Professor Sir Sam Everington, GP, former deputy chair of the British Medical Association & pioneer of Integrative Medicine

Medicine, as we know it, is no longer affordable or sustainable. Nor is it able to curb the increase in obesity, mental health problems and most long-term disease. Dr Michael Dixon, Chair of the College of Medicine, will highlight how it is now time for Integrative Care to take centre stage - combining the best of our current medicine with an approach that enhances our natural abilities to self-heal and stay healthy using lifestyle and a wider range of therapies.

Dr Victoria Maizes - Executive Director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, chief of the UA Division of Integrative Medicine and a professor of medicine, family medicine and public health highlights her journey in Integrative Medicine and demonstrates how integrative medicine is helping to reverse chronic disease.

This session will focus on how social prescribing can have a positive role alongside deprescribing in helping patients withdraw safely from dependence forming drugs, and explore how they could form an integrated approach to prevent and treat prescribed drug dependence.

Danny Kruger MP, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence;  Professor Tony Avery, National Clinical Director for Prescribing;  Lelly Oboh Consultant Pharmacist, Guys and St Thomas NHS Trust Community Health Services; Dr Bogdan Chiva-Giurca Royal Surrey County Hospital and  founder NHS Social Prescribing Champion Scheme; Sean Jennings, Patient who has created pain cafes throughout Primary Care Networks in Cornwall; Gay Palmer, Social Prescriber Link Worker Team Lead, South Southwark Primary Care Network    

 

In conversation with Dr Elizabeth Thompson, Dr Reena Kotecha and Ellie Grace will highlight how they use integrative medicine to support  the wellbeing of clinicians.  Dr Reena Kotecha is the founder for Mindful Medics, a self Care programme, which she delivers to clinical and non-clinical staff in healthcare settings across the globe.  Ellie Grace uses yoga as a tool for social change and is a specialist in trauma-informed yoga which she has used to support both NHS doctors and medical students at Queen Mary University.

James Maskell is advocating that facilitating group visits is the most powerful force to transform healthcare and is the solution to the biggest challenges facing healthcare: chronic disease, escalating costs, physician shortages, care access and affordability, physician burnout, loneliness, and mental health.  As the founder of the Functional Forum, James has spent the past decade at the cross section of functional medicine and community and recognises that to democratise health we must put community and group visits so everyone can experience the benefits of integrative medicine.

Jenny Seagrove has a lifelong interest in herbal medicine, minerals and vitamins and lifestyle choices.  Daily multivitamin and mineral supplements have been a central component in both her professional and personal life.  Jenny believes there are alternative ways to maintaining good health and will be discussing with Harry Brünjes her conviction to prevention of ill health rather than just cure.

Simon Mills, who has been in herbal practice since 1977 and is at the forefront of modern development of herbal, complementary and integrative medicine, will highlight the role that herbal medicine can play in addressing  the way we prescribe and use antibiotics so that we can avoid anti-microbial resistance.

Dr Merlin Willcox, a GP and researcher at the University of Southampton, will discuss the therapeutic effects of herbal medicine for Covid-19 and other respiratory disease.

Emerging evidence, research and experts characterize the Perimenopause lifestage as inflammatory and immunologically unstable. This presentation puts forward that evidence and findings, and discusses solutions and a functional approach using nutrition, diet, botanicals and nutrients to prevent neurodegeneration, dysfunctional immunomodulation and cardiac-metabolic issues.

Dr Sally Moorcroft will discuss key herbal actions from adaptogens, anti-inflammatories and antimicrobials to nootrophics. Demonstrating with cases from her 20 years of clinical experience how they can successfully reduce prescription medication use in many areas - from minor infections, insomnia, pain, inflammation and anxiety to more complex chronic conditions. Taking a deep dive into the research to support their use, and some of the key phytonutrients this session will also look at practical and simple ways to safely introduce herbal medicine into an IM clinical practice.

Sandra Greenbank is an experienced nutritionist with 12 years of experience in supporting couples looking to have a family. This includes taking an in-depth look at their genetics, saliva, blood and urine testing, health history, mindset, hormones, and environment to then develop personalised diet and lifestyle plans.

Dr Ayan Panja shares the experience of his own illness, how he developed a novel framework, and ways to elegantly incorporate a systems medicine approach into NHS GP consultations. The framework helps patients understand the impact of their own timeline and lifestyle on their health. By helping them lay out their story, Ayan’s method allows primary care teams to empower patients to generate a targeted “lifestyle prescription”, which, with the help of behaviour change and cognitive techniques, allows the patient to create and stick to their personalised plans successfully. 

Dr. Nasha Winters will share her decades of rsearch and personal experience on how to prevent cancer.  Her approach is to look at the terrain which includes focusing on epigenetics, the microbiome, the immune system, toxin exposures, and blood sugar balance and how neglect via nourishment, physical stress and psychological stress are all important components of an anti-cancer living plan.

