President

Elizabeth P. Frates, MD, FACLM, DipABLM

Beth Frates, MD is a trained physiatrist and a health and wellness coach, with expertise in Lifestyle Medicine. She is an award-winning teacher at Harvard Medical School, where she is an assistant clinical professor. Dr. Frates is one of the first Fellows of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a pioneer in lifestyle medicine. She developed and taught a college Lifestyle Medicine curriculum at the Harvard Extension School in 2014 and it is still one of the most well-received courses offered at the school. She was voted president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in August 2020. Dr. Frates serves as President-Elect until 2022.

She authored a Lifestyle Medicine syllabus, which can be downloaded through the ACLM website, to serve as a template for other instructors and professors. In addition, Dr. Frates co-authored The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: An Introduction to the Power of Healthy Habits, which was ranked in the top 20 by Book Authority for medical books released in 2018. To accompany the syllabus and handbook, she also co-created Lifestyle Medicine 101, a full college curriculum with 12 weeks of PowerPoints and a teacher’s manual, which is free and accessible through the ACLM website. In addition, Dr. Frates co-authored The Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook, published in October 2020 which when paired with the Teen Curriculum consisting of a Teacher’s Manual and 12 PowerPoint decks can be used to teach and empower middle-school and high school students to adopt and sustain healthy habits.

As Director of Wellness Programming at the Stroke Institute for Research and Recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, Dr. Frates has created and implemented a 12-Step wellness program, PAVING the Path to Wellness™ for patients and providers. Most recently, she co-authored the book PAVING the Path to Wellness Workbook: A Guide to Thriving with a Healthy Body, Peaceful Mind and Joyful Heart. As of the fall of 2020, Dr. Frates serves as the Director of Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness for the Department of Surgery at Mass General Hospital. In addition, Dr. Frates has her own Lifestyle Medicine consulting/coaching practice where she sees patients 1:1 and in groups.

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President Elect

Padmaja Patel, MD, DipABLM

Padmaja Patel, MD, FACLM DipABLM, currently serves as the Medical Director of the Lifestyle Medicine Center at Midland Health and has advocated for offering various comprehensive lifestyle intervention programs under physician supervision.

Dr. Patel serves as the Vice President of the Midland Quality Alliance, a clinically integrated network of physicians. She is a member of the National Quality Forum's 2022 Leadership Consortium and a founding member of the advisory board of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Health Systems Council. She also serves as Chair of ACLM's Clinical Practice and Quality Committee.

Dr. Patel has been awarded the prestigious status of Fellow of ACLM for her outstanding achievement in the field of Lifestyle Medicine. She co-founded Healthy City, a non-profit organization, to raise awareness of the benefits of plant-based nutrition within her community.

Past President

Catherine Collings, MD, FACC, MS, DipABLM

Dr. Collings is Director of Lifestyle Medicine for Silicon Valley Medical Development and El Camino Health Medical Network in the San Francisco Bay Area.  She serves as current President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 

Dr. Collings has dual board certifications in Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine.  She holds a graduate degree in exercise physiology, as well as professional culinary and wellness certifications.  She received her education from the University of California, University of Wisconsin, and Stanford University Medical Center.  She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society.

She has served in multiple capacities and leadership positions at El Camino Hospital over the past 25 years including Medical Director of the Cardiopulmonary Wellness Center, Women’s Heart Health, and the Heart and Vascular Institute and participates in the American College of Cardiology’s Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force.  Within ACLM, she co-chaired the initiation of ACLM’s Education Committee and has participated in course reviews.

She now focuses exclusively on Lifestyle Medicine consultations, culinary medicine, and developing clinical Lifestyle Medicine programs that are both tech and human connect-enabled.

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Past President

Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, DipABLM

Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, DipABLM, is Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Community Wellbeing and the Blue Zones Institute for Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Dr. Shurney is ACLM’s immediate past-president and continues to serve as a board member and leader of the organization’s work to address health disparities.

