Microbiome and the Universe Within Us

Adrianne Pan is a third year medical student at California Northstate University. She graduated from UC Davis in 2018 with a degree in Cell Biology. Adrianne has a strong interest in integrative dermatology and is always looking for new approaches to improve skin health.

Alina Zufall is a 4th year medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in Biology. Her passion and love for Dermatology grew after working in a busy private Dermatology clinic for a year prior to entering medical school. Her interest has grown as she has worked on several research projects in the department. She is currently leading a multi-year long project to digitalize a large collection of Kodachrome slides for educational and research purposes. Alina is excited to be a part of the LearnSkin team!

Dr. Aunna Pourang is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Medicine Medical Honors Program and is board-certified in family physician (Mayo Clinic) and integrative medicine (Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine). She is currently a dermatology resident at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

Her interests include integrative dermatology, complex medical dermatology, global and preventive health, and antibiotic-stewardship.

Dr. Ashley Dumont, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor and a graduate from the National University of Natural Medicine.

With a deep-rooted passion for dermatology, she believes in taking an evidence-based, holistic and individualized approach to skin health by addressing the foundational aspects of health as well as incorporating botanical medicine, nutraceuticals, mind-body medicine, and IV therapy. Dr. Dumont understands and values the importance of physical, spiritual, and emotional health and its direct connection to achieving healthy skin and overall wellness. Her goal is to empower her patients to take an active role in their personal and unique path to healing.

Chaitra is a first-year medical student. She graduated from The University of Southern California undergraduate program in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and the master’s program in Global Medicine. Raised by a mother who trained in Ayurvedic Medicine, Chaitra believes that the future of medicine will benefit from an evidence-based integrative approach to inform patient care. Chaitra is excited about writing content that will inform both healthcare providers and patients about emerging topics and developments in the field of dermatology. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, and spending time with her Goldendoodle, Luca.

Emerald Curry is a physician assistant working in dermatology in Sacramento, California. She graduated in September 2019 from UC Davis. She enjoys being a PA as she is able to help an underserved population whom she believes is so worthy of care. Emerald's interests include integrative medicine, learning about the human microbiome, and all things general dermatology related.

Dr. Hadar Lev-Tov is a board-certified dermatologist with extensive research experience. Throughout his training and in daily practice, he has always believed that the key to achieving health for his patients is grounded in his ability to truly connect to their experiences and perceptions of health and well-being. Maimonides, one of the greatest philosophers of all time realized that human knowledge, often represented as "science," is limited. As a physician, he feels he would be a fool to believe all is known. Maimonides said, "The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it." LearnSkin is his journey to a better understanding of his patients.

Jessica completed her BSc at York University in Toronto, ON and has completed her Doctor of Naturopathy degree from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She believes that integrative medicine with an evidence-based approach can allow practitioners to better support patients and optimize patient care. Jessica is passionate about bridging naturopathic and conventional medicine in clinical dermatology.

Joelle is a fourth year osteopathic medical student at Touro University College of Medicine. She is a southern California native who graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in Environmental Science. She also has a Master’s degree in Public Health from SUNY Downstate. Prior to medical school, she worked in consulting as an Environmental Health Analyst and in basic science and clinical research at UCLA and California State University Northridge. Joelle’s goal as a future physician is to provide an integrated approach to healthcare to help her patients achieve optimal health of the mind, body, and spirit. Her interests include integrative medicine, the microbiome, and working with the underserved. In her spare time, Joelle enjoys surfing, snowboarding, yoga, and traveling. NDA & Intern Agreement - 2/6/19

Dr. Joseph Alban is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Board Certified Herbalist. He has run a private practice in New York City for seventeen years.

Dr. Alban graduated from Touro College’s Graduate Program in Oriental Medicine, obtaining a Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and completed a Doctor of Acupuncture at Five Branches Univerisity. He completed a Chinese Medicine hospital residency in Hunan, China where he trained in acupuncture, Chinese medicine dermatology, and Tui Na medical massage.

