Functional Medicine Academy Medical Advisory Board

Lorri Kercher, CRNP, FMACP currently serves as the Clinical Director at The Dr. Z Functional Medicine, LLC. Prior to her role in Functional Medicine Education, Lorri spent two impactful years in the Peace Corps as a science teacher/trainer in Nepal. It was during this time that she decided to channel her energy towards improving the health of her community. With an extensive background spanning 25 years as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Lorri underwent a transformative shift to Functional Medicine in 2018 following a health emergency related to hEDS.

Armed with two years of hands-on experience managing a dynamic Functional Medicine practice, Lorri assumed a new position at The Dr. Z. Her dedicated mission involves supporting fellow practitioners in achieving their professional goals, ensuring the provision of comprehensive wellness care to their communities, and striving to broaden access to Functional Medicine for a wider audience.

Dr. Kshamica Nimalasuriya is a physician specializing in functional and preventive medicine, known for her deeply integrative, root-cause approach to health. She completed her medical degree at CAHSU and earned a Master of Public Health in Nutrition and Preventive Medicine from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Dr. Nimalasuriya went on to train at the Emory University School of Medicine, where she completed her Preventive Medicine residency, served as Chief Resident, and later continued as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Preventive Medicine.

With nearly two decades of experience across clinical medicine, public health, wellness innovation, and digital health, Dr. Nimalasuriya brings a uniquely comprehensive perspective to modern patient care. She is the founder of Bubby Health, a functional medicine practice dedicated to helping individuals heal chronic symptoms by uncovering underlying imbalances in hormones, digestion, metabolism, detoxification, and the nervous system. Her care model integrates advanced diagnostics, nutrition, evidence-based supplementation, lifestyle therapeutics, and whole-person support that addresses both physiology and emotional wellbeing.

Dr. Nimalasuriya’s career also spans public health leadership and healthcare innovation. She served as a Project Manager for Health Sciences Online and contributed to preventive health initiatives at the CDC’s Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She also worked as a Healthcare Intervention Designer for Lybba.org, where she helped create scalable tools for improving patient education and clinical outcomes.

An entrepreneur at heart, Dr. Nimalasuriya has conceptualized and launched multiple health-focused brands, including Dr. Nima’s and Kshamica MD Herbs, blending clinical insight with product development, consumer education, and business strategy. She has a long-standing ability to translate preventive medicine principles into accessible, real-world solutions that empower individuals and communities.

Across her work, Dr. Nimalasuriya is committed to the belief that most chronic symptoms are not random, they are signals. Her mission is to help patients interpret those signals, remove the root causes, and rebuild lifelong vitality with clarity and confidence.

Dr. Bronwen Martin, DC, IFMCP, is the cofounder and Clinical Director of Modern Functional Medicine, an integrative telehealth practice serving patients in more than 30 states and internationally. She leads a multidisciplinary healthcare team with multiple licenses and specialties, delivering advanced laboratory testing and personalized care for gut, hormone, metabolic, and complex chronic conditions.

Dr. Martin is certified through the Institute for Functional Medicine and has trained under respected clinicians including Dr. Brandy Zachary and Dr. Dan Kalish. She oversees clinical quality, designs evidence-based care pathways, and leads the integration of precision functional medicine protocols across the practice.

Dr. Brandy Zachary, DC, IFMCP (“Dr. Z”) is a powerful and unique Functional Medicine teacher, a successful 5th generation female entrepreneur, & award-winning practice owner. Her latest Functional Medicine launch skyrocketed from $0 to $7 million in under a year, earning her the prestigious 2 Comma Award, given to only 1% of online coaches.
Dr. Z has guided thousands of health entrepreneurs in branding, marketing, sales, and practice strategy, making her a go-to expert in the “Business of Health.” She’s taught for IFM, Rupa Health, Designs for Health, and more, sharing her practical, engaging approach with multidisciplinary audiences including MD, DO, DC, ND, FNP, RN, PharmD, LAc, and other nutritional practitioners.

With a track record of building 6- & 7-figure practices, publishing peer-reviewed and best-selling work, and revolutionizing Functional Medicine lab analysis with LabDX, Dr. Z proves success is possible in any environment. Known for her non-salesy, high-integrity style, she’s a sought-after mentor for Functional Medicine practitioners looking to grow and thrive.

Drue Bailey, BSN, RN, FMACP is a functional medicine practitioner and educator who helps clinicians deliver precise, patient-centered care while reclaiming time in their practice. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Nursing, Drue began in cardiac care before expanding her clinical perspective through travel nursing and integrative oncology. Now a faculty member at the Functional Medicine Academy, she trains practitioners in gut and hormone health, lab analysis (DUTCH, GI-MAP, OAT), and patient-centered protocols.

Her teaching goes beyond physiology, equipping practitioners with SOPs, note-taking frameworks, EMR automations, and patient journey mapping. Drue is known for blending evidence-based medicine with practical systems that make clinical decision-making clear and repeatable. Her approach is rooted in ethical, root-cause care and operational excellence—helping clinicians feel confident at the bedside and capable as the CEOs of their practice.

Ahna Crum is a functional medicine practitioner and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in autoimmune disease support. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics with an emphasis in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition, and is certified in Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy.Her professional journey is deeply personal. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis as a teenager, Ahna has firsthand experience navigating blindness, mobility loss, and recovery.

This lived perspective fuels her passion for helping others reclaim functionality and quality of life through a root-cause, whole-body approach.Alongside her clinical practice, Ahna is an educator and ghostwriter who has spent the last decade developing practitioner training materials, advanced nutrition curricula, and patient education resources. Her work spans topics such as autoimmune disease, nutritional biochemistry, functional lab analysis, and therapeutic diet strategies. Ahna’s dual role as practitioner and patient informs her unique teaching voice; equipping clinicians to deepen their understanding of functional medicine and nutrition physiology while translating science into practical, compassionate care. She is excited to be part of the Functional Medicine Academy team and looks forward to expanding clinical content for practitioners, while empowering patients to feel seen, supported, and capable of healing.