapeutic formulations. Before opening CCP, she opened and managed an integrative pharmacy where she had the great fortune to work side by side with a naturopath and help operate a full-service naturopathic medicinary that contained both an herbal and homeopathic medicinary. When opening CCP, Suzanne’s vision was to found a compounding pharmacy to support the naturopathic community. This has continued to be a core goal for the pharmacy. In the past 15 years we have worked closely with the ND community throughout the nation, and regularly create integrative formulas to support their patients. In addition, CCP offers continuing education conferences to our providers twice a year to foster partnerships in our community.

Talk: Second Line Therapies for Severe MCAS

Sanjeev Jain, MD, PhD, is a renowned allergist and immunologist practicing at Columbia Allergy, which has 7 locations in three states (CA, WA, OR), and he travels to offices in all three states every week.

Dr. Jain received advanced fellowship training from the allergy and immunology program at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. He earned joint MD and PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his residency training at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio.

Double-board-certified in allergy and immunology and internal medicine, Dr. Jain has held teaching positions and practiced at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He specializes in immunotherapy and has been a pioneer in developing novel forms of immunotherapy, as well as creative protocols to optimize their effectiveness.

In Dr. Jain’s experience, nearly all allergies can be treated by identifying a patient’s triggers and desensitizing the body through immunotherapy to help them return to normal lives. Some of his groundbreaking contributions include, performing one of the first oral immunotherapy (OIT) treatment for food allergies in a private practice setting and the first multi-nut OIT in the world. Dr Jain’s team was the first to desensitize patients to many different foods including coconut, garlic, shrimp, fish, oat, and buckwheat.

At Columbia Allergy, Dr. Jain and his team have developed unique sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) protocols which are being used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions such as atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic esophagitis. Columbia Allergy was also the first private practice in the US to do lymph node desensitization treatments for environmental allergies.

Dr. Jain has a deep understanding of the complexity of the immune system, and he recognizes that many patients do not fit a specific mold. He takes pride in thinking outside the box and treating patients who most other physicians are hesitant to treat. Over the last five years, he has used many unconventional approaches to treat complex MCAS patients.

Dr. Jain has won numerous awards and has been consistently listed as one of America’s top physicians over the past several years. He is also the co-author of the book, Treating Food Allergies with Modern Medicine.

Talks: TILT/MCAS: Using the QEESI to Identify Initiators and Triggers: From Implants and Mold to Combustion Products and Pesticides

TILT Tutorials for Exposed Communities and Individuals

TILT Tutorial on Autism/ADHD

Dr. Claudia Miller is an allergist/immunologist and environmental health scientist. Currently a professor emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), Dr. Miller has made significant contributions to environmental medicine. She earned her honors degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s in Environmental Health from UC Berkeley, followed by her medical degree from UTHSCSA.

With over a decade of experience as an industrial hygienist, Dr. Miller founded the South Texas Environmental Education and Research (STEER) program and played a pivotal role as the founding dean of the first four-year MD/MPH program in a public university. Her influential work includes co-authoring a landmark report on chemical susceptibility and the professionally acclaimed book, Chemical Exposures: Low Levels and High Stakes, which she co-authored with Nicholas A. Ashford, PhD, JD of MIT.

Dr. Miller developed the internationally recognized Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI) and has consulted on high-profile cases involving exposures to workers and communities. These include the EPA’s sick headquarters building, Gulf War Syndrome, the World Trade Center Disaster, the East Palestine train wreck and fire, mold-related illnesses, and Breast Implant Illness. Her groundbreaking research on Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT) has reshaped our understanding of the long-term consequences of chemical exposures. In 2021, along with MCAS experts Drs. Lawrence Afrin and Tania Dempsey, she published the first paper linking TILT with mast cell activation and degranulation. Recognized among the top 2% of scientists worldwide, Dr. Miller's expertise continues to influence public health and environmental policy. 

Talks: Vector Borne Infection: Determining Risk and the Search for Laboratory Confirmation

The Biology of Aging and the Management of Chronic Complex Illness

After earning a BFA from New York University School of the Arts in Filmmaking, an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University in Education, and his MD from New York Medical College, Dr. Kaufman completed his Internal Medicine Residency training at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. He began his Internal Medicine practice in Greenwich Village in NYC just as the epidemic that came to be known as HIV/AIDS exploded. With St. Vincent’s at the epicenter of this outbreak, he became deeply involved in the care of HIV positive patients and in the research aimed at discovering ways to treat both the opportunistic infections they were dying from and the virus that was causing the destruction of their immune systems.