Previously, he held the position of Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs at Foodsmart by Zipongo; Chief Medical Director / Executive Director for Global Health Benefits and Corporate Wellness for Cummins, Inc.; and Chief Medical Director, Employee Health Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center. At Vanderbilt he also held joint faculty appointments as Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health, and Adjunct Faculty, Owens Graduate School of Management, and was appointed to chair the Tennessee Diabetes Prevention and Health Improvement Board.  He is also the former Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the most recent chair of the Business Strategies Committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP).

He attended Loma Linda University, and received his medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine. He holds Masters’ Degrees in Business and in Public Health from the University of Detroit/Mercy and the Medical College of Wisconsin, respectively. A fellow in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, he is board certified in both Preventive Medicine and in Lifestyle Medicine. He serves on numerous other boards including the Bon Secours-Mercy Health Foundation, the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), the National Association of Managed Care Physicians (NAMCP), and the Population Health Alliance (PHA). 

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Secretary

Michelle Tollefson, MD, FACOG, DipABLM, FACLM

Michelle Tollefson, MD, FACOG, DipABLM, FACLM, is a lifestyle medicine physician in Colorado with an initial specialization in Ob-Gyn. She is a Professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver where she created and oversees the country’s first Bachelor of Science in Lifestyle Medicine and the Wellness Coaching and Lifestyle Medicine Pathway.She received her ABLM lifestyle medicine board certification and a fellowship in Lifestyle Medicine from ACLM. As an ACLM member for over a decade, she founded and co-chaired the Women’s Health Member Interest Group (MIG) as well as the Pre-Professional Lifestyle Medicine Education MIG.

Dr. Tollefson has presented at ACLM conferences, workshops, and a symposium. She has published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine (AJLM), served as guest editor for the AJLM ACLM Conference Edition and is the Editor-in-Chief for the Women’s Health Lifestyle Medicine being published later this year. As a breast cancer survivor she is honored to offer the PAVING the Path to Wellness, Lifestyle Medicine group program for breast cancer survivors, developed by Dr. Beth Frates and modified by Dr. Amy Comander. She is thriving through the power of lifestyle medicine as a breast cancer survivor and enjoys spending time in the Colorado outdoors with her active family.

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Treasurer

Sean Hashmi, MD, MS, FASN

Sean Hashmi, MD, MS, FASN, is a practicing Nephrologist and Obesity Medicine specialist in southern California. He is a sought-after speaker on topics ranging from health, nutrition, fitness, and wellness. Currently, Dr. Hashmi serves as the Regional Director for Clinical Nutrition and Weight Management at a large healthcare organization in Southern California. Driven by his lifelong commitment to be of service to others, Dr. Hashmi provides evidence-based health, nutrition, and wellness research through his 501c(3) nonprofit, SELFPrinciple.org. In addition, SELF Principle also supports children's education efforts through scholarships, books, and supplies.

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At-Large Representative

Craig McDougall, MD

Craig McDougall, MD, DipABLM, is an internist in Beaverton, OR, and is affiliated with Oregon Health and Science University Hospital. He received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, did his residency at Oregon Health & Science University and has been in practice 10 years.

Before joining OHSU’s faculty, Dr. McDougall worked as a primary care physician and was the physician lead of a Lifestyle Medicine consult clinic at Kaiser Permanente in its Northwest Region. Most recently, he was at ZOOM+Care helping develop an adult primary care practice emphasizing food and movement as medicine.

The last two years, Dr. McDougall has been working at Oregon Health and Science University as the medical director of a primary care clinic. 

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At-Large Representative

Jessica Matthews, DBH, MS, NBC-HWC

Jessica Matthews, DBH, MS, NBC-HWC, DipACLM, is assistant professor and program director in the College of Health Sciences at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA, where she has developed and implemented a graduate degree program in addition to creating and teaching courses in Lifestyle Medicine and health and wellness coaching. She also serves as director of integrative health coaching at UC San Diego Health in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, where she leads the development, delivery and management of health coaching within clinical practice and research, to include overseeing a team of coaches within the Centers for Integrative Health. 

