Speakers

Rachel Arthur

Naturopath

Alkalising 101

Plant health is largely determined by soil quality & in human health ‘soil quality’ could be likened to several physiological traits/processes that underpin our ultimate health & wellbeing.  Acid base balance is one of these fundamental physiological determinants of health. In this presentation Rachel will review the pathology markers, in house clinical assessments and medical histories that can help us to identify those patient most in need of acid base balance. Outlining the strengths and weakness of each piece of evidence she’ll help to consolidate our understanding and recognition of the issue in clinical practice, along the way illustrating these themes with short case studies.

Rachel Arthur is a respected and widely published Australian Naturopath specialising in integrative nutrition and with over 20 years experience in both the clinic and the classroom.   Rachel has become one of  Australia’s leading nutritional educators, delivering post-graduate training & mentoring to allied health care professionals and doctors alike. Rachel is regularly asked to speak at key conferences such as those organised by MINDD, ACNEM, NHAA, AIMA & the Australian Osteopathic Association. She also contributes work to authoritative texts including all 4 editions of the award-winning:  Herbs & Natural Supplements – An Evidence Based Guide (Elsevier), all the while still maintaining a very busy private practice, Rachel’s ongoing enthusiasm for the field and for education make her presentations both inspiring and empowering experiences for attendees and frequently attract excellent feedback.  Rachel is a member of the Mindd Foundation Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr Kelly Brogan

Psychiatrist

Holistic Psychiatry for Women

Given the impressionistic nature of modern day psychiatric diagnosis, it is more critical than ever to screen for reversible physiologic processes that can look psychiatric and lead to prescription treatments. Learn about the top culprits and the simple interventions that can reverse symptoms for your patients.

Dr Kelly Brogan, M.D. is a holistic women’s health psychiatrist on faculty at George Washington University and in private practice in Manhattan. She uses a functional medicine approach with her patients, and specializes in working with women who are pregnant, postpartum, or preconception. Dr. Brogan has been a clinical instructor at NYU School of Medicine, where she did her fellowship, and a residency in reproductive psychiatry. She graduated from Cornell University Medical College, and has a B.S. from MIT in Brain and Cognitive Science/Systems Neuroscience. She is board certified in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and integrative holistic medicine, and has published widely. Her academic areas of interest include toxicology/environmental medicine, nutrition, inflammatory models of mental illness, autoimmunity, and epigenetics. She has published in the field of Psycho-Oncology, Women’s Health, Perinatal Mental Health, Alternative Medicine, and Infectious Disease.

Dr Suruchi Chandra

Psychiatrist

Infectious Behaviours, An Integrative Approach

One of the challenges in detecting and diagnosing these infections is our testing. Lyme disease and other tick-born infections are known to have psychiatric and neurological complications and should be especially considered in any severe or atypical presentation. In this talk, Dr Chandra will look beyond antibiotics and will present a more integrated and holistic approach to addressing infections and microbial imbalances.

Dr. Chandra is a board certified psychiatrist who uses an integrative and holistic approach to help those with challenging psychological and behavioral issues. She has an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a medical degree from Yale University. After medical school, she completed a psychiatry residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital combined program at Harvard Medical School. She also has extensive training in integrative and holistic approaches. She has spoken at numerous conferences, including the Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders, the Autism Society of America, and the Autism Research Institute.

Annalies Corse

Medical Scientist & Naturopath

Practitioner Panel

The topic of clinical nutrition for mothers often focuses around weight; however all pregnant women and new mothers can benefit greatly from targeted nutrient therapies for their individual, unique needs. Annalies will discuss the importance of prenatal nutrition, with additional professional advice for the post-natal time, a phase in a mother’s life where nutritional advice is very vague in the wider health and medical community. With more and more women choosing to breastfeed beyond 12 months of age, clinical nutrition protocols for breastfeeding (including extended breastfeeding) will also feature in this talk”.

Annalies Corse is a Medical Scientist, Naturopath and Lecturer from Sydney. She has worked as a medical researcher in cancer research (CSU), genetics at the Murdoch Institute and as a medical scientist for the Australian Institute of Sport. Annalies has also worked as a scientist in hospital pathology laboratories and private research institutes, specialising in biochemistry, haematology, genetics and microbiology. As a Naturopath, Annalies has practiced from pathology laboratories, specialist allergy clinics and GP clinics. She is the past laboratory manager of Australian Biologics Testing Services in Sydney. Her scientific/clinical skills have seen her train and mentor many practitioners within these clinics. She writes technical academic literature and for the general public.

