The skin is far more than a cosmetic surface—it’s the body’s largest organ, an active immune and metabolic interface, and home to a diverse and dynamic microbiome. It serves as both barrier and bridge: protecting us from the outside world while reflecting the state of our inner health. 

Skin concerns are among the most common reasons patients seek care, whether for acne, eczema, rosacea, or premature aging. In fact, surveys consistently show that improving skin appearance and vitality ranks among the top health and wellness priorities for adults. Yet many functional medicine clinicians overlook this visible organ, despite its close links to systemic inflammation, nutrition, gut health, and immune regulation. 

This session will explore the emerging science of “beauty from within”—how the gut, nutrient intake, and immune function influence skin health and appearance. Participants will gain tools to integrate skin-focused insights into everyday practice, enriching both patient outcomes and engagement. 

Pain medicine is rapidly evolving beyond drugs and procedures toward strategies that activate the body’s intrinsic systems of repair and regulation. This session explores the convergence of non-invasive neuromodulation and targeted nutraceuticals as complementary pathways to reduce inflammation, restore autonomic balance, and improve patient outcomes. 

We’ll review how transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) and related bioelectronic modalities influence pain perception through modulation of the inflammatory reflex and descending inhibitory pathways. Equally important, evidence-based nutraceuticals—such as omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, Boswellia, magnesium, SAMe, and PEA—provide biochemical support for these same mechanisms, reducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. 

Together, these approaches represent a new model for integrative pain management—safe, scalable, and personalized. Participants will learn how to combine diagnostics, targeted supplementation, and home-use neuromodulation to enhance recovery, patient satisfaction, and business sustainability in cash-pay and hybrid practices. 

The gut microbiome is a foundational determinant of health, influencing everything from immune resilience and metabolic regulation to neurological function and hormonal balance. This presentation explores the developmental origins, ecological dynamics, and clinical relevance of the gut microbiome, emphasizing its role in chronic disease and dietary response. 

Through a functional medicine lens, we’ll examine keystone species, microbial diversity, and functional guilds, and how they relate to conditions such as autoimmunity, cardiometabolic dysfunction, and mental health. Attendees will gain practical tools for assessing and restoring microbial balance using diet, lifestyle, and targeted concepts, empowering clinicians to address root causes and optimize patient outcomes. 

Neurotransmitters: How are they made? How do they function? Where do they act?  Most importantly, how do neurotransmitter imbalances present clinically? Patient symptoms rarely stem from just one hormone or one neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters always interact with the endocrine and immune systems. Understanding the biochemical pathways and interconnectivity of neurotransmitters is critical before determining clinical applications. After the completion of this course, participants will be able to assess neurotransmitter levels and understand interactions with adrenal profiles. Obtain treatment considerations which utilize proven nutraceutical options combined with diet and lifestyle programs. Learn to employ an integrative approach which has been shown to be more effective in addressing mood disorders and more both for the short term and long-term sustained improvement.   

Cardiovascular disease and metabolic dysfunction are increasingly recognized as systemic conditions driven by inflammatory signaling, endothelial disruption, and impaired barrier integrity. This presentation explores the emerging role of intestinal permeability, with a focus on zonulin, as a modifiable biomarker associated with cardiometabolic risk. 

We will examine how advanced biomarkers such as oxidized LDL, small dense LDL, LP-PLA2, apolipoprotein B, hsCRP, adipokines, fasting insulin, and serum 1,5-anhydroglucitol intersect with intestinal barrier dysfunction and systemic inflammation. Through a functional and systems biology framework, clinicians will gain a deeper understanding of how to interpret these markers in context and apply this knowledge to stratify risk, personalize assessments, and guide early intervention strategies. 

Exposure to estrogen is a recognized potential risk factor for breast pathology, and achieving an optimal hormone balance is a primary objective in numerous treatment protocols. While understanding tissue levels of hormones is crucial for comprehending physiology and its connection to a patient's symptoms and health outcomes, it represents only the initial part of the narrative. The remainder of the story delves into the metabolism and elimination of hormones. This presentation will explore estrogen metabolism and the estrobolome, emphasizing the significance of urinary hormone and metabolite testing for uncovering an individual's unique metabolic function. The healthcare provider will acquire insights into phase 1, 2, and 3 metabolism, departing with practical clinical insights related to lifestyle, nutrition, treatment sequence, and nutraceutical interventions, thereby contributing to a comprehensive approach to patient care.  

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) represents a rapidly rising and frequently misunderstood contributor to complex chronic illness, impacting neuroimmune, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, endocrine, and cardiometabolic systems. Mast cells and sentinels of the innate immune system and serve as both “first responders” and “memory keepers” of environmental threat. Yet when exposed to persistent triggers such as toxicants, infections, stress peptides, and microbiome disruption, these cells undergo maladaptive hyper-responsiveness, driving chronic inflammation, autonomic instability, and multi-system symptomatology.

Far beyond its well-known role in sleep, melatonin serves as a master regulator of circadian timing, mitochondrial integrity, and hormonal balance. This session illuminates the latest research on melatonin’s multifaceted actions—not only in the brain, but also in the ovaries, skin, and gut—and how its natural decline with aging intersects with metabolic changes, oxidative stress, and women’s health transitions. We will explore melatonin’s unique profile as both a chronobiotic and a cellular protector, and how these dual roles make it a compelling molecule for supporting reproductive health, metabolic resilience, and graceful aging in women. 

As interest grows in both endogenous and plant-derived melatonin, clinicians are seeking clarity on dosage, delivery, and clinical applications. This session brings together emerging data on extrapineal melatonin, the impact of light exposure and inflammation on its natural production, and the distinctions between synthetic and botanical forms. Participants will leave with evidence-informed guidance for assessing melatonin status, restoring rhythmicity through lifestyle and nutrition, and integrating supplemental melatonin into safe, personalized care plans.