In 2012, he moved to California and joined Open Medicine Institute which focused on the management of people with ME/CFS. In 2017, he opened a new clinic, the Center for Complex Diseases, with a focus on patients suffering from ME/CFS, Dysautonomia, Autoimmune Diseases, and Chronic Infectious Diseases including Tick-borne diseases, Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth Syndromes, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. He is a member of the ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at the Stanford University Genome Technology Center and an active participant in several national clinician networks that focus on ME/CFS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and Autoimmune Disease. Dr. Kaufman is currently a working member of the U.S. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Clinical Coalition and part of the Guideline Committee. He helped write the consensus recommendations that have been published in the Mayo Clinic proceedings and has been a principal investigator on several ME/CFS and Long Covid studies.

Non-CME Talk: Treatable Pathways Common in Functional Disorders as Elucidated by Genetic Testing

Dr. Boles is a Medical Geneticist with expertise in mitochondrial disease, other metabolic disorders, and channelopathies. He completed medical school at UCLA, a pediatric residency at Harbor-UCLA, and a genetics fellowship at Yale. Dr. Boles’ clinical and research focus has been on the genetics of common, chronic neurological disorders, including ME/CFS, pain, cyclic vomiting, autism, and ADHD. Lately, he has seen many MCAS patients and found genetic predisposition factors in DNA sequencing that led to clinical remission in several. He has about 100 peer-reviewed published papers. Dr. Boles was the Medical Director of a DNA sequencing laboratory for 6 years. He is currently in a virtual (Zoom) private practice, where he applies whole genome (DNA) sequencing to determine the cause of disease in his patients. Dr. Boles is also the Chief Medical & Scientific Officer of NeuroNeeds, a company that produces natural nutritional products to assist people with neurological conditions, including the conditions listed above.

Talk: What You Need to Know About Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and MCAS

Jill R. Schofield, M.D. is the Director of the Center for Multisystem Disease in Denver, CO and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and two years of training in multi-specialty autoimmune disease and thrombosis at the University of Colorado. In 2013, she described the association of autonomic disorders in antiphospholipid syndrome and was the recipient of the Dysautonomia Support Network Patient’s Choice Game Changer Award in 2019 for her work studying immunoglobulin therapy in autoimmune dysautonomia. Her primary areas of interest are antiphospholipid syndrome and the emerging fields of autoimmune dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome, Ehlers Danlos syndromes and the multiple associated disorders.

Talk: Breast Implant Illness and MCAS. Why Cutting Corners is NOT a Good Idea

Dr Eva Nagy is an Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon practising in Sydney, Australia. She obtained her Medical Degree and PhD from the University of Melbourne, and subsequently underwent surgical training in New South Wales, Australia.

She completed her Fellowship training in Breast Surgery in the Nottingham Breast Institute in the UK. She now focuses on treating women with breast conditions, including Breast Cancer and Breast Implant Illness. Her professional interests include topics such as de-escalating breast cancer treatment, the relationship between Breast Implant Illness and MCAS, and the establishment of a standard to which breast explant surgeries are performed.

Talk: It's not just POTS: The Role of Connective Tissue Disorders, Venous Disease, and Mast Cells in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Alexis Cutchins has been an assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine for the past 12 years. She is a member of the Emory Women’s Heart Center and the Medical Director of the Emory University Midtown Hospital echo lab. Over the past 12 years Dr Cutchins has developed an expertise in the care and management of patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and in recent years, has also specialized in the care of patients with Long COVID. Her research interests focus on pelvic and lower extremity venous disease in the setting of POTS. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, exercising and knitting.

Talk: SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and IMO (Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth) in MCAS

Dr. Leonard B. Weinstock is Board Certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Weinstock received a BA Magna Cum Laude from University of Vermont and the medical degree from University of Rochester School of Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training and was chief resident in Internal Medicine at Rochester General Hospital. His Gastroenterology Fellowship was performed at Washington University School of Medicine.