Jim Costello

Practitioner Panel

Creating an Organized Brain: Examining The Process of Neurobiological Development

There appears to be a fundamental intertwining of motor and cognitive milestones with aspects of each not reaching full development until well into adolescence. Under close examination, we see how specific movement sequences not only aid in maturing motor development but also set the foundation for organized neurologic development leading to efficient cognitive processes. Understanding this synergistic process as well as its interrelation with vestibular and cerebellar function illuminates the need to create treatment strategies that address both physical and cognitive interventions simultaneously. The plastic capabilities of the human brain throughout the lifespan make this an exciting consideration for individuals of all ages.

Jim M. Costello is the founder of Neuro-fit Systems, Inc. and the developer of Functional Neuromotor Activation Technique® or FNAT®. Jim began his work as a Chiropractor, practicing for eighteen years before departing the field in 2000 to pursue interventions in the field of addiction and compulsive disorders. While practicing and concurrently studying the reactive brain (sub cortical neurology), he began creating his own protocol and applying principles to ASD and the complexity of learning differences. Over a fifteen year period he developed his own unique program based upon the principles of neuroplasticity and developmental neurology, culminating in the founding of Neuro-fit Systems, Inc. in 2011.

Dr Frank R Golik

MBBS (Hons QLD) FRACGP, FACNEM: graduated from University of Queensland with 2nd class Hons in 1975; 2 years junior RMO at Royal Brisbane Hospital; 1 year as senior RMO at Atherton Hospital, Nth Qld. He commenced in solo Private Family Practice in Clayfield, Brisbane in 1979. He later formed a multi disciplinary clinic in Clayfield in 1995. In 2016 he had moved his clinic to more spacious and functional facility at Stafford in Brisbane. Dr Golik gained his fellowship in the RACGP in 1982; and is a Fellow and occasional lecturer of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. His special areas of interest and passion are Autism, ASD, ADHD, Musculoskeletal medicine; Dietary and lifestyle therapy; Thyroid conditions; and the Metabolic Syndrome. He has attended the Bill Walsh Outreach / Training since 2005 and has attended the MINDD conferences since 2005.

Dr Nancy O Hara, MAPS Faculty

Paediatrician

PANDAS/PANS – Transforming a Devastating Chronic Illness into a Treatable Disorder

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders associated with Streptococcal Infections, or PANDAS, is a common autoimmune disorder with far-reaching movement, behavioral, and cognitive consequences. While OCD and tics are still common, other issues like anxiety, bedtime fears, inability to control urination, aggression, and deficits in learning, attention, and social interaction are among the many manifestations that result from PANDAS/PANS and impair the daily functioning and cognitive progress for many children. Not only Strep, but Lyme, Viruses, Mycoplasma and other germs can lead to Autoimmune Encephalitis. Autoimmune Encephalitis can be implicated in ASD ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Depression, Anxiety, Dementia, Scizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, in addition to PANDAS/PANS. Heightened clinical suspicion and more appropriate and comprehensive treatment with antibiotics and immune-modulating therapy will transform PANDAS/PANS from a devastating chronic illness with episodic flares into a treatable disorder.

Novel Therapies: Restoring the Biome with Helminth Therapy

Dr O’Hara will discuss the latest research on Biome depletion, Biome restoration and Helminth therapy, looking at the pros and the cons of this intervention as well as others impacting our gut pathology.

Cell Danger Response

Is Autism Reversible?  Transforming a Devastating Chronic Illness into a Treatable Disorder.

Dr. O’Hara will examine the assessment and treatment of children with autism and how we can effectively treat the medical – metabolic, gastrointestinal, and immunologic issues that our children with autism face.  She will look at the latest research on Cell Danger Response and its affect on mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and other theories of autism that explain the autism behaviors.

Autoimmune Disease and Inflammation

Autoimmune disease and inflammation are two abnormalities often found in children with Autism and spectrum disorders.  This lecture will discuss autoimmune disease as well as allergies, atopy and cytokine abnormalities and the biomarkers that help us identify these problems in our children.

Dr. Nancy O’Hara is a board-certified pediatrician. She was the Assistant Medical Director for Defeat Autism Now! Physician Training and the Physician Mentoring Director for Defeat Autism Now! in Europe. She is now a partner at the Center for Integrative Health. Prior to her medical career, Dr. O’Hara taught children with autism.She graduated magna cum laude from Bryn Mawr College and as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society from the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine. She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh. After residency, chief residency and general pediatric fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. O’ Hara was in private practice for seven years. Since 1999, she has dedicated her practice to the integrative and holistic care of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and autistic spectrum disorders.

