ILADS Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals (Richmond, VA)

Tania Dempsey, MD, ABHIM is a world-renowned expert in complex, multisystem diseases. Her extensive knowledge and experience with MCAS, Mold, Environmental Toxins, Lyme and Vector Borne Diseases has propelled her to the forefront of the medical community as a recognized and trusted speaker, researcher, and physician. Dr. Dempsey is Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She received her MD from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine residency at NYU Medical Center. Dr. Dempsey founded AIM Center for Personalized Medicine, a destination practice in Purchase, NY, serves on the ILADS Board of Directors as Secretary and hosts the podcast “Mast Cell Matters.”

Jacquelyn Meinhardt, DNP, FNP-BC, is a national leader in brain health and precision medicine, specializing in complex conditions such as cognitive decline, neuroinflammation, chronic infections, and environmental illness through a personalized, root-cause approach. Known for identifying overlooked clinical patterns, her work emphasizes the connection between immune function and brain health, with a focus on early intervention. She serves on the Board of Directors for the ILADS and leads its Big Data Initiative in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Meinhardt also advises AI-driven medical platforms, teaches at Georgetown University, and is dedicated to advancing early detection, restoring brain health, and redefining human performance.

Christine L. Saba, MD, PharmD, is board certified in pediatrics and serves as an assistant clinical professor at George Washington Medical School and Georgetown University Medical Center. She graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1992 and did her internship and residency at Georgetown. Dr. Saba has been in