 Dr. Weinstock is an active lecturer and has published more than 140 articles, abstracts, editorials and book chapters. He is currently researching mast cell activation syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, restless legs syndrome, mold toxicity, and rosacea. Fifteen articles related to MCAS have been published within the last 5 years. He has given lectures throughout the country and in France. Dr. Weinstock is a primary investigator on pharmaceutical studies with two research centers.

Talk: The Complex Path to Intracranial Hypertension and Cerebrospinal fluid leak in those with Hypermobility and Dysautonomia; The Theory of Spiky-Leaky Syndrome

• Pediatrician and Pediatric Cardiologist practicing in Northern California (Heart of the Valley Pediatric Cardiology).

• Received training at Johns Hopkins Medical School & The University of California at San Francisco with fellowships in Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiovascular Research at Stanford University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

• Research interests include the study of endothelial control of vasomotor tone, nitric oxide, sports cardiology, dysautonomia, POTS, mast cell activation syndrome, and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and their relationship to environmental exposure.

Talks: Craniocervical Dysfunction in MCAS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Cerebral Spinal Fluid Fistula in MCAS and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Dr. Ed Hepworth enjoys a busy tertiary practice in the otorhinolaryngology, head & neck surgical subspecialty known as Rhinology, or Endoscopic Sinus and Anterior Skull Base Surgery. While he resides in Denver, Colorado, many of his patients visit from a broader geographic distribution by virtue of his interest and aptitude in complex intracranial pressure imbalance, cranial cerebrospinal fluid leaks, and cervico-cerebral venous insufficiency. Dr. Hepworth has effective and regular working relations with many of the National and International clinical and key opinion leaders in the vascular, neurosurgical, neurologic, and spine surgery disciplines throughout the world. Through these relationships and with over 20 years of practical experience, he has become well-versed in the nuances of connective tissue disorders and their impact on neurologic and vascular health. Dr. Hepworth embraces teamwork has recently matriculated from a practice life within an immunology and complex inflammation disorders practice to found his own independent practice in Denver for more dedicated care related to venous insufficiency and craniocervical distress in addition to his enthusiastic care of stubborn rhinosinusitis conditions.

Dr. Hepworth is a proud Colorado Native and father of three active young ladies and husband to his wife Elizabeth, who is a leading healthcare education fundraiser. He maintains work-life balance by bicycling, backcountry skiing and communing with his close-knit group of family and friends in the Denver Area. Dr. Hepworth's non-clinical contributions to the health sciences include four issued U.S patents describing biocompatible, dissolvable sinus wound care devices and a leadership role in corporate formation based around the technology. He also serves as the director of the medical advisory board for Sinus Logic, which is commercializing a novel trans-lacrimal saline delivery device for direct treatment of sinusitis while bypassing the nasal corridor. Most importantly, Dr. Hepworth would describe himself as a mission-driven, patient centered empathetic provider of first and last resort for patients with frustrating connective tissue failure of their head and neck

Talk: Neurosurgical Implications in Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

Graduated in 1986 from the Medical School of the University of Turin.

In 1990, he completed his first neurosurgical training at the same university under the guidance of Professor Victor A. Fasano.

In 2001, he completed his second residency in neurosurgery, at SUNY Brooklyn under Dr. Thomas H. Milhorat.

He then co-founded (along with Dr. Milhorat and Dr. Kula) The Chiari Institute.

He is currently the Surgical Director of the Chiari EDS Center, at Mount Sinai South Nassau (NY).

Talk: The Evaluation and Treatment of Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome and Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome

Dr. Danny Shouhed is a board-certified minimally invasive surgeon specializing in complex gastrointestinal disorders, with an emphasis on the evaluation and treatment of Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) and Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMAS). He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Shouhed graduated Summa Cum Laude with high honors from UCLA with a degree in Human Physiology and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He attended UCSD School of Medicine with the highest merit-based scholarship. Dr. Shouhed completed his general surgery residency training at Cedars Sinai, where he graduated as Administrative Chief Resident. During his residency, he received an excellence in research award for his work in Human Factors in Surgery and was given the teaching award by his co-residents during his final year of residency.

