About

My Mission

Through teaching, research, and clinical practice, my mission is to offer integrative, evidence-informed care that supports the body’s innate capacity for healing.

Family & Early Inspiration

Medicine has been in my family for generations—my father was a surgeon, and my grandfather a family doctor trained in Latvia before WWII. From childhood, I was equally drawn to nature and science, spending hours collecting plants and insects, conducting basement chemistry experiments, and poring over my father’s medical books.

Academic Path

This curiosity led me to earn degrees in physics and mathematics, with additional studies in biology and philosophy. Yet I soon became disillusioned with the purely reductionist view of life in mainstream science, sensing there must be higher organizing principles that govern living systems. Seeking a more holistic framework, I earned a doctorate in naturopathic medicine (ND) and a master’s in Oriental medicine (MSOM) from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in 1998.

Clinical & Teaching Experience

My training included study trips to China, where I learned meditation and Qigong in Taoist and Buddhist monasteries and observed herbalists in traditional medicine hospitals. I went on to complete a residency in naturopathic primary care and later spent nearly two decades at NUNM as an assistant professor, teaching physiology, biochemistry, herbal pharmacology, pathology, and endocrinology, while supervising students in clinical practice.

Research & Postdoctoral Work

Alongside teaching, I developed a strong interest in research—mentoring student-led clinical trials, completing coursework in biostatistics and evidence-based medicine, and in 2016, studying East African herbal traditions in Tanzania. Most recently, I completed a two-year NLM postdoctoral fellowship in bioinformatics and computational biomedicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), focusing on the intersection of wearable health data, systems biology, and predictive modeling.

Integrative Approach

My work is deeply influenced by anthroposophical medicine, founded by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman, which extends conventional medicine beyond reductionism and molecular mechanisms to include more subtle dimensions of human health. Drawing from multiple traditions and modern science, I integrate these perspectives into a unique, patient-centered approach—helping people restore balance, resilience, and vitality.