Joel Dunning is a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and world leading expert in Robotic Thoracic surgery and Robert Sunley is an acupuncturist with more than 13 years' experience.  Together they will share how they are using acupuncture pre-operatively and post-operatively and are seeing significant benefits both to the outcomes for the patient and cost savings for the trust. 

Jo will be using her decades of clinical application in the field of integrative oncology to bring to you the importance and added value of utilising functional medicine and conventional oncology side by side.

Working in the NHS and struggling to enact a vision of whole person healthcare, Doctor Thompson will describe her personal and organisational journey of overcoming barriers to transformational change and describe putting into practice models of integrative medicine training, community building and the delivery of clinical services. She will discuss the possibility of change through working with communities of like-minded people to create health and well-being and take the pressure of frontline services in burnout.

Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel and Dr Deepak Ravindran will discuss how integrative oncology (IO) approaches can transform support for those living with advanced and metastatic cancer, shifting from pure symptom management to optimising whole person resilience, minimising side effects of ongoing treatment and promoting better quality of life at any stage.

Dr Harry Brünjes a physician and chairman of the English National Opera will describe the innovative programme launched during the pandemic to use arts-in-health to support people who were suffering with Long Covid or Post Covid symptoms.  Working with the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the ENO Breathe Programme, the programme found that participants experienced a 10.48 point (out of 100) reduction in breathlessness when they were running, compared to those who hadn’t undergone the course.

Dr Penny Kechagioglou is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist and a qualified Functional Medicine Coach and will share her experience of the tremendous benefits that health coaching has had with her own patients.  Together with Izabella Natrins, the CEO of the UK International Health Coaching Association they will also demonstrate the role that health coaches can play in matching clinical resources with the growing demands of patients’ need for specialist care and provide anti-cancer lifestyle programmes at scale.

Prof Eran Segal heads up the Human Phenotype Project, a large scale (more than 10,000 participants) deep-phenotype prospective longitudinal cohort and biobank that is developing prediction models for disease onset and progression.  Utlilising medical history, lifestyle and nutritional habits, vital signs, anthropometrics, blood tests, continuous glucose and sleep monitoring, and molecular profiling of the transcriptome, genetics, gut and oral microbiome, metabolome and immune system; the predictive models developed can be translated into personalized disease prevention and treatment plans.

Dr Robert Lustig is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at UCSF, and the New York Times bestselling author  will elaborate the similarities between metabolic health and mental health, and highlight how changes in our environment over the last 50 years have altered our biochemistry to foment the twin pandemics of chronic metabolic disease and psychiatric disease.

Welcome from the conference Chairs to this much needed conference that will explore the evidence and impact of integrative medicine for mental health.  

 

Dr Michael Dixon, Chair of the College of Medicine, welcomes you to the Integrative Mental Health conference which aims to highlight some of the latest research and clinical examples of integrative approaches to address the mental health crisis that our healthcare system faces today.

We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis, and mental illnesses are on the rise. But what causes mental illness? And why are mental health problems so hard to treat? Drawing on decades of research, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Christopher Palmer outlines a revolutionary new understanding that for the first time unites our existing knowledge about mental illness within a single framework: Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain.

Professor Edward Bullmore, Professor of Psychiatry  at University of Cambridge and author of 'The Inflamed Mind' will be interviewed by Debbie Cotton and will present the new science on the link between depression and inflammation of the body and brain.  He will delve into how and why we now know that mental disorders can have their root cause in the immune system and how identifying the root cause in each individual patient would lead to more effective targeted treatment.   

Over the past 20 years, exposure to mycotoxin producing mould has been recognized as a significant health risk.  Dr Jill Crista, a leading expert at the forefront of mould-related illness diagnosis and treatment.  While mould toxicity is most commonly linked to physical health conditions, research shows that it can present itself in a psychiatric way including brain fog, depression, anxiety, problems concentrating, and insomnia. This means that some people are seeking and receiving treatment for a mental illness that only exists because of their exposure to mould.

Dr Christina Bjorndal will present a wholistic view of crucial elements to the treatment of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorders. The presentation begins with a macro view of treatment and focuses down into tangible and practical skills to be used in clinic with patients.  Case studies will be provided to emphasize the application of the teachings. Participants will gain confidence and skills in helping patients with mental health concerns in their practice through traditional naturopathic modalities and novel psychotherapeutic exercises. 

 

There have been limited options in the mainstream approach for helping patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and traumatic head injury (TBI), other than supportive measures.  However, there is growing research to show that a number of nutritional, herbal and pharmaceutical compounds that have the potential for improving cognitive performance, including memory, motivation, concentration, and attention.   Dr Ewer, will review a range of these nootropics and look at how they can be applied in the clinical setting.  He will also be suggesting some additional protocols, including laser therapy and HBOT as part of a combined management approach to MCI and TBI. 

