Herbs and Supplements Summit

Dr. Akil Palanisamy is the author of the bestseller "The Paleovedic Diet - A complete program to burn fat, increase energy, and reverse disease". Dr. Akil studied biochemistry at Harvard University, received his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his residency at Stanford University. He also completed a fellowship in integrative medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, and is certified by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine at Georgetown University.

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.

Professor Jayagopal Parla is an internationally known speaker, educator, and practitioner of Ayurveda, with extensive clinical, teaching, and research experience. He is a Professor of Ayurveda at the American University of Complementary Medicine where he also serves as the Chair of the Department of Ayurveda. He is founder director of Athreya Ayurvedic Integrative Health Center, Long Beach and vice president of Letsallbehealthy.com.

In addition, he is a visiting faculty member at various Ayurvedic schools including Japan Ayurveda School, Tokyo and Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS), Whittier, CA. Jayagopal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from Bangalore University, India, and Master’s degree (Ayurveda) from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, India. He also has a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from SCUHS. In addition, he is a certified yoga therapist. Jayagopal has presented and published several scientific papers in national and international publications.

Helen Magnani is an Ayurvedic Medicine Practitioner & Holistic Nutrition Specialist. She began her Wellness Practice with the idea of being a resource of information for those looking to return to a better sense of themselves and has built a reputation for making wellness simple, practical & convenient. She focuses on Ayurveda's bio-individuality as well as the functional medicine model of nutrition to understand her client's unique needs, incorporating natural remedies, whole foods, herbs and botanicals for a one of a kind old world, new world way of practicing natural medicine. Helen studied at Kerala Ayurveda Academy in Los Angeles and in Southern India, and at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition after studying Cellular Biology. Drawing on this combined knowledge enables her to create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits unique body type, lifestyle, preferences and the goals of her clients. Helen is Board Certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and has extended study with the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America alongside countless functional medicine seminars and a multitude of clinical rotations and internships. She has spent a great deal of time traveling across India working in Ayurvedic hospitals, clinics, and centers, and continues her education in the healing modalities adding reiki, energy work, and higher-level herbology into the mix. She is currently the class moderator for the Kerala Ayurveda Academy Los Angeles location and is a chapter chair for the non-profit Wholistic Health Alliance Group in California. Most recently, Helen spent a year working overseas in Rome, Italy and in Amsterdam, Netherlands where she is hosting Nutritional Workshops in May 2019.

Amy currently has a consultation practice www.lasyawellness.com, based on herbalism, Ayurveda and functional health, and also is the director and teacher at her herbal school, The Northern California School of Botanical Studies, www.schoolofbotanicalstudies.com in Sacramento, CA.

Dr. Iris Rubin is the Founder and Chief Medical Officer of SEEN skin-caring hair care. Dr. Rubin received her undergraduate degree with honors from Stanford University, and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She did her dermatology residency at the University of Chicago and Harvard Medical School, and served as academic chief resident at Harvard. She completed a laser surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Wellman Center for Photomedicine. Dr. Rubin has conducted research on development of a vein-selective laser to improve port-wine stain treatment, and has an issued patent based on her research. Dr. Rubin has been an invited speaker at meetings sponsored by the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), Washington D.C. Dermatological Society, and Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Rubin’s previous positions include Medical Director of the Dermatologic and Vascular Laser Surgery Program at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C., Dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and Director of Government Communications and Education for the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS).

Keira Barr, MD is an innovator in transformative wellness, combining her work in integrative dermatology, mind-body medicine and embodied education with body-based trauma healing approaches to skin health. As a speaker,author, and host of “The Skinny Dipping Rx” podcast, Dr. Keira teaches people around the world how to relieve stress and rejuvenate from within. She created the Somatic Skincare™ method to support her mission of revolutionizing skincare as an act of radical self-care, blending science with soul to help women around the world amplify their resilience, confidence and comfort in their skin. Her expertise, bridging the gap between skin health and mental health, has earned recognition in top media outlets like MindBodyGreen, Glamour, SELF and Oprah magazines as well as prestigious medical journals. 

Dr. (Vaidya) Manisha Kshirsagar BAMS, DY& A, Esthetician Manisha is a classically trained Ayurvedic Physician with over 25 years of experience in the field. She specializes in Women's Health, Beauty, Skin Care and in designing Herbal Products. She has successfully designed Herbal Supplements, Skin Care lines, Ayurvedic foods and Medicinal Teas for various Nutraceutical companies. She is a published author of “Ayurveda, A Quick Reference Handbook’ and “Enchanting Beauty” (Ancient secrets to inner, outer and lasting beauty) She is a faculty member at various Institutes. Currently, she is the Director of Ayurvedic Healing Institute where she offers Ayurvedic and skincare consultations.