Dr Elizabeth Mumper, M.D.

MAPS Faculty

Dr. Mumper is President and CEO of The RIMLAND Center. Her general pediatrics practice is Advocates for Children. Advocates for Families is her practice devoted to the care of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental problems. She graduated magna cum laude from Bridgewater College with a degree in General Science. She attended the Medical College of Virginia, did residency training at the University of Massachusetts and University of Virginia, and was invited to serve as Chief Resident of Pediatrics at UVA.  Dr. Mumper has written book chapters about allergy, immunology and behavioral and developmental pediatrics published in the book “Pediatrics” published by Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.. During the past five years, she has conducted clinical research at the Rimland Center and published five peer reviewed articles in the medical literature.

Erica Peirson, ND

Naturopathic Doctor

Hypothroidism in Mother and Child

Nearly all children with Down syndrome and many children with autism and developmental delay require thyroid gland support. Diagnosis of hypothyroidism has greatly changed in the last 40 years. Patients are no longer treated based on very obvious symptoms. Doctors need to return to a better understanding of the clinical signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism and stop relying simply on lab results. Tragically, many children with Down Syndrome and autism who have obvious signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism are going untreated resulting in preventable delayed development. Maternal hypothyroidism has also been linked to in utero development of autism and Down syndrome.  The symptoms of hypothyroidism in mothers should be recognized and addressed to avoid neurological damage to the unborn child. Dr Peirson will review the physiology of thyroid hormone and it’s connections to the neurological development and overall health of children with Down syndrome and autism.

Erica Peirson specializes in the biomedical treatment of children with Down syndrome, autism and other special needs.  She focuses on areas of endocrine function, microbiome, oxidative stress, methylation, mitochondrial function and vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. Peirson’s biomedical journey began 8 years ago with the birth of her own son who was diagnosed with Mosaic Down Syndrome.  She treats patients privately in her practice in addition to lecturing and writing to educate on improving the health, development and cognition of children and adults with Down syndrome, Autism and special needs.

Nathan Rose

Naturopath

Perinatal care for the prevention of childhood affective disorders

There appears to be an ever-growing number of studies on the link between perinatal risk factors and the development of affective disorders in their offspring. It can be overwhelming for Practitioners to determine which are valid and which factors are relevant to their presenting female patients. This seminar will deliver a synthesis of the research and clearly highlight the core physiological areas that warrant support in perinatal care. Discover several key ingredients for perinatal health that are accumulating encouraging data on their ability to reduce the incidence of childhood affective disorders. Additionally, this presentation will put into context some of the contradictory or often misinterpreted studies to enable the Practitioner to make objective and informed decisions when constructing their perinatal treatment protocols.

Nathan Rose is the Technical Education Manager of Health World where he is involved in the development of educational material such as seminars, practitioner programs and congress. After spending five years in private practice as a naturopath, Nathan moved into technical education to enable him to follow the latest research and help translate key clinical messages to other Practitioners to enhance their practice.

 

Kira Sutherland, Sc, Grad Dip Sports Nut (IOC), Adv Dip Nat, Adv Dip Nut, Adv Dip Herbal Med, Dip Hom. MATMS

Naturopath and Sports Nutritionist

Practitioner Panel

Exercise as Evidence-based Therapy

What if we had a ‘drug’ that could help to alleviate obesity, depression, decrease aggressive behavior, increase cognitive function, help with attention span, improve sleep quality and potentially influence the gut microbiome at a relatively inexpensive cost. We have that ‘drug’ and it is exercise! What is the current research for implementing exercise as a therapy? Kira will cover the latest evidence on exercise and its influence on our brain, body, behavior and overall wellbeing as it applies to both children and adults. Learn practical tools and simple ideas for integrating movement into daily life and why it’s a vital part of healing the whole person!

Kira Sutherland is an experienced Nutritionist and Naturopath that specialises in Sports Nutrition. As a health educator for over 20 years, Kira has worked with a range of clients internationally including: sports teams, individual athletes, families, health conferences and the media.  She served as the Head of Nutritional Medicine at one of Australia`s leading Naturopathic schools and makes it her mission to educate people rather than just treat them. Currently living between Canada and Australia with her husband and 10 year old daughter (who can almost out ski her), Kira trains and competes in Ironman triathlons and practices what she preaches.

Mindd Foundation