Conference Speakers

DR. CHRIS D’ADAMO is an epidemiologist with expertise in the relationship between modifiable lifestyle factors and human health across the lifespan. Dr. D’Adamo received his Ph.D. in Epidemiology in 2010 from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is currently an Assistant Professor with dual appointments in the Departments of Family & Community Medicine and Epidemiology & Public Health.

Dr. D’Adamo serves as the Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the first academic-based integrative medicine center in the United States with an over 30-year history that has collectively published over 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific papers and received over $50 million of competitive research funding.

Dr. D’Adamo has served as Principal Investigator on many clinical trials and observational studies and authored over 60 publications in peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals including Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Nutrition Research, American Journal of Health Promotion, Journal of Nutrition, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Nutrients, Journal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics among many others. Dr. D’Adamo is also a Senior Research Advisor to the Institute for Functional Medicine.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Many individuals begin The Yasko Protocol with the goal to rebalance several pathways in the body simultaneously. If you are looking to build a personalized map for health and wellness by making choices grounded in science, this seminar offers the fundamentals for how to get started with The Yasko Protocol.

This seminar will review the basics of the methylation cycle, including how to begin addressing mutations within the methylation cycle. Dr. Amy will also explore the importance of epigenetics, when to consider detox, and how to evaluate detox by utilizing at-home test kits.

Dr. Amy has been helping people traverse the path of individualized wellness since starting her private practice in the early 2000’s. Whether you are looking to maintain a healthy balance by focusing on a supplement plan specific to your genetics, run biochemical tests related to your health concerns, or assess toxic elements within your body, Dr. Amy’s approach empowers individuals to gain control over their health in a way they have never imagined.

Dr. Amy Yasko has a PhD in Microbiology/Immunology/Infectious Disease from Albany Medical College. She has completed multiple postdoctoral fellowships at Yale Medical center, Wilmot Cancer Institute – University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), and Pediatric Infectious Disease – URMC.

After working in biotechnology for 15 years, Dr. Yasko shifted her focus to alternative healthcare as a way to address complex molecular health issues. She is a Doctor of Natural Health, board certified Alternative Medical Practitioner, board certified Holistic Health Practitioner, and is a Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine.

She has served as a member of the scientific advisory board for the National Foundation of Alternative Medicine (NFAM) and the Documenting Hope Project for chronic illness.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: It is well known that heavy metal toxicity can wreak havoc on one’s health. However, there are many other toxins and toxicants that are affecting the health of our children as well as adults with chronic health challenges. Glenn will explore and compare the different methods of detoxification, the charges of toxicants, and then dive into the often misunderstood science of ionic footbath detoxification.

Glenn Wilhelm, V.P. of Business Development, has led the sales department for the IonCleanse by A Major Difference since 2011. Glenn provides training for practitioners on how to integrate the IonCleanse system into their practice to help them improve clients outcomes. Glenn has also helped thousands of customers including children with special needs and adults with challenging health situations on how to maximize the benefits of the IonCleanse by AMD system. Glenn has a B.S. in Engineering Management from University of Missouri Science & Technology.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: A glance at current statistics leaves no doubt we are in the midst of numerous childhood chronic health epidemics. Researchers point to environmental risk factors playing a role in genetically susceptible individuals. These insults lead to a metabolic train wreck that creates a cell danger response causing dysregulation in methylation pathways, mitochondria, immune, hormone and gastrointestinal function. By addressing each individual’s underlying metabolic and biochemical needs using a functional/biomedical model children’s chronic health and mental health conditions can can often times be ameliorated.

Dr. Anju Usman Singh is director and owner of True Health Medical Center and Pure Compounding Pharmacy in Naperville, Illinois. She specializes in biomedical interventions for children with ADD, Autism, PANDAS/PANS, Down Syndrome and related disorders. She has been involved in research regarding copper/zinc imbalances, metallothionein dysfunction, biofilm related infections and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Dr. Usman Singh serves on the medical advisory boards for TACA (The Autism Community in Action) and Autism Hope Alliance. She is a faculty member and executive committee member for MAPs (Medical Academy for Pediatric Special Needs). Dr. Usman Singh received her medical degree from Indiana University and completed a residency in Family Practice at Cook County Hospital, in Chicago, Illinois. She is board certified in Family Practice and Integrative and Holistic Medicine (ABIHM) and holds a certification in Homeopathy.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: The microbiome has had a lot of press in the last decade but what do we know so far? Is Prevotella a good bug or a bad bug? Is Akkermansia a good bug or a bad bug?
What is the effect of too much of one bug and not enough of another. Can microbes implant in the colon if taken by pills? Does implantation of those lost microbes last?

