What sparked your initial desire to pursue and practice Functional Medicine? It was a combination of things. From a young age, I witnessed several family members suffer from lifestyle-related diseases. I was compelled to find a way to help them as well as prevent myself from going down…

As a curious kid who always loved science, I grew up making my own experiments, playing the “Mad Scientist” making volcanoes and smoke bombs in the basement. Biology and chemistry were always my favorite school subjects and I had a supportive family who encouraged these interests. I went…

What sparked your initial desire to pursue and practice Functional Medicine? I’ve been interested in nutrition since I was in high school and began to run competitively. Then, when I researched graduate schools, I came upon Bastyr University and found the Nutrition program for me, where in addition to the…

What is self-love? This is a question I have been asking my whole life. Self-love is the ability to have regard for one’s own wellbeing and happiness. This does not mean that you have to be selfish, which has an entirely different meaning: lacking consideration for others; concerned…

What sparked your initial desire to pursue and practice Functional Medicine? My undergraduate and graduate degrees were in nutrition. I went to medical school thinking I would learn more about how the body worked and what we could do to stay well. I was frustrated with the focus on acute…

In my role as Patient Navigator at the UWC, I work closely with many caregivers. I personally identify as a caregiver, since I am the mother of four. I also see my own mother struggling to care for my elderly grandmother while she continues to work full time…