What has been causing your gut health issues? Has it really been dairy / gluten / parasites / whatever else, or your own thought and behaviour patterns? In this highly anticipated talk, clinical neuroscientist Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas will serve rich, fruity smoothie with hard science, trauma, and lived experience as the main ingredients. Drink deep and descend with Dr Miguel into the depths of the connection between the brain, the mind, and health outcomes within and beyond the gut.

Leo Pruimboom ‘Intermittent Living’ is about going ‘back to basics’ – it is about the reintroduction of mild environmentally-based short lasting stress, like cold, heat, hunger, thirst which were once part of an ancient lifestyle.   Dr Leo Pruimboom’s will highlight his research where participants engaged in a 10 day hunter-gather style trip through the Pyrenees where they were exposed to intermittent fasting and drinking, the alternation of cold-heat, and endurance training-high intensity.  He found that coping with ‘ancient mild stress factors’ showed improved metabolic functioning and when combined with forest bathing has also been shown to reduce stress.

If we placed all our healthcare professional's brains in a functional MRI, over 52% would exhibit the characteristic brain wave pattern of BURNOUT.  Interestingly, this is identical to "grief" in our brain, which means thousands of doctors, nurses, and physician assistants are showing up to work daily, burdened with the cognitive slowing, brain fog, and hopelessness indicative of burnout.   Dr. Lara Salyer, a physician, mother of three who suffered burnout, resigned and is re-imagining the way she practices medicine. After training with the Institute for Functional Medicine and Flow Research Collective, she now teach patients and practitioners how to optimize flow to catalyze their own revolution in healing.  She is on a mission to teach 1 million healthcare practitioners how to tap into their own creative flow so they can optimise their cortisol, reclaim autonomy and unlock energetic joy in a world where burnout will always exist.

 

Dr Laura Marshall-Andrews, an NHS doctor with a pioneering holistic approach to care and Dr Susanna Petche, GP, Functional Medicine doctor, Clinical Facilitator and expert in Psychological Trauma will share the life changing outcomes and client stories from a 12-month NHS funded programme of holistic healing, treating complex post-traumatic stress disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder.  The ConnectionWorks project facilitated 32 participants through a year of psychoeducation, lifestyle interventions and body work including yoga, TRE, acupuncture, nature walks and equine therapy. 

 

Dr Rani's passion is to lead a movement for mental wealth i.e., our innate mental health guided by a deep understanding of the root causes of personal suffering, new perspectives and practices for self-care and healing, and awareness of the risks associated with psychiatric drugs. She will share her experiences of supporting patients that wish to come off psychiatric medication, in a way that is safe and minimises withdrawal effects.

There is growing recognition that many mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor cognition and memory (as well as physical issues), are the results of the high prevalence of trauma, post-traumatic stress and adverse childhood experiences (ace), and that only by addressing trauma and rebalancing the nervous system can we address these mental and physical health issues successfully and sustainably. Benjamin fry, accredited psychotherapist, author and founder of one of the only residential trauma clinics in the world, Khiron Clinics, has worked extensively on the ground and with leaders in the field of trauma to bring cutting edge trauma and somatic therapies to the UK. He will show us how trauma can cause stuck energy and a dysregulated nervous system, which can lead to biochemical imbalances which manifest in inflammation and mental health symptoms. He will also tell us about the most tried and tested therapies to heal trauma and rebalance the nervous system.  Benjamin Fry, will highlight how trauma-informed care is a vital part of addressing a patient's underlying mental health problems.

Prof David Nutt is an expert on drugs, and how they work on the brain.  He trained as a psychiatrist, and for almost 50 years his research has focused on new drug treatments for anxiety, depression and addiction.  This session will highlight his ongoing work at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, and elsewhere, that is focused on developing and safely testing new therapeutic protocols, ways to combine drug treatment with therapy in order to treat depression in a new way.  

 Welcome from the Co-Chairs Dr Rupy Aujla, NHS GP and Founder of ‘The Doctor’s Kitchen’ and Dr Catherine Zollman, GP & Medical Director of Penny Brohn UK cancer charity.

Healthy Food: For everyone, is a key chapter in the College manifesto and part of The College of Medicine’s vision for better healthcare in the next decade, which underlines the importance of good nutrition at both a local and national level.

Dr Robert Lustig is a New York Times bestselling author of the Fat Chance, The Hacking of the American Mind, and his new book Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine.  

Dr Shahrukh Mallik is an NHS Neurologist, with 15 years of clinical, research, and teaching experience.  He spends 3 days of his working week within the NHS and the other two supporting patients at The London Centre for Longevity and Metabolic Health.  He sees the body as an interconnected system where inflammation is often at the root cause of most health conditions.  Whilst he might be treating a patient for alzheimers or cardiovascualar issues, he often finds that many chronic problems such as fibromalygia or arthritis are also resolved.  What is good for the brain also has positive impacts on every element of the body.

