Hello! I’m Dr. Z.

I’m a functional medicine physician, but in a sense I’m also a detective and a teacher.

…Because in my opinion, that’s what a good doctor is.

As a detective, I focus on the body’s “clues”

This allows me to help you:

Discover the real sources of your symptoms,

Address the underlying cause(s), and

Get back out there and feel fantastic.

As a Teacher, I’m Here to Empower

I do this through my work as a medical speaker and writer, standing in lecture halls and writing articles,

and also when connecting one-on-one with my clients at Simba Health.

I take the time to explain the nature of various medical conditions, the details of the body’s brilliance and physiology, and how to best support the healing process.

I believe education is power.

A Refreshing Alternative

I’m not interested in toeing the party line of a broken healthcare system.

In an environment incredibly hostile to doctors working outside of big box hospitals, I opened a private consultation business because health is not one-size-fits-all.

In a profession that disparages any deviation from the conventional approach, I proudly learned functional medicine because it works better.

In an industry that demands specialization, I continue to stay multi-talented and versatile, because humans are not machines.

Education & Training

It was at the end of my undergraduate career at McGill University that I realized I wanted to become a doctor. Unfortunately my double-major in English Literature and Religious Studies and minor in Russian Language wasn’t quite what I needed to get into medical school. After graduating from the “Harvard of Canada” in three years with High Honors, I went right back to college to get a pre-med degree.

Unimpressed with what conventional medical schools had to offer both my future clients and me, I was delighted to discover and attend the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in Portland, Oregon – one of only five medical schools in the country to train physicians in truly integrative medicine.

After graduating from medical school with High Honors and speaking at my graduation, I completed a family practice residency at NUNM where I honed my skills not only as a clinician but also as a teacher. After residency I was blessed to be taken under the wing of board-certified pediatrician Dr. Paul Thomas, author of The Vaccine-Friendly Plan, and completed four years of part-time post-doctoral training in pediatrics under his tutelage.

Along the way I’ve also done many specialized trainings, such as completing a two-year program with the New England School of Homeopathy, studying thyroid health with Dr. Datis Kharrazian, becoming certified in Holistic Pelvic Care™ under the guidance of Tami Kent, and pursuing training in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). I’ve both attended and presented at numerous conferences on topics from testosterone replacement therapy to entheogenic healing. I am also adjunct faculty at my alma mater, where I guest lecture in the medical and nutrition programs and serve as a substitute attending physician.

Let’s Take Your Health to the Next Level