He has received the Traditional Chinese Medicine Dermatology Diploma from world-renowned expert Mazin Al-Khafaji. Dr. Alban sits on the board of the International Traditional Chinese Medicine Dermatology Association (ITCMDA). He is also the Traditional Chinese Medicine editor for Learn Skin and on the board for the Integrative Dermatology Symposium. He is the head editor and a contributing author of the ebook An Introduction to Chinese Medicine Dermatology which resulted from a collaboration of the ITCMDA and Learn Skin.

Jordan Parker is a 1st year medical student at the University of California, Riverside. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018 with a degree in biology. Jordan’s clinical interests include pediatric dermatology, specifically autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. He believes that caring for skin conditions is of paramount importance as it is the first part of ourselves that we share with the external environment. He is also a firm advocate for living life with healthy skin, as he sees it as a vital marker of our overall health & well-being. Jordan is committed to helping those of all ages live a healthier and more confident lifestyle.

I was born in Abbotsford, British Columbia and moved to Fremont, California, a diverse city near Silicon Valley, for the remainder of my childhood. I completed my undergraduate career at the University of California, San Diego. Following this, I worked as a remote scribe at Augmedix, Inc. utilizing Google Glass technology to document encounters for physicians in real time. I was then accepted to Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University where I am currently an M3 student. As a future physician, through dermatology, I wish to empower patients through skin education so they can feel in control of their health and specifically the prevention and treatment of their diseases. I also wish to add to the growing field of dermatology through research. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, both recreationally and in competitive adult leagues. I also have an interest in board games such as Settlers of Catan and Codenames, and in cooking fusion foods such as pizza burgers and Korean bulgogi burritos.

LaToya is a passionate advocate for access to affordable, non-invasive healthcare. She is a third-year naturopathic medical student at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. LaToya brings over a decade of business experience to her naturopathic journey. Her background is in strategic leadership, software and infrastructure deployment, and project and portfolio management.

LaToya’s medical interests include integrative dermatology, oncology and chronic disease. Her goal is to decrease the disparities in life expectancy that exists among varied socio-economic levels by influencing systematic change that can positively impact social determinants of health. In her free time, you can find LaToya serving her community alongside her sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she implements initiatives that focus on cultivating academic achievement towards post-secondary education, building economic literacy and empowering others to improve their health and wellness.

LaToya also strives to build community and support naturopathic medical students in her role as Vice President of Membership for the Naturopathic Medical Student Association. Skin Philosophy: Once we learn to speak the same language as our bodies, we can promote lasting healing that emanates on our skin and throughout our bodies.

Maria is a naturopathic doctor who attended the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She has a strong interest in integrative dermatology, mental health, environmental medicine, and epigenetics. Maria’s passion is to help make integrative medicine more accessible, especially in the state of Florida where naturopathic medicine is currently not regulated. She is an active member of the FNPA and has participated in naturopathic advocacy and lobbying events such as the DCFLI. In the future, she aims to help others reach their own health goals by providing individualized treatment plans that address the multiple root causes of illness. She also loves animals and would like to help make integrative veterinary care more accessible as well.

Marvin Singh, M.D is an Integrative Gastroenterologist in San Diego, California, and a Member of the Board and Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine. He is also trained and board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology/Hepatology. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Singh completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System followed by fellowship training in Gastroenterology at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. Singh was trained by Andrew Weil, M.D., a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

Singh is currently the Director of Integrative Gastroenterology at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at UC Irvine. He is also currently a voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSD in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health; prior to this, he has been a Clinical Assistant Professor at UCLA and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Singh is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and many other societies. He is actively involved in the American Gastroenterological Association. He is one of the editors of the textbook of Integrative Gastroenterology, 2nd edition (a Weil Series text) and has written several book chapters and articles.