The Zoe Personalised Nutrition Plan was the first evidence based personalised nutrition product to come to market. ZOE tests how your body responds to different foods, and uses AI to create personalised recommendations to help you eat the right foods for your unique biology.  Professor Tim Spector is a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College in London and one of the co-founders of ZOE and Dr Sarah Berry, Associate Professor King’s College & Chief Scientist at ZOE, will update us on what they have learned from the first year and what they have planned for future developments.

In the presence of many gut conditions such as IBD, coeliac disease and IBS, many patients will follow restrictive diets as a way of managing symptoms and can develop significant fear around important food groups. This fear can lead to disordered eating, malnutrition, as well as negatively impact on quality of life and mental health.  Dr Alexa Duff will draw upon case examples and drawing on the evidence base, she will illustrate important psychological considerations when having conversations with patients about restriction, how restriction may be impacting on their mental and physical health and overall wellbeing and how to address food reintroduction.

Emma Ellice Flint , a nutritionist, nutritional therapist and chef, will discuss the research linking the gut microbiome and whole bone strength and will highlight the role that prebiotic foods and lactobacillus bacteria can play in supporting bone health. 

200 years ago Alexander von Humboldt set out a theory of interconnectedness – ‘the unity of nature’. He was prescient – the changing shift in the planetary ionosphere impacts the soils the plants and us. A presentation exploring the roles of soil and human ecology, biofortification, risks and resolutions and why we are all ‘soil’.

 

Dr Jenna Macciochi has over 20 years' experience as a scientist researching the impact of lifestyle on the immune system in health and disease. A strong advocate of preventative medicine, she is on a mission to break down the science behind our health and share the secrets of how to be well, for good. Based in Brighton, Jenna is a lecturer at Sussex University and a qualified fitness instructor. Her writing has been featured in The Times, Women's Health, Marie Claire, Glamour Magazine and Metro amongst others

The 'Whole Child' approach to health begins with the understanding that physical health is intrinsically linked to nutrition, environment, and mental and emotional wellbeing.  The foundations of health begin before conception, continuing through pregnancy, and include genetics, and nutritional and environmental factors.  Dr Venita Patel will highlight the assessment framework that she uses that provide insight into the inter-linked physiological and biological systems, such as gut integrity and the microbiome, immune function and energy production. 

Dr Campbell Murdoch is an NHS GP and a Primary Care Network Clinical Director who has a special interest in metabolic health. Dr Matt Hawker trained first as a physician and then a consultant ophthalmologist and as Co-Founder of Compass Lifestyle is committed to a holistic approach in healthcare. Together they will discuss the power of dietary and lifestyle changes to prevent and reverse chronic diseases.

Until 2021, there were no food plates or nutrition recommendations supporting the largest ethnic groups in the UK and lifestyle recommendations also didn’t include advice for people with different cultures and behaviour patterns.   Toral Shah, a Nutritional Scientist (MSc Nutr Med), Functional Medicine Practitioner share how personalising nutrition and lifestyle advice means understanding your own bias and providing culturally competent advice.

There are many factors that increase a person’s risk for dementia, such as age, but very few that are ‘disease modifying’. Patrick Holford and Prof David Smith will discuss the research that shows that the top two disease-modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia are currently, homocysteine lowering B vitamins and omega-3 or seafood intake.  They will also highlight two new studies showing that a synergistic effect of having optimal omega-3 and B vitamin intake is having the greatest impact.

Dr Rupy Aujla is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and founder of the 'Doctor's Kitchen' which is a project to inspire patients about the beauty of food and the medicinal effects of eating well.  In 2022 Dr Rupy was involved in a project to bring fresh, vibrant and healthy pop-up food concept to five hospitals in the South of England, with a one week trials at each location.   In this presentation he will share the insight he gained from this experience, his thoughts about the UK Governments  'New Blueprint for Better Hospital Food' and will present ideas of what needs to happen first if we are to change the current system and start offering healthier options as standard to both our patients and healthcare practitioners.

Patrick Holden is the Founding Director and Chief Executive of the Sustainable Food Trust - a global organisation that is working to accelerate the transition to more sustainable food and farming systems that will nourish the health of both people and planet.

Dr Zach Bush MD is a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care. He is an internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome as it relates to health, disease, and food systems.  His passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including topics such as the role of soil and water ecosystems in human genomics, immunity, and gut/brain health. His education has highlighted the need for a radical departure from chemical farming and pharmacy, and his ongoing efforts are providing a path for consumers, farmers, and mega-industries to work together for a healthy future for people and planet.