Shaping the Future of Integrative Medicine and Whole-Person Health is a panel series hosted by the UC San Diego Centers for Integrative Health. Each panel brings together physicians and leaders in integrative medicine for a candid conversation about their work, their field, and where healthcare is headed.
The most recent panel took place on Monday, September 28, 2026, at the T. Denny Sanford Medical Education and Telemedicine Center. Recordings of past panels are available below, and the next panel will be announced soon.
The September panel explored the present and future of integrative medicine and whole-person health: what clinical experience has taught about health and healing, where healthcare is succeeding and where opportunities remain, and how the tripartite mission of clinical care, education, and research can advance a more compassionate, evidence-informed, and human-centered future for healthcare. Each conversation is open to healthcare professionals, scientists, educators, students, patients, caregivers, and members of the broader community.
September 2026 Panel
June 2026 Panel
The inaugural Shaping the Future panel took place on Monday, June 15, 2026. Moderated by Daniel Vicario, MD, ABIHM, the panel brought together Ellen Beck, MD; Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM; Sheila Patel, MD; Robert Bonakdar, MD, FAAFP, FACN, ABOIM; and Paul W. Corey, MD, who spoke candidly about the personal and professional journeys that shaped their paths into integrative and whole-person healing.
September 2026 Panelists
 | Daniel Vicario, MD, ABIHM (Moderator) A board-certified Medical Oncologist who has dedicated more than three decades to advancing the field of Integrative Oncology. Throughout his career, he has sought to thoughtfully integrate the best of evidence-based conventional cancer care with complementary healing approaches that support the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Guided by a lifelong commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care, his work has focused on enhancing quality of life, fostering resilience and healing, and supporting not only patients but also their families and caregivers throughout the cancer journey. |
 | Mimi Guarneri, MD, FACC, ABOIM A board-certified cardiologist and pioneer in integrative medicine, Dr. Erminia “Mimi” Guarneri has dedicated her career to advancing a more comprehensive approach to cardiovascular health. She founded the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, combining leading-edge cardiac care with evidence-based lifestyle medicine to prevent and treat heart disease, and is founder and president of the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine. |
 | Melanie Fiorella, MD A board-certified family physician and Medical Director of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Melanie Fiorella integrates lifestyle medicine, including nutrition, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and yoga, into primary care. As a professor of family medicine, she trains medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine and directs the Integrative Medicine in Residency program. |
 | Valencia Porter, MD, MPH, FACN, ABOIM, ABPM An integrative and preventive medicine physician, educator, and researcher, Dr. Valencia Porter was among the first physicians board-certified in integrative medicine and has served on the American Board of Integrative Medicine. Drawing on more than 30 years in neuroscience, mind-body medicine, and nutrition, her work centers on complex chronic illness, women’s wellbeing, and clinician wellbeing. She was recently featured in the documentary The Farmacy of Light. |
 | Ariel Portera, DO, IFMCP A board-certified family physician, Dr. Ariel Portera is dedicated to compassionate, whole-person care. Her work focuses on integrative and mind-body medicine for complex chronic conditions, with particular expertise in Pain Reprocessing Therapy for chronic pain, and she directs the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Program at the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine. |
 | Daniel Slater, MD, FAAFP A board-certified family and integrative medicine physician, Dr. Daniel Slater served on the founding executive committee of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine. After 18 years with Kaiser Permanente, he spent nearly a decade as a team physician for the San Diego Padres, and he currently provides integrative consultations at the Center for Integrative Medicine and Long COVID Clinics. |
 | Hollis H. King, DO, PhD, FAAO, FCA, FAAPO An osteopathic physician and researcher, Dr. Hollis King joined the UC San Diego Department of Family Medicine in 2014 and helped found its Osteopathic Manual Medicine service. A Past President and Fellow of the American Academy of Osteopathy, he continues a private practice at the Osteopathic Center San Diego, serves as Research Director for Osteopathy’s Promise to Children, and authored the chapter on osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine in Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine. |