He is dedicated to guiding his clients toward optimal wellness every step of the way, using the most cutting edge technologies to design highly personalized precision based protocols and help them stay on top of their health, rather than underneath disease. Towards this end, he founded Precisione Clinic, to bring the best in preventive medicine to his clients.

Dr. Peter Lio is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his internship in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital, and his Dermatology training at Harvard where he served as Chief Resident in Dermatology. Dr. Lio is the founding director of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Center and has spoken nationally and internationally about atopic dermatitis, as well as alternative medicine.

Dr. Robert Crawford grew up in Northeast Ohio and is proud to call that area of the country his native land. At California State University Sacramento, Crawford makes it his persistent goal to honor the field of medical microbiology and pay forward the gifts of his life’s tutelage by providing undergraduate and master’s-level research. He is quick to celebrate the accomplishments of his students and how remarkable collaborators (including Raja Sivamani, MD) have facilitated an advanced agenda and led to the dissemination of exciting findings

Dr. Rubaina Dang is a licensed naturopathic doctor, educator, researcher and speaker in the field of integrative dermatology. Her practice centers on the gut, skin, and hormone connection, using functional medicine testing, targeted nutrition, and evidence-based supplementation to resolve concerns that are often missed or dismissed in conventional care. In addition to her practice, she is a primary investigator on several clinical trials with the Integrative Research Institute, she is a contributing author to LearnSkin's continuing medical education series, a featured speaker at the Integrative Dermatology Symposium, and a recurring guest on the LearnSkin podcast. Her perspectives on the gut-skin connection have also been featured in multiple news articles and conferences nationwide.

Samantha Magana is currently a first-year physician assistant (PA) student at the University of California, Davis; Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. She completed her undergraduate education at UC Davis, with her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology. Before starting the PA program, she worked as a medical assistant for North Pacific Dermatology in rural Humboldt County, CA. Upon successful completion of the PA program, she intends to enter dermatology and continue to help those who are underserved and undertreated.

Sonali Nanda is a fourth-year medical student at The University of Virginia, expected to graduate medical school in May 2020. She is applying for a residency position in dermatology this fall. Sonali graduated from The University of Virginia undergraduate program with honors and with research distinction in Neuroscience. Prior to attending medical school, she completed a Masters of Science in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. Sonali then worked in clinical and basic science research at The Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery in Miami, Florida and explored her interests of hair, pediatrics, medical dermatology, and nutrition in dermatology. She is interested in creating content that will educate physicians and the public on current topics in dermatology.

Tess Engel is a second-year medical student at UC Davis interested in dermatology and integrative approaches to patient care. She is in the Rural PRIME track program and hopes to help expand healthcare access in rural communities. She got her undergraduate degree in nutrition with a minor in biological sciences at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, being outdoors, painting, pilates, and travel.

Tess is a second-year medical student at CNUCOM. Tess’ interest in dermatology began with her own struggles with acne, where she learned how afflictions of the skin can affect you physically, psychologically, and emotionally. She is also passionate about Integrative Medicine, mind-body wellness, and patient advocacy. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Tess worked in health insurance and as an EMT.

Dr. Vivian Shi, MD is an Associate Professor of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where she directs the Eczema Clinic and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinic.

Dr. Shi received her undergraduate degree in physiological sciences from UCLA, and
subsequently spent a year performing research on gene regulation in pathogenic bacteria in the department of microbiology at UCLA. She learned her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. During that time, she also completed a fellowship in the Skin Immunology Laboratory. She was an integral part of the team characterizing the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis. She then completed her internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago – NorthShore Health System, followed by a dermatology residency at the University of California, Davis, where she also served as chief resident.

Dr. Shi’s research and clinical interests are in complex inflammatory skin conditions (such atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and psoriasis), skin barrier repair, transepidermal drug delivery, and integrative dermatology. She has served as the principal investigator for numerous industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated clinical and translational studies. She has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and is the editor for two reference dermatology textbooks on atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa. She is on the Board of Directors for the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation, advisory board of the National Eczema Association, and is a member of the International Eczema Council.