Dr. Matthews received her doctorate in behavioral health with a focus in clinical integrated care from Arizona State University and she holds numerous professional certifications including as a national board-certified health and wellness coach. With a background in exercise science, she has served as a consultant and senior advisor for leading fitness and wellness organizations and has regularly contributed to numerous national media outlets. 

Dr. Matthews serves as lead faculty in the area of health behavior change for the ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum and as founding chair of the Health and Wellness Coaches Member Interest Group. Additionally, she serves on the board of directors for the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching.

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At-Large Representative

David Bowman, MD, DipABLM

Dr. David Bowman is a Lifestyle Medicine physician and pediatrician. The Indianapolis native attended Howard University for undergrad and Indiana University for medical school. After residency at DC Children's, he embarked on a career in global health and HIV and worked in Botswana, Nigeria and Haiti. He currently works at Howard University Hospital and is Board Certified in Pediatrics and also in Lifestyle Medicine. After his own health transformation using Lifestyle Medicine, he has been passionate and innovative in empowering health care providers, patients and the general public about the power of applying the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine in their lives. He created a Wellness Day for the new residents at Howard University Hospital, a program that has successfully run for three consecutive years. This program included yoga, fitness, mental health, and nutrition empowerment in the form of an interactive presentation and whole-food, plant-based cook-along demonstrations for the virtual Wellness Days in 2020 and 2021. In the inaugural Wellness Day in 2019, he added health screenings and a WFPB menu for meals. He has given grand rounds presentations about Lifestyle Medicine to various departments at Howard University Hospital, including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. He started his own venture, “Lifestyle Med Revolution” in 2021 to provide transformative health education to churches, schools, and community programs and has sponsored several “Daniel Fast” (WFPB spiritual fast) challenges. Dr. Bowman received glowing reviews for his appearance on the Chef AJ Live show on YouTube and numerous other interviews. Dr. Bowman is earning his Master’s in Nutritional Sciences at Howard University to formalize his nutrition education. He is passionate about applying spirituality to a person’s arsenal in achieving health goals. Dr. Bowman’s work has transformed his own family, his patients and their families, and he inspires those who hear him speak.

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At-Large Representative

Melissa Bernstein, PhD, DipACLM, RD, LD, FAND

Dr. Bernstein completed a coordinated program in nutrition and dietetics and received a bachelor of science from Syracuse University. She earned her Master of Science and Doctorate degree in nutritional biochemistry and exercise physiology with a focus on geriatrics from the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Her interests include introductory nutrition, geriatric nutrition, and the role of diet and lifestyle in health and disease prevention. Dr. Bernstein has co-authored prominent nutrition textbooks; Nutrition, Discovering Nutrition, Nutrition Across Life Stages, Nutrition for the Older Adult, and Nutrition Assessment: Clinical and Research Applications and reviewed and authored textbook chapters, position statements, and peer-reviewed journal publications. She is the co-author of the Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Food and Nutrition for Older Adults: Promoting Health and Wellness. Dr. Bernstein has served on review and advisory committees for the Academy’s Evidence Analysis Library and as a reviewer for Academy position statements.

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At-Large Representative

Melissa Mondala, MD, MHA, MS

Melissa Mondala, MD, MHA, MS, DipABLM, is a triple-board-certified specialist in family medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and primary care psychiatry. She is one of the youngest Lifestyle Medicine fellows in the nation and is a strong community health advocate. She is the co-owner of Dr. Lifestyle Direct Primary Care Clinic in Newport Beach, CA. She serves as faculty at Loma Linda University Preventive/Lifestyle Medicine Department. 

Dr. Mondala obtained her medical degree as well as her Masters of Health Administration degree from Chicago Medical School, and completed her family medicine residency and the first Lifestyle Medicine Fellowship at Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA.

To augment her training, she completed observerships at Weimar Institute’s NEWSTART; TrueNorth; and St. Helena’s TakeTEN, three intensive lifestyle change programs. She also has served the underserved in California, China, Guam and the Philippines. Dr. Mondala has planted seeds of change in the community through medical school, veg fest, and virtual summit lectures. She is a motivational speaker and has been featured in popular media.  

