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Dr. Richard Horowitz is a board-certified internist, bestselling author, and medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center. Over 42 years, he has treated more than 13,000 Lyme and tick-borne disease patients and advised HHS, the New York State Department of Health, and agencies worldwide. He pioneered the MSIDS model and has published peer-reviewed work on short-term oral generic protocols that have put many patients into long-term remission, including reversal of the Alzheimer's biomarker p-tau 217. His third book, Ending Chronic Illness (Simon & Schuster, October 2026), applies that 16-point model to the prevention and treatment of most chronic illnesses, from Alzheimer's, autism, and cancer to cardiovascular disease, ME/CFS, and chronic infections. More: https://cangetbetter.com

Dr. Edward B. Breitschwerdt is a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also an adjunct professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, and a Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Dr. Breitschwerdt directs the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory in the Institute for Comparative Medicine at North Carolina State University. He also co-directs the Vector Borne Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory and is the director of the NCSU-CVM Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory. Breitschwerdt's clinical interests include infectious diseases, immunology, and nephrology. For over 30 years, his research has emphasized vector-transmitted, intracellular pathogens. Most recently, he has contributed to cutting-edge research in the areas of animal and human bartonellosis.

Liz Horn, PhD, MBI, serves as Principal Investigator of Lyme Disease Biobank, a resource that provides much-needed blood, urine, and tissue samples to researchers studying Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. She has spent more than 2 decades working with non-profit organizations to build research initiatives and collaborations with academia, other non-profits, and industry. Since 2020, she has served as a scientific advisor for the LymeX Diagnostics Prize, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. Liz is passionate about building resources to move research forward that help people, improve lives, and reduce suffering. She earned her doctorate in molecular pharmacology and cancer therapeutics from SUNY at Buffalo, was a National Library of Medicine fellow in biomedical informatics, and received her MBI from Oregon Health & Science University.

Dr. Somer Delsignore, DNP, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in complex chronic illness in children. Her clinical work focuses on the diagnosis and management of immune dysfunction using a root-cause approach. She developed the R.E.S.E.T. Protocol using a Root Cause lens to treat Immune Dysfunction systematically. A fellow of MAPS and AAOT and a member of ILADS, her expertise includes autoimmune, neuroimmune, and psychiatric manifestations of infectious diseases, especially tick-borne illnesses, as well as links to Autism Spectrum Disorder, PANS/PANDAS, and autoimmune encephalopathy. Delsignore completed her graduate and doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania and SUNY Upstate Medical University, graduating magna and summa cum laude, and trained at leading pediatric centers, including  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Penn State Children's, and Children's Health in Dallas. She is the CEO and Founder of Hudson Valley Integrative Health in Beacon, New York.

David Walsey joined Bay Area Lyme Foundation as Executive Director in 2025. He is a strategic biotech leader with 25 years of experience advancing corporate objectives through strategy, communications, financing, and investor initiatives for public companies. Most recently, David served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at MEI Pharma, leading programs spanning corporate strategy, investor relations, and corporate communications. He previously held senior roles at Alder Biopharmaceuticals, Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Sarepta Therapeutics (formerly AVI BioPharma), Arena Pharmaceuticals, and Maxim Pharmaceuticals, and worked at agencies including Real Chemistry (formerly W20 Group), The Ruth Group, and Noonan Russo. He began his career as an attorney in private practice in New York City and holds an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and a B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College.

Dr. Offutt is the medical director and co-owner of Heart & Soul Integrative Health and Yoga which she co-founded with her husband, Brad, in 2007, located in Marble Falls, Texas. Her first seven years of practice were focused on rural family medicine and obstetrics after which she transitioned to approach the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases using integrative medicine. She completed medical school at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio and completed a residency in Family Medicine at Christus Health. She has completed a fellowship with the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine and has a Master's Degree in Integrative Medicine from George Washington University.

Dr. Casey Kelley, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician and one of the first to earn certification in integrative medicine. Founder and medical director of Case Integrative Health in Chicago, she specializes in functional medicine to address root causes of chronic conditions like Lyme disease and mold toxicity. A graduate of Ohio State University College of Medicine (2007), she completed residency at St. Joseph Hospital, lectures nationally on integrative topics, and serves on faculty at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Jyotsna Shah is an immunologist and molecular biologist with over 40 years of experience in diagnostic tools for tick-borne diseases. She holds a Ph.D. in diagnostic immunology from the University of Nairobi and conducted postdoctoral work at Harvard University. Shah joined IGeneX in 1997, becoming Laboratory Director in 2003 and now serving as President and CEO.

Mikki Tal, PhD, is a Principal Scientist at MIT's Department of Biological Engineering and Associate Scientific Director of the MIT Center for Gynepathology Research. She leads the Tal Research Group, focusing on host-pathogen interactions, immune responses to infections like Lyme disease, and the mechanisms behind chronic illnesses, particularly their disproportionate impact on women. She earned her PhD in Immunobiology from Yale University and conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Tal was the recipient of our 2018 Bay Area Lyme Foundation Emerging Leader Award.

Dr. Joseph J. Burrascano Jr., a pioneer in the field of Lyme, began his practice in East Hampton, NY, in 1981, where he identified and detailed the clinical aspects of Lyme in a high-prevalence area. Renowned for his groundbreaking diagnostic and treatment guidelines since 1984, he has advised the CDC, NIH, and U.S. Senate, authored extensive publications, and is a founding member of ILADS, continuing to educate globally.

Dr. Jill Crista is a pioneering naturopathic doctor, best-selling author, devoted educator, and creative innovator. Her superpower is to make complex medical concepts simple and digestible for the average person. Dr. Jill focuses on conditions that cause injury to the brain and nervous system, including mold, PANS and PANDAS, Lyme disease, and concussion.

Dr. Scott Commins is an esteemed allergist and immunologist known for his pioneering research on alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by tick bites. With a medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and fellowship training at the University of Michigan, he has dedicated his career to understanding food allergies and their impact on patients' lives. Dr. Commins is a prominent speaker and educator; his work has been instrumental in raising awareness about tick-related allergies and improving the diagnosis and management of this condition.

Dr. Neil Nathan is a renowned physician and bestselling author specializing in the treatment of chronic illness, particularly those related to environmental toxins, vector-borne infections, and complex systemic disorders. With decades of experience in clinical practice, he focuses on understanding the impact of toxins on health and is dedicated to helping patients recover from illnesses that conventional medicine often struggles to address. His bestselling book, "Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Other Chronic Environmental Illnesses," provides a comprehensive guide to recognizing, diagnosing, and treating various chronic conditions linked to environmental factors.

Steven E. Phillips, MD is a Yale-trained, expert on zoonotic infections and coauthor of the book CHRONIC. He specializes in treating medicine's most complex cases, which include Lyme & other vector-borne disease and long COVID. Additionally, he has served as an expert for the states of CT, NY, RI, and VT, providing testimony during their respective public hearings, which resulted in changes to existing healthcare laws. Dr. Phillips has been a longstanding public face of the Lyme pandemic. He is currently spearheading a drug development effort to bring public a durable, effective treatment for some of these infections, which will hopefully change how we treat a range of rheumatologic and neurologic illnesses. Dr. Phillips also sits on the Bay Area Lyme Foundation's scientific advisory board.

Michael is an air quality expert, author, and founder of HomeCleanse, a go-to source for information, services, and products to create healthier living through cleaner indoor air. A specialist in working with people who are immunocompromised or have acute and sustained reactions to mold exposure, Michael's scientific understanding has enabled him to create change, via alternative remediation.