Dr. Shouhed completed his fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, one of the first three fellowships in the country in Minimally Invasive Surgery. After his final year of training, He was recruited back to Cedars Sinai where he was Assistant Professor of Surgery. During his time at Cedars Sinai, Dr. Shouhed was director of the Catalyst Robotic Program, which was created to assist other academic institutions develop a robotics program. He was the inaugural director of the Adrenal Program at Cedars Sinai and was co-director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship. While serving as a faculty surgeon at Cedars Sinai, Dr. Shouhed found his calling and began his mission to specialize in Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome.

After 13 years at Cedars Sinai, Dr. Shouhed entered private practice. While in private practice, Dr. Shouhed narrowed his clinical focus into MALS and SMAS. He has performed well over 100 robotic operations for MALS and 20 robotic operations for SMAS. He is in the final phases of publishing the first ever textbook on Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome, for which he will be the senior editor. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and abstracts.

Talk: Mast Cell Mediated Genitopelvic Pain

Jandra (pronounced like "Sandra" with a "J") is a pelvic floor physical therapist renowned for her expertise in pelvic health and a particular focus on managing pelvic pain cases. She holds both a doctorate in physical therapy and a master's degree in integrative health and nutrition, she brings a holistic approach to addressing the pervasive hormonal and gut issues intertwined with many pelvic health conditions.

She is the director of the Encinitas clinic at the Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation Center and director of internal and external education. She has been invited to speak at international organizations educating healthcare professionals about the importance of pelvic health. She has a particular focus on endometriosis and education to patients and providers through co-developing a continuing education course focused on managing complex endometriosis as well as her podcast iCareBetter: Endometriosis Unplugged.

Talk: Mast Cell Mediated Genitopelvic Pain - Vestibulodynia

Dr. Alyssa Yee is a board certified Urologic Surgeon and Sexual Medicine Physician who completed a clinical fellowship at San Diego Sexual Medicine in 2022 under the mentorship of Dr. Irwin Goldstein. She is a recipient of the 2021 Sexual Medicine Society of North American Foundation Research Grant for her work on Immunohistochemical Analysis in Neuroproliferative Vestibulodynia.

Her professional and research interests include sexual pain disorders, sexual dysfunction, sex steroid physiology of the genitals, reconstructive urology, and prosthetic surgery. Dr. Yee proudly draws on her background as a patient advocate for the Crime Victims Treatment Center of NY as the inspiration for pursuing a medical career and for providing compassionate care.

A New Yorker, she studied Architecture at Barnard College and Medicine SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn. She completed a urological surgery residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. She is involved in several health-related non-profit organizations and sits on the medical advisory board for Tight Lipped. Organization In her spare time, Dr. Yee loves cooking, dancing, and flying trapeze.

Talk: Clinical Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pelvic  Venous Disease

Meredith McDermott, MD, FSIR is an interventional radiologist practicing at Denver Health and Hospital Authority and is an associate professor at the University of Colorado. Dr. McDermott earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She went on to complete her residency in Diagnostic Radiology and fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at New York University. Dr. McDermott has also completed a Masters degree in bioethics and health humanities at the University of Colorado and is on the ethics committee at Denver Health.

Dr. McDermott is part of a collaborative team of interventional radiologists, interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons at Denver Health which was created to advance patient care in arterial and venous disease states.

Dr. McDermott’s research interests include women’s health and minimally invasive techniques to treat uterine fibroids, adenomyosis and arteriovenous malformations.

Non-CME Talk: Understanding the Connection between Infections, the Immune System, and the Brain: Molecular Mimicry and its Role in Autoimmune Encephalopathies Secondary to Infections

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 cofounder and CEO of Moleculera Biosciences, a neuroimmunology precision medicine company focused on identifying and treating 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 has 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 and 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 and is a co-inventor on multiple patents. Internationally, he teaches and mentors scientists, physicians and biotech leaders on how to translate 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.

TALKS: Advancements in the Treatment of Vector-Borne Infections:  Current Strategies and Future Directions

Exploring the Impact of Endocrine and Hormone Disruption on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: From Puberty to Menopause

Tania Dempsey, MD, ABIHM, is a world-renowned expert in complex diseases, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and autoimmunity. As founder of the AIM Center for Personalized Medicine, Dr. Dempsey uses functional and integrative medicine to get to the root causes of illness, help patients understand their body, and understand why it fails them when it does. Dr. Dempsey’s extensive knowledge and experience in MCAS, mold, and Vector-Borne Infections, has propelled her to the forefront of the functional medical community.

