Functional Medicine Academy Medical Advisory Board
Clinical Integrity. Educational Rigor. Interprofessional Perspective.
The Dr. Z × FMA Medical Advisory Board is a multidisciplinary group of experienced clinicians who provide independent clinical guidance to support the quality, integrity, and credibility of FMA’s educational programs.
The Board exists to help ensure that FMA education is clinically sound, evidence-informed, and appropriate across scopes of practice—while supporting accreditation readiness and long-term institutional trust.
This advisory structure reflects FMA’s commitment to responsible, patient-centered education, without replacing practitioner judgment or involving patient-specific care.
Mission and Purpose
The Medical Advisory Board exists to support excellence in functional and preventive medicine education.
By bringing together clinicians from multiple disciplines and licenses, the Board offers thoughtful guidance that helps keep FMA’s educational content grounded in clinical reality, ethical practice, and evolving best practices in integrative care.
The Board serves in an advisory—not operational—role, strengthening educational quality while respecting practitioner autonomy and scope of practice.
Meet the Medical Advisory Board
Clinical Director and Chair
Lorri Kercher, CRNP, FMACP, AFMCP
Clinical Director and Chair, Medical Advisory Board
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Dr. Brandy Zachary, DC, IFMCP (“Dr. Z”)
Functional Medicine Teacher
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Dr. Bronwen Martin, DC, IFMCP
Co-founder and Clinical Director of Modern Functional Medicine
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Dr. Kshamica Nimalasuriya, MD, MPH
Physician Specializing in Functional and Preventive Medicine
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Drue Bailey, BSN, RN, FMACP
Functional Medicine Practitioner and Educator
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Ahna Crum, MS, RDN, LDN
Functional Medicine Practitioner and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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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.
Board Member
Functional Medicine Practitioner and Educator
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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Dr. Lisa Pomeroy is a traditional naturopath with advanced training in functional medicine, lab test interpretation, and gut microbiome restoration. She has studied with leading organizations including the Kalish Institute, The Microbiome Restoration Center, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN), the Institute of Restorative Health (IRH), The Biome Learning Center, and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).
Lisa specializes in gut microbiome analysis and restoration. She is a Certified Microbiome Analyst through The Microbiome Restoration Center (under Dr. Jason Hawrelak) and a Certified Microbiome Clinical Science Practitioner (MCS-P) through The Biome Learning Center (under Kiran Krishnan).
For over a decade, Lisa has trained health practitioners to confidently interpret functional lab tests and develop personalized results-driven nutritional protocols for their clients. She is highly skilled at interpreting numerous lab tests, including the GI-MAP, DUTCH, and OAT tests. Prior to joining Functional Medicine Academy, Lisa served as a Clinical Lab Educator for Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory for eight years and BioHealth Laboratory for five years.
Lisa is also the founder of Pomeroy Institute for Functional Nutrition, where she provides educational resources and online training programs for functional medicine practitioners. She is widely recognized for her ability to simplify complex concepts and help practitioners “connect the dots” in clinical practice.
Board Member
Sharon, RNT, IFMCP, FMACC
Functional Medicine Practitioner and Educator
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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Sharon is a Registered Nutritional Therapist based in the UK who was been in clinical practice for 16 years with degrees in Dietetics (USA) and Nutritional Medicine (UK). She is IFMCP and FMACC certified also. She has worked running her own practice and also for the London Centre for Functional Medicine (LCFM). Additionally, doing case reviews for other nutrition practitioners. After having had a career in IT for many years, she now works with FMA in a hybrid tech/clinical role.
Board Member
Dr. Sarah Young, PhD, CCC-SLP, IMD
Functional Medicine Practitioner and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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Dr. Sarah Young, PhD, CCC-SLP, IMD is a neurointegrative clinician and founder of NeuroSynergy Integrative Health, specializing in brain-body healing for individuals with complex and often invisible health conditions. With over 15 years of clinical experience, she integrates neuroscience, functional medicine, and mind-body approaches to support recovery from brain injury, chronic illness, and nervous system dysregulation.
Dr. Sarah holds a PhD in Integrative Medicine, a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is also an ordained minister, bringing a unique perspective that bridges science, spirituality, and whole-person care.