Sabine Hazan is a physician and specialist in gastroenterology, internal medicine and hepatology. As the founder and CEO of Progenabiome, a genetic sequencing research laboratory, she leads 35+ studies investigating the role of the gut flora in various diseases. Dr. Hazan is also the CEO of Ventura Clinical Trials, where she has 20+ years experience leading clinical trials for cutting-edge research on various medical issues. She is a writer, editor, world-renowned speaker and author of Let’s Talk Sh!t. As the first woman ever accepted into the University of Florida as a Clinical Gastroenterology Fellow, Dr. Sabine Hazan is a pioneer in the medical field. She has published articles in numerous prestigious medical journals, and is the Series Editor on the microbiome for Practical Gastroenterology, a peer-reviewed journal that reaches 18,000 gastroenterologists.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: A neurological event affects visual processing interfering with development, learning abilities as well as socialization. Symptoms, such as blurring, double vision (diplopia), photophobia, headaches, balance difficulties and dizziness, are often mistaken for other problems and/or overlooked due to the prioritization for medical treatment.

Vision is more than just the image that we see. Vision occurs in the brain but is facilitated by the eyes. A neurological or systemic event will affect the brain and in turn affect the visual processing causing difficulty with tracking, convergence and focusing. These are not eye muscle problems but are characteristics of dysfunction in visual processing in the brain.

This presentation will explore the visual process and its two modes of organization: the focal process delivering consciousness and attention and the spatial process. The spatial visual process is often overlooked. It is the platform of the higher seeing process.

Research will be presented to demonstrate an evidenced based model and approach to diagnosing and treating visual processing dysfunction.

The presentation will provide an understanding how compromise of the visual process causes interference with development, learning and motor function as well as how treatment through lenses and prisms can provide a means to reorganize visual processing.

William V. Padula, O.D., 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 has also served as Consultant to the Committee on Vision for the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Recently he has served as a consultant to the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. He is the Past Chairperson of the National Academy of Practice in Optometry, and is the Treasurer of the National Academy of Practice (NAP).

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 in China, India, Italy, Mexico, etc., with programs regarding children’s vision related to learning and development, and adult vision problems related to stroke, TBI and other physical challenges.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: While rates of neurological disorders for children and adults rise to unfathomable levels, successful treatment options remain limited and too often fail to resolve the root cause of many of the conditions plaguing our children – autism spectrum disorders, speech and language conditions, mood disorders, sensory processing, auditory process and learning disorders, emotional dysregulation, social delays and trauma.

All of these conditions share symptoms of a disorganized brain and dysregulated nervous system.

The 4 Steps to Neurological C.A.L.M. is a clinically proven protocol to regulate and rewire the brain and central nervous system to function optimally.

Carol is a licensed occupational therapist who has specialized in helping adults and children coping with neurodevelopmental challenges for the past 25 years.  Making home care delivery convenient nationwide, she has brought together an innovative approach to cognitive and behavioral change through her nationally licensed, telehealth program.

Brain Harmony is a private medical care company that uses the neuroplasticity of the brain to provide the most powerful and proven therapy to help children and adults with learning and performance difficulties. The key priorities at Brain Harmony include accelerated outcomes, support and compassion to the families, facilitating affordable access to care and helping patients find their unique purpose.  This is achieved through the delivery of a variety of unique services, including their prestigious video coaching program, with profound improvement in function for disorders including sensory processing disorder, executive function disorder, learning difficulties, attention and regulation, behavior, autism spectrum disorder, concussion syndrome as well as stroke and brain injury recovery. Due to the neuroplasticity of the brain, their programs are changing everything in the outcomes of rehabilitating the human system.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Biomagnetism equips health professionals to get better results and empowers parents to take charge of their children’s health. Dr. Garcia shows how biomagnetism helps support homeostasis which, in turn, helps to restore the innate immune function. He shares how clients who could not find help elsewhere found resolution to their issues with biomagnetism. He demystifies complex illnesses by explaining how biomagnetism addresses underlying issues. Dr. Garcia also shares his experience with biomagnetism in Africa. With the only essential tools being magnets, Dr. Garcia is eager to spread the knowledge of biomagnetism worldwide so improved health will be accessible to all.