Talk: Epstein–Barr Virus Reactivation: Myalgic Encephalitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Role of Antivirals

Dr. Chheda is an active member of the U.S. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Clinical Coalition and part of the Guideline Committee. She has helped write the consensus recommendations that have been published in the Mayo Clinic proceedings. In addition, she is a member of the ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at the Stanford University Genome Technology Center. She is a part of Educational Project ECHO out of the University of New Mexico which is CDC funded, aimed at educating Primary Care Providers for ME/CFS and Long Covid. From 2005 - 2016, Dr. Chheda practiced Infectious Diseases in the Bay Area. In 2017 Dr. Chheda and Dr. Kaufman founded the Center for Complex Diseases, a clinic focused on patients suffering from ME/CFS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Chronic infectious diseases, Dysautonomia, and SIBO. Dr Chheda has done her residency in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Fellowship at The University of Southern California.

Talk: Vascular Endothelitiis in Long Covid

Stuart Malcolm, MD treats long COVID and MECFS with RTHM, a telemedicine clinic based out of California. 

Talks: "You are a Marvel” (YAAM) Using Biometrics and Patient Reported Data to Impact Care and Outcomes"

Dr. Nugent is internationally known for her research in blood disorders and chronic complex disease. She serves as the Principal Investigator for Region IX MCHB and CDC grants in the area of hemostasis-thrombosis (https://cibd-ca.org/western-states-region-ix/) and the HRSA Pacific States Regional Sickle Cell Demonstration grant (https://pacificscd.org/) the CDC Prevention of Bleeding Disorder Complications Initiative for Region IX, and the Networking California for Sickle Cell Care Initiative (https://sicklecellcare-ca.com/).

Dr. Nugent advocates for patients with rare blood disorders and champions the causes for workforce expansion, patient empowerment, and education through her participation on the BOD for the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, NHF Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee and as a past president of the Hemostasis-Thrombosis Research Society. Dr. Diane Nugent is co-chair of the Steering Committee for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Collaborating Network of Networks for Evaluating COVID-19 and Therapeutic Strategies, or CONNECTS, which will coalesce projects into a national, coordinated effort. She will also serve on the Executive committee for CONNECTS to facilitate the rapid turnaround and implementation of these grants throughout the country. She has been a provider for both adults and children with a wide range of blood disorders including Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, rare blood disorders, and immune dysfunction for over 25 years and has been actively involved intraining hematology fellows throughout her career.

Talk: Gender Affirming Care in the Setting of MCAS and Associated Disorders

Dr. Tina D’Amato is an Osteopathic Family Physician at Evergreen Family Health Group in Williston, Vermont. She completed her undergraduate degree in History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University where she was able to begin her studies in plant and herb phytochemistry while researching her thesis. She continued gathering natural medicine knowledge by apprenticing with a Naturopathic Physician for 3 years while also gaining pharmaceutical knowledge working as a Pharmacy Technician. She has always believed a whole-person approach to health and healing is essential for effective treatment so it only made sense to attend University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine to receive holistic medical training and to be able to learn Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. She went on to complete a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts. Her areas of interest include “everything” and Family Medicine training gave her a greater ability to provide whole-person care by being able to address all systems and be knowledgeable about a wider range of diagnoses. She works as part of a traditional family medicine practice and provides care to all ages incorporating all of the different modalities she has learned over the years. Her love of puzzles and innate curiosity has led her to enjoy working with the medically complex patients that have been otherwise dismissed by other providers. Areas of particular interest for her practice are hormone-balancing treatments, gender-affirming care, MCAS, hypermobility/hEDS, traumatic brain injury, and autonomic disorders.

Talk: MCAS in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Dr. Kirchoff completed her pediatric residency at OHSU in 1999, and was chief resident in the OHSU Department of Pediatrics from 1999-2000. She spent the first 5 years of her pediatric career practicing general pediatrics in a private practice, where she realized that her true passion was helping children with developmental and behavioral challenges. She began practicing developmental and behavioral pediatrics exclusively in 2007.

