Ticktective

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 advis...

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 expert...

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

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 ...

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 Hospita...

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 ...

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; hi...

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...

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. Phil...

Jill Carnahan, MD, is a functional medicine doctor with a huge media presence, board-certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. She is the Medical Director of Flatiron Functional Medicine, a sought-after practice with a broad range of clinical services. As a survivor of breast cancer, Crohn's disease, and toxic mold illness she brings a unique perspective to treating patients in the midst of complex and chronic...

David Perlmutter, MD, FACN is a board-certified neurologist, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and five-time New York Times bestselling author. He is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of nutritional influences in neurological disorders. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Ar...

Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in Canada and her postdoctoral training from the National Institutes of Health. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at the mucosal surfaces, and the d...

Dr. Matt Kaeberlein is the Chief Executive Officer at Optispan, Inc., Affiliate Professor of Oral Health Sciences at the University of Washington, and Co-Director of the Dog Aging Project. Dr. Kaeberlein's research interests are focused on understanding the biological mechanisms of aging in order to facilitate translational interventions that promote healthspan and improve the quality of life for people and companion animals. He is...

Dr. Elena Frid is a Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist specializing in Infection Induced Autoimmune Disorders. With clinical interests in Autoimmune Neurology, she sees patients with complex cases of Lyme disease + co-infections, PANS/PANDAS, and Autoimmune conditions resulting in various neurological complaints. Using cutting-edge diagnostic tools and clinical expertise, she differentiates between idiopathic and organic ca...

David Putrino is a physical therapist with a PhD in Neuroscience. He is currently the Director of Rehabilitation Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System, and a Professor of Rehabilitation and Human Performance at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He develops innovative rehabilitation solutions for adults and children in need of better healthcare accessibility, and in 2019, he was named "Global Australian of the Year...