Luis Garcia is a medical doctor licensed in Colombia. He served as Medical Director and Chief Science Officer of Salud Futura Clinic in Bogotá, Colombia until June 2010 where he was recognized as a leading Complementary and Alternative Medicine expert in areas which include cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, cancer, and geriatrics.

Dr. Garcia was always unsettled about how conventional medicine treated symptoms rather than underlying causes. When he learned about biomagnetism, he incorporated it into his medical practice rigorously testing the results with conventional diagnostics. After two years, the effectiveness was evident. He returned to the United States to establish a biomagnetism practice.

Dr. Garcia is a leader in biomagnetism. Through his innovative and academically rigorous approach, he has developed protocols addressing TBIs, Lyme disease, sleep disturbances, and breast cancer. He has participated in a pilot study in Kenya showing the effectiveness of biomagnetism with malaria. More research is needed and Dr. Garcia is in the preliminary stages of establishing a biomagnetism association which will support clinical biomagnetism research.

Dr. Garcia practices Biomagnetism in NJ and NY and has developed his own dynamic training program offering seminars throughout the year.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Dr. Svetlana Masgutova, Ph.D in psychology and founder/developer of the Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration Program (MNRI®) and Dr. Leah Light, clinical audiologist and director of the Florida-based Brainchild Institute, will discuss how early underpinnings of our development — primary reflexes — contribute to a child’s developmental domains, including auditory and speech-language skills. For years, therapists have taught compensatory strategies around retained primitive reflexes, which often expend the child’s effort and ability to complete tasks. Working with primary reflex patterns using non-invasive MNRI® techniques can re-establish innate pathways to support sensory processing, ultimately leading to improved motor condition, listening, attention, and communication skills.

Dr. Masgutova has developed the MNRI® Reflex Assessment, which evaluates the function of primary reflex patterns based on multiple factors. The MNRI® Reflex Assessment provides a clear understanding of the level of reflex development and the overall state of the sensory-motor system in an individual. The assessment can identify normal or abnormal reflex patterns expressed in newborns, infants, children, and adults.

The MNRI® (Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration) program applies non-invasive neuromodulation techniques to access reflex circuit pathways. These safe techniques aim to support reflex integration, well-being, and whole-person health. Decades of practical work and published research have demonstrated the positive effects of the MNRI® on sensory-motor integration and physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development in babies, children, and adults. The MNRI® Reflex Integration program reaches an estimated 300,000 children and adults in 40 countries.

Dr. Masgutova has published over 200 works on psychology, education, reflex Integration, and human development, including her latest book, Autism: Maximize Potential with MNRI® Reflex Integration. She received her doctorate in educational and developmental psychology and post-doctorate in Russia.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Nutrition is the cornerstone of growth and development for all children, healthy or ill. Every biochemical pathway relies on vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, and other essential cofactors. Chronic illness depletes these nutrients, while underlying dysfunction in digestion and absorption can further widen the gap between nutrient needs and intake. For a child with any chronic illness the lack of critical nutrients can have far-reaching effects, particularly in the areas of neurocognitive, immune and mitochondrial function, as well as inflammation, detoxification and methylation. This lecture is an essential primer on using therapeutic nutrition for healing.

Vicki Kobliner MS RDN CD-N is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist and owner of Holcare Nutrition and the Healthy Baby Roadmap.  Vicki is passionate about helping children and families live vibrant, healthy lives using functional nutrition to maximize health, reduce disease risk and help her clients heal from chronic illness. Vicki works with infants, through adults with chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders, eczema, allergies, ADHD, PANS/PANDAS and autism spectrum disorders. She provides fertility and prenatal nutrition counseling with a focus on reducing the risk of chronic illnesses in children.  She is a contributing author to two books: A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in Americas Children, and Essential Remedies for Women’s Health. She has lectured nationally and internationally about the role of nutrition in chronic disease and acts as faculty for the Autism Research Institute and the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: PANS & PANDAS are complex autoimmune diseases that require a multi-system approach. PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep) involves antibodies from a strep infection reacting with brain tissue (specifically the basal ganglia in the brain) and triggering an abrupt onset of immune dysregulation and movement, learning and behavioral problems including OCD, anxiety and tics. With PANS (Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), other infectious etiologies besides strep (yeast, viruses, other bacteria, parasites), toxic exposures, and metabolic abnormalities are among other potential triggers for the immune dysregulation resulting in an abnormal autoimmune reaction and negative behavior, physical, and cognitive changes. Lyme Disease and co-infections may cause or contribute to an acute or subacute presentation and also need to be assessed and treated appropriately. Dr. O’Hara will discuss the latest research in the assessment and treatment of these devastating but recoverable illnesses. Participants will learn the research-based functional medicine approach to the care, diagnosis and treatment of these children.