Dr. Kirchoff completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine in February 2016. One of her passions is determining which types of holistic/complementary/alternative treatments work best for specific developmental/behavioral challenges – her desire to think broadly/holistically about how to help her patients is in part what led her to be curious about MCAS. She has been including evaluation for MCAS and treating patients when indicated for the past 1-2 years, and has been excited about the positive results.

Talk: Physical Therapy Modifications for HSD/EDS and Related Comorbidities

Heather Purdin, PT, MS, CMPT has been practicing PT in an outpatient setting for 27 years with a special interest in orthopedics, manual therapy, chronic pain, connective tissue disorders, and complex medical issues. She is President of the Oregon Area Ehlers-Danlos Society and runs a monthly support group for those navigating HSD/EDS. She owns Good Health Physical Therapy & Wellness, a private practice specializing in connective tissue disorders and hypermobility in Portland, OR. 

Ms Purdin is a Duke Graduate ’95 PT ’97 and a Certified Manual Physical Therapist through NAIOMT. She uses a variety of manual therapy approaches and incorporates biomechanical concepts in her stabilization exercises and strengthening of patients. Her patient population is currently 95% patients who are hypermobile and/or have EDS. 

Ms. Purdin has developed online courses and presented nationally for APTA (NEXT and CSM) and presents for the Ehlers-Danlos Society’s Allied Health Echo series. She has lectured extensively in Oregon aiming to raise awareness of this condition in the medical and lay communities. She has released a book in 2023 with Dr. Patricia Stott, DPT called Taming the Zebra - It's Much More than Hypermobility which aims to educate rehabilitation professionals in managing HSD/EDS. She has been nominated for Portland Monthly Magazine’s Top Doctors List in 2015, 2018, and 2023.

Talk: Cord, Dura, and Vascular Tissue: A Possible Role for Physical Medicine Management

Kellie (she/her) has been practicing physical therapy since 1993. She recognized that physical therapy was her calling at age 12, while volunteering at a local hospital. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology (1991) and a master’s degree in physical therapy (1993) at the University of Delaware. In 1997 she completed her post-graduate residency training in orthopedic manual therapy through the Ola Grimsby Institute. She received her master’s degree in orthopedic manual therapy in 1999 and passed her clinical and written exams for a doctorate in orthopedic manual therapy in 2005. Kellie’s introduction to Counterstrain began under Dr. Lawrence Jones DO in 1994. However, it was the development of Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) by Brian Tuckey PT, OCS, JSCCI that most influenced her practice. In 2019 Kellie was honored to be invited to be part of the instructor training program for the Counterstrain Academy. In 2023 she became certified in FCS (CSCI). Kellie has been nominated for Portland Monthly Magazine’s Top Doctors List in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Kellie is committed to sharing this work with clients and healthcare practitioners. Kellie has extensive experience treating individuals with complex health conditions including post-concussive syndrome, traumatic brain injury, whiplash, craniocervical instability, tethered cord, POTS/Dysautonomia, HSD/EDS, chronic Lyme disease, co-infections, GI paresis, MALS, venous obstruction, nutcracker syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome, mycotoxin/mold toxicity, complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia, and ME/CFS.. Kellie finds joy in helping clients and uses FCS as an anatomically based manual therapy to navigate and treat complex clinical presentations. She believes each client’s health condition is unique. Kellie is grateful for FCS, and its gentle but effective results that allow clients to achieve wellness each day.

Talk: Innovative Approaches: Alternative Treatments for Patients with Complex Illnesses

Theresa Dowell, FNP, PT, is a nationally recognized clinician, researcher, and speaker in the field of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID. She is a member of the US ME/CFS Clinician Coalition which is made up of expert clinicians in the field of ME/CFS. She has co-authored numerous papers and opinion statements on ME/CFS including consensus recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ME/CFS. She currently sits on the board of directors for the International Association of ME/CFS and is the medical director of the Workwell Foundation. Theresa received a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Duke University and a Master of Physical Therapy from Northern Arizona University. She owns a private practice in Flagstaff, Arizona dedicated to the treatment of ME/CFS, Long COVID, and Fibromyalgia.

Talk: Stellate Ganglion Block for Interventional Neuroimmunology

Dr. Luke Liu is board certified in both anesthesiology and pain management through the American Board of Anesthesiology. He received his medical degree from UCLA School of Medicine after graduating from an accelerated 7 year B.S. and M.D. program in 2004. Dr. Liu then completed his anesthesiology residency and interventional pain management fellowship at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. In 2016, Dr. Liu founded Neuroversion, an interventional pain management clinic, to serve the local medical community in Anchorage, Alaska.

