Dr. Joseph Pizzorno is a transformational leader in medicine. As founding president of Bastyr University in 1978, he coined the term “science-based natural medicine,” which set the foundation for Bastyr to become the first accredited institution in this field anywhere in the world and validated that medicine that promotes health rather than just treats disease could be credibly taught, researched, and practiced. As co-author of the Textbook of Natural Medicine (first edition 1985, fifth edition 2020), he established the scientific foundation for health promotion medicine. With over 100,000 copies sold in four languages, over half to MDs, it not only helped reestablish naturopathic medicine as an important part of the healthcare system but also provided the scientific foundation for the transformational fields of integrative and Functional Medicine throughout the world. The innovative artificial intelligence system he created has been used in corporate wellness by 20,000 employees and demonstrated a 50% reduction in the high-risk group by providing users highly personalized guidance for what they uniquely need to restore their health. He is now leading a multiphase research study to assess the efficacy of detoxification for the reversal of the diabetes epidemic. If successful, it will change the standard of care not just for diabetes, but for the many other chronic diseases where toxins are major contributors.

A naturopathic physician (licensed in WA state since 1975), educator, researcher, and expert spokesman, he is editor-in-chief of PubMed-indexed IMCJ, founding board member and currently chair of the board of IFM, founding board member of American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and a member of the science boards of the Hecht Foundation, Gateway for Cancer Research, and Bioclinic Naturals. He was appointed by Presidents Clinton and Bush to two prestigious government commissions to advise the President and Congress on how to integrate natural medicine (by whatever name) into the healthcare system. He is author or co-author of six textbooks for doctors (most recently Clinical Environmental Medicine) and seven consumer books, including the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (with more than two million copies in six languages) and, most recently, The Toxin Solution.

As an intellectual, political, and academic leader in medicine for over four decades, he has been widely honored, such as with the Linus Pauling Award by The Institute for Functional Medicine. Most recently, in 2019, he received the Stanley Wallach Award from the American College of Nutrition. In 2018, he received the Leadership Award from the Integrative Healthcare Symposium and the Visionary Award from the Academy of Integrative and Health Medicine.