In addition to her board role with ACLM, she contributed to ACLM’s Lifestyle Medicine Residency curriculum. She served as President (2018-2019) and Secretary (2017-2018) for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Professionals in Training (PiT) Division, now known as the ACLM-Trainees division. She carried out PiT’s mission to expand PiT nationally and globally through Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups (LMIGs), social media campaigns, and personally inspiring a neighboring medical school.

At-Large Representative

Theresa Stone, MD, FACP

Theresa Stone, MD, FACP, is a practicing Internist in Washington, DC. Dr. Stone graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Washington Hospital. She is the Medical Director and cofounder of the Fresh & Savory Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Shared Medical Appointment Program, a pop-up teaching kitchen at Medstar Health. 

At MedStar Institute for Innovation, Dr. Stone headed a taskforce to bring wellness initiatives to the large 10- hospital system and has had the opportunity to work with colleagues on multiple Lifestyle Medicine initiatives. These initiatives include: a Georgetown School of Medicine Mind Body Medicine Elective; “Mindfulness Mondays, “a relaxation technique introduction for several Georgetown University Hospital Nursing Units; the Physician Wellbeing Taskforce; and “Wellness Wagon,” a program designed to promote healthy lifestyle interventions and build connectedness for Medstar Health associates in several multi-specialty outpatient ambulatory centers. 

Terri is a board member and serves on the Wellness Committee of the Medical Society of District of Columbia. She serves on the Culinary Advisory Board at AARP. In addition to her board role with ACLM, she is co-chair of the Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative and serves on the ACLM Health Disparities Solution Summit Leadership Team.

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At-Large Representative

Brad Biskup, PA-C, MHS, MA, DipACLM

Brad Biskup has developed an expertise in Lifestyle Medicine in the clinical setting, especially with the focus on exercise prescription. Brad earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Wyoming, as well as being certified as an Exercise Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine before receiving a Master of Arts degree in Biology from Central Connecticut State University. While working on his masters, he worked in osteoporosis and exercise research, as well as all phases of cardiac rehab prior to completing Quinnipiac University’s Physician Assistant Program and earning a Master’s in Health Science. Brad began working as a physician assistant in cardiology and specialized in lipid management as well as exercise in cardiovascular disease. Brad has developed an expertise in Lifestyle Medicine with the focus on primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention/treatment with modifiable risk factors, such as exercise, diet, smoking cessation, weight loss, and stress management. He started and has developed the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at University of Connecticut Health and has a Lifestyle Medicine Lecture series with monthly lectures. Both the clinic and lecture series have grown exponentially since the inception in 2010 with the goal of comprehensive health care with the primary focus on lifestyle changes and giving them the tools to improve their overall health. Brad has been active nationally having developed the Physician Assistant Interest Group through the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in 2014 which he currently chairs. He also is active presenting regionally and nationally on exercise as medicine.

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At-Large Representative

Neha Pathak, MD, DipABLM

Neha Pathak, MD, DipABLM, is an honors graduate of Harvard College and Weill Medical College of Cornell University and currently serves as Medical Editor and writer for WebMD and Medscape. Board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, she began practicing lifestyle medicine within the Department of Veterans Affairs as part of the VA’s Whole Health program to bring access to whole health care to vulnerable veterans. Currently, she is a member of ACLM's Women's Health Member Interest Group (MIG) and co-editor of a textbook volume focused on Lifestyle Medicine and women's health.

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Young Director 

Marsha-Gail Davis, MD

Marsha-Gail Davis, MD, is a primary care internist and preventionist. Originally from the island of Jamaica, she received her MD from the University of California, San Diego, and completed her residency in the Yale Primary Care Residency Program. She is currently completing additional training in the UCSD Preventive Medicine Residency Program while serving in the role of Chief Resident. At ACLM, in addition to serving on the Board as Young Director, Dr. Davis is a leader of the Health Equity Through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative.

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