In the summer of 2021, Dr. Liu serendipitously discovered that long COVID patients responded favorably to one of the most common procedures in his practice, the stellate ganglion block. He subsequently published the first case report on using stellate ganglion blocks to treat long COVID, calling for more research into this therapy and highlighting dysautonomia as a possible underlying cause of long COVID in some patients.

Having performed more than 15,000 stellate ganglion blocks for a variety of medical conditions and observed their clinical outcomes, Dr. Liu believes all complex chronic conditions have a neuroimmunological basis. He advocates for “Neuroversion” therapy, which he likens to cardioversion for the heart. He believes that modulating the affected neurological system may restore the balance to the neuroimmunological system.

Talk: Nicotine Patch Use for MCAS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Long Covid

Dr. Jill Crista is a pioneering naturopathic doctor, best-selling author, devoted educator, and creative innovator. Her superpower is to make complex medical concepts simple and digestible for the average person.

Dr. Jill’s passion is to elevate the well-being of the planet through the healing of her inhabitants.

Her books and online courses support those wanting concrete steps to conquer health challenges.

Dr. Jill focuses on neuroinflammatory conditions including mold, PANS/PANDAS, Lyme disease, and concussion.

Talk: MCAS and Eating Disorders: Prevention and Treatment

Jen Gaudiani is an internist in Denver who has specialized in eating disorders for the last 16 years. Educated at Harvard, BU, and Yale, she helped run the nation's highest level of medical care for critically ill adults with anorexia nervosa for 8 years before starting her own outpatient clinic in 2016. Dr. Gaudiani is a passionate advocate for weight-inclusive care and uses an autonomy-forward treatment lens. As her clinic draws patients of all ages, genders, body shapes and sizes with eating issues from around the country who have medical issues getting in the way of their recoveries...surprise! she accidentally developed an expertise in MCAS too. She continues to learn from MASTerminds every day. Her book "Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders" is available on Amazon.

Talk: A Holistic Approach to Nutrition in MCAS - Beyond a Low Histamine Diet

Amy began work as a registered dietitian in 2009. Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from the University of Kansas (2004), a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Kansas State University (2008), and a Master of Science in Nutrition from KU Medical Center (2013). Amy obtained her Certified Diabetes Educator credential (CDE, now CDCES) in November 2015.

She has worked at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, gaining experience in heart and liver transplant nutrition. She has also worked at College Park Family Care Center in the Kansas City area, providing nutrition counseling in a primary care setting, where she was also part of a multi-disciplinary Functional Medicine Clinic. This Functional Medicine Clinic is where Amy saw her first clients with MCAS/POTS/EDS.

Amy is now the owner of Redo Nutrition, LLC in the Kansas City Metro area, a 100% virtual practice that includes a total of 3 registered dietitians specialized in Functional Nutrition, GI Health, and CDCES diabetes certifications, which allows them to uniquely meet the needs of our growing MCAS population. She estimates that 50-75% of her practice has MCAS, POTS, EDS or a combination thereof.

Talk: Scaling And Streamlining Complex Illness Care Using Technology

Jennifer Curtin is an internal medicine doctor & a complex illness patient in remission from ME/CFS for 5 years. She has been treating patients with ME/CFS, MCAS, POTS, hypermobility for ~8 years, Long COVID for 4 years. Dr. Curtin is a member of the ME/CFS Clinician Coalition and on the Scientific Adivisory Board for MEAction. She co-founded RTHM in 2021 with the goal of using technology to improve & scale care for complex chronic illnesses to more people. 

Talk: The Impact of Climate Change on Allergic and Inflammation Driven Diseases

Laurie Menk Otto ND, MPH is a naturopathic doctor in private practice in Portland, OR. She holds degrees from National University of Natural Medicine (ND), the University of Arizona (MPH), and is a former National Institutes of Health research fellow. The majority of her clinical focus is on autonomic nervous system disorders, mast cell activation syndrome, asthma, allergy, and concussion recovery. Her approach to treatment is informed by a strong background in research and public health.