Dr. Nancy O’Hara is a 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 1998 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 disorders such as ADHD, PANDAS/PANS, OCD, Lyme and ASD. 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 in e-book or soft-cover formats. For more information on her membership and mentoring program, please visit www.drohara.com.

Dr. James M. Bronson is a 1983 Cum Laude Graduate of Georgetown University School of Dentistry. Dr. Bronson taught for five years at Georgetown University School of Dentistry in the Department of Fixed Prosthodontics. For 40 years, he has maintained a private practice in McLean, Virginia that is dedicated to whole body dentistry, with special interests in TMD, cranial facial pain, implant dentistry, orofacial myofunctional therapy, and transformational orthodontics.

Dr. James M. Bronson is founder of The ALF Educational Institute, LLC. He has lectured in the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe on the ALF paradigm, cranial-friendly orthodontics, transformational orthodontics: a team approach, and the platinum age of dentistry.

Dr. James Bronson established the first Mini Residency Program to teach the ALF transformational concept. He has published three peer-reviewed dental health articles and is a Fellow and Certified Senior Instructor for the International Association of Orthodontics. Dr. Bronson has joined the Medical Advisory Board of the Documenting Hope Project.

Aran Goldstein is a chef, teacher and entrepreneur dedicated to helping others reach their potential through food. A graduate of Northeastern University and the New England Culinary Institute, his experiences have spanned fine dining restaurants in the Northeast, to stages in Michelin Stars in Italy, to opening a restaurant in China. He has  taught hundreds of lessons along the way, from an organic farm cooking school, to medical students learning food as medicine. In 2020 he and his family moved to Europe to cook for the new Village Forest School in Piemonte, Italy. They then moved to Portugal where, Aran built an online cooking course geared to support individuals and families, through their journeys in food, cooking, and thriving as humans. He now leads a farm to table school lunch program in Austin, Texas where he lives with his wife and son.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Join Dr. Tom Moorcroft, DO on a journey to developing a deeper understanding of pediatric tick-borne infections, including the keys to unlocking some of the most difficult, treatment resistant cases. With over 15 years experience treating chronic Lyme disease and tick-borne coinfections in children and adults, Dr. Tom will be sharing key presenting features and core treatment principles you need to know when seeing children with potential tick-borne illness. We’ve all heard, kids aren’t just small adults; in fact, by developing a deeper understanding of the nuances of the treatment of pediatric tick-borne illness, you’ll be more prepared to support your adult patients as well. Dive in and uncover the hidden secrets to addressing pediatric tick-borne illness so you can return to your clinic feeling much more confident and get greater results.

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.

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Dr. Perro will delve into a short summary into the basics of homeopathy, common remedies one might use at home, and how they might be utilized for some of the issues facing our children today. In a pragmatic and easy-to-understand format, the attendees will gain the understanding of the basics of homeopathic practice and application.

Dr. Perro is a Board certified 37 year veteran pediatrician, with a background in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Integrative Medicine.  She did her undergraduate work at Yale University, medical school training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and completed her residency in Pediatrics at NYU/Bellevue Hospital.  She presently supervises complex, chronically patient care at Gordon Medical Associates in Northern California and teaches Integrative Medicine nationally as well as internationally.  She has just published her first book, “What’s Making our Children Sick?“, exploring the links between the epidemic of chronically ill children and modern food with a lens on genetically engineered foods and their associated pesticides.  She is Executive Director of the non-profit website, www.gmoscience.org, a scientific-based  organization focused on the interface of health and genetically modified foods/pesticides.  She also serves  on the Advisory Boards of a non-toxic based website (https://madesafe.org) and a website supporting families and toxic exposures (https://www.familyacts.org). 

LECTURE ABSTRACT: Coming Soon

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