Dr. Terry Wahls is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials.  In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, Learn more about her MS clinical trials by reaching out to her team: MSDietStudy@healthcare.uiowa.edu.

Functional Approach to Neurodegenerative Disorders: Clinical Considerations and Case-Based Applications

Dr. Terry Wahls gives this lecture every year as part of the Bioenergetics Advanced Practice Module for the Institute for Functional Medicine.  She will review the approach she uses for patients with neurodegenerative / neuroimmune conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Multiple Sclerosis.  She will discuss the role of the genetic risk, triggering events and mediators for continued symptoms.   How to address modifiable risk factors of sleep, movement, nutrition, stress, and relationships will be reviewed.  Next Dr. Wahls will review the role and strategies to manage digestive issues, microbiome problems, mitochondrial dysfunction, detoxification, hormone balance and cell membranes problems.  You will develop a much deeper understanding of the root causes of neurodegeneration / neuroinflammation and how you can improve patient outcomes using interventions that are accessible with your clinical scope of practice.

Wahls Swank Diet study results and highlights from the 8th annual Americas Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis

Dr. Terry Wahls will review the latest research that was presented at the 8th annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis. She will review the results of the Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis study. This is the comparison of the Wahls and Swank diets on fatigue and quality of life in the setting of multiple sclerosis.   In addition, she will be reviewing the latest research on risk factors for multiple sclerosis progression and treatment strategies that can respond to dietary and lifestyle interventions that can improve patient quality of life, reduce fatigue, improve mood, and improve and support remyelination.  Many of these principles can be applied to other systemic autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases that often have a neuroimmune component.

Ken Sharlin, M.D., M.P.H., IFMCP, is a board-certified neurologist, consultant, functional medicine practitioner, author, and speaker. His medical degrees are from Emory University, and functional medicine certification through The Institute for Functional Medicine. He is author of the #1 best-seller The Healthy Brain Toolbox: Neurologist-Proven Strategies to Improve Memory Loss and Protect Your Aging Brain. A 3-time Ironman Triathlon finisher, Dr. Sharlin made his story of personal transformation the launching point of his career when he shifted gears to a holistic, lifestyle-medicine-oriented approach. He practices general neurology, and directs his functional medicine program, Brain Tune Up!, in Ozark, MO.

Dale E. Bredesen, M.D., UCLA and Buck Institute 

Professor, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 

Founding President and CEO, Professor Emeritus, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA

Dale Bredesen graduated from Caltech and received his medical degree from Duke.  He served as Resident and Chief Resident in Neurology at UCSF, then was postdoctoral fellow in Nobel laureate Stanley Prusiner’s laboratory.  He was a faculty member at UCLA from 1989-1994, then at the Burnham Institute to direct the Program on Aging.  In 1998 he became the Founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and Adjunct Professor at UCSF; then in 2013 he returned to UCLA as the Director of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

The Bredesen Laboratory studies basic mechanisms underlying the neurodegenerative process, and the translation of this knowledge into effective therapeutics for neurodegenerative conditions, publishing over 220 research papers. He established the ADDN (Alzheimer’s Drug Development Network) with Dr. Varghese John in 2008, leading to the identification of new classes of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease.  He identified subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease, followed by the first description of reversal of symptoms in patients with MCI and Alzheimer’s disease, published in 2014, 2016, and 2018.  His book, The End of Alzheimer’s, was on the New York Times Bestsellers List for 5 months and has been published in 32 different languages.

Alzheimer’s disease is a pandemic that will take nearly 100 times as many Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic if effective prevention and treatment are not developed. However, combining the decades-long pre-Alzheimer’s period of subjective cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment, increased data set size for evaluation, personalized protocols, and the positive results of our recent trial, suggests that Alzheimer’s disease can now be avoided by most people, simply by undergoing prevention or an early optimized reversal protocol.

Known as “The Health Engineer,” Garrett has taken his education in Physics (BS) and Engineering (MSE) and applied it into a system for making the human body better. His journey started when he picked up ice hockey as a boy. It was a game he loved, but for which he had little natural aptitude. After several years “skating by,” he decided to delve deeply into the world of strength and conditioning to try to give himself a chance to play at a higher level. Unfortunately, what was popular at the time did not work for him — and he kept searching. 

​In dealing with some injury problems, he learned about the paramount importance of the nervous system, and saw the connections to how the same neurological principles could be applied to fitness. The neurological approach worked, and he never looked back. He became determined to learn as much as possible about how to affect the nervous system. To that end, he spent hundreds of hours in self-study, mentored under several leading-edge practitioners, tested many of his theories on himself and others, and even went back to school for a Ph.D. program in Neuroscience (from which he took a leave of absence to launch the Neubie device). 

​In 2009, he opened his first facility in Austin, TX to start sharing these methods with his community. This has grown into what we now know as NeuFit, which combines an advanced understanding of physiology with the best practices from diverse training and therapeutic practices, and constantly pushes these processes by using technology to accelerate them further. Since that first day, he has worked with people of all ages and in almost all situations, including athletes from MLB, the NFL, the NHL, the NBA, UFC, Olympics, NCAA, and more, helping them get out of pain, improve performance, sometimes avoid surgeries, and live life at a higher level. 

​​He lives in Austin, Texas and is ecstatically in love with his wife, Briana, and their two daughters, Gwenny and Gemma.

Neurological Stimulation has many applications, including rehabilitation and management of neurological disease. The use of the NEUBIE, a direct current electrical stimulation device, has shown particularly promising outcomes in the management of symptoms and disease progression for a growing population of MS patients. In this talk, we’ll discuss the foundations of neuroplasticity, how strategic targeting of the nervous system can induce neuroplastic adaptations, and share qualitative and quantitative updates from an ongoing clinical case series using the NEUBIE with MS patients.

Dr. Jocelyn Strand graduated from Bastyr University in 2005 with a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. Following her graduation, she established her practice in the Seattle area, working at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, as well as in a gastrointestinal specialty clinic. She returned to Minnesota in 2008 with the vision of increasing the availability, affordability, and awareness of naturopathic medicine, and opened her private practice at Lake Superior Natural Medicine, where she specialized in GI system disorders, Lyme disease, and auto-immune conditions as a Primary Care Provider through the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.

In 2019, Dr. Strand became the Director of Clinical Education for Bio-Botanical Research, Inc., where she is thrilled to participate in research and lecturing around the world.

The clinical crossover between pain caused by autoimmune conditions, mold, chronic inflammation, chronic infection, and toxicity results in complex patient presentations. It can be hard to identify a single trigger – and usually, there is more than one at play. The microbiome provides an accessible target that can play a role in all of the triggers listed. Dr. Strand will discuss this and botanical solutions to assist in balancing the microbiome.

Debby Pelletier stepped on her first vibration plate almost 15 years ago when seeking alternatives to knee surgery. Her personal success with this medical grade device sparked a concept that led to one of the first and longest running vibration training studios in North America. From personal service to the eventual sales/service/distribution of vibration plates Debby was a pioneer in providing user support to a variety of individuals and facilities using these devices across North America.

As a Certified Master Vibration Trainer with VibroGym International (Form Power Plater) and Hypervibe Global she focuses her energy now on being accessible to the masses as Independent Consultant for both Vertical and Side Alternating plate applications. Debby provides virtual consultations to many brands and users worldwide in fitness and medical settings.

In addition to her consultation work, her passion is empowering others to embrace a better quality of life and hosts private medical support groups.  Teaching applications with written and weekly live videos for Pediatric Rehab (Primarily Cerebral Palsy via St Louis Children’s) and symptom management for Fat Disorders such as Lipedema, Dercum’s Disease and other loose connective tissue disorders (Fat Disorders Research Society).

Whole body vibration plates for exercise (WBVE) and therapy (WBVT) have roots stemming back 40 + years. Research has validated a variety of health and fitness benefits and with proper application is well tolerated by even the frailest of users.
Using a vibration plate as an exercise or in compliment with other modalities has the potential of boost neuroprotection. Vibration plates are an environment, one that superficially increases the user’s exposure to gravity, and by association, hacks into musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system benefits. Increased load boosts overall outcomes in less time and with less strain to the user.

Justine Stenger received her degree from the University of Alberta in Nutrition and Physical education. She proceeded to pursue a Holistic Nutrition/Therapeutic Chef certification from Bauman College. Justine has completed her Functional Medicine training through the Institute for Functional Medicine and is a Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach, certified through the Institute For Functional Medicine. 

Justine is a trained Bredesen (RECODE) practitioner and specializes in cell membrane medicine, and works primarily with patients who suffer with neurological conditions, mast cell activation syndrome, Lyme disease, and autoimmune disease. 

Justine has worked beside Dr. Bruce Hoffman for the past 10 years and has supported hundreds of Dr Hoffman’s chronic, complex illness patients nutritionally.

Neurodegeneration Demystified
Improving Neurodegeneration and Neuro-immune Outcomes with Cell Membrane Medicine

The goal of this presentation is to learn the clinical and treatment applications to neuroinflammatory and neuro-immune disease. A systematic approach will be presented to understand how to manage neuroinflammatory conditions and neuroimmune conditions using dietary and lifestyle approaches to reduce brain inflammation and improve immune function. Methods for supporting, ameliorating, or preventing the symptoms of fatty acids imbalance and cell membrane dysfunction which lead to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation will be outlined.
Understanding that supporting neuroinflammation and neuroimmune conditions is not a supplement game – addressing alcohol, diet, stress, sleep, and exercise are 5 key areas that will  be discussed to support and mitigate neuroinflammation and neuroimmune conditions.