She is the author of Quantum Integrative Medicine for Brain Injury: A Clinician’s Guide and The Healer’s Map: A Multidimensional Guide to Brain Injury Recovery, and host of the NeuroAlchemy Podcast, where she explores the intersection of neuroscience, healing, and human potential.
Her work focuses on helping both individuals and practitioners understand the deeper patterns behind symptoms, emphasizing personalized, multidimensional approaches that restore clarity, regulation, and resilience. Areas of Expertise: Neurointegrative medicine and brain-body healing; functional and integrative medicine; brain injury rehabilitation and neuroplasticity; nervous system regulation and trauma-informed care; cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders (SLP); psychoneuroimmunology and stress physiology; chronic illness and invisible conditions; mind-body medicine and somatic practices; energy medicine and multidimensional healing; clinical education and health literacy; patient-centered integrative care models.
Board Member
Camille Fish, L.Ac., FDN-P
Functional Health Coach
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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Camille Fish, L.Ac., FDN-P, is a Licensed and Board Certified Acupuncturist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Health Coach specializing in women’s health and chronic skin conditions. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and is certified in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, Hormone Health Coaching, Root Cause Dermatology, and Hatha yoga. With over a decade of experience in alternative medicine, Camille brings a deep, integrative perspective to every client relationship.
Her interest in functional dermatology began close to home. When her daughter navigated seborrheic dermatitis and eczema in her early years, Camille found herself digging into the “why” behind chronic skin conditions and fell in love with the root-cause approach. That curiosity grew into a specialty, and today she helps clients untangle the underlying drivers of their own skin and hormone concerns.
Camille is passionate about behavior change and loves finding creative ways to make clinical protocols fit real life. As a busy mom of two, she understands what it takes to build routines that hold up in the middle of everyday chaos, and she brings that same practical, supportive approach to every client she serves. Her work helps clients improve outcomes by turning recommendations into sustainable habits, reducing overwhelm, and creating systems that make care easier to follow and easier to scale. As a member of the Medical Advisory Board, Camille looks forward to contributing her blended expertise in Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbology, functional medicine, and behavior change, helping bridge the gap between clinical recommendations and the daily realities of the patients who follow them.
Board Member
Functional Health Coach
Areas of Expertise: Preventive medicine; functional medicine diagnostics; public health strategy; health innovation and education
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Accreditation Support
The Medical Advisory Board supports FMA’s commitment to high-quality continuing education by strengthening clinical alignment, content integrity, and accreditation readiness.
Educational programs are developed in accordance with recognized continuing education standards and are designed to support independent clinical judgment within a practitioner’s licensed scope and jurisdiction.
Why This Board Exists
Functional medicine education comes with real responsibility.
Practitioners today are caring for increasingly complex patients, working with advanced diagnostics, and practicing within evolving professional and regulatory expectations. In this environment, education must be not only innovative, but careful, grounded, and clinically responsible.
The Medical Advisory Board was created to bring experienced, interprofessional perspective to this work. Its purpose is to help ensure that FMA’s educational programs reflect:
- Sound clinical thinking across disciplines
- Thoughtful consideration of scope and standards
- Consistency and integrity as programs grow
- A level of rigor expected of a mature educational institution
This structure reflects FMA’s belief that credibility is built through clarity, responsibility, and respect for the work practitioners do every day.
Board Responsibilities
In practice, this includes:
- Reviewing educational frameworks for clinical clarity and coherence
- Offering perspective on scope-of-practice considerations across licenses
- Providing input on ethical, regulatory, and professional standards
- Sharing insight on emerging trends in functional and preventive medicine
- Supporting alignment across programs and certifications
The Board’s role is advisory only. It does not provide medical care, supervise practitioners, or manage operations. All clinical decisions remain the responsibility of the individual licensed practitioner, within their scope and jurisdiction.
Advisory Role Disclosure
The Dr. Z × FMA Medical Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity only.
Board members do not provide medical care through FMA, do not supervise practitioners, and do not participate in operational decision-making. All clinical decisions remain the sole responsibility of the individual licensed practitioner, in accordance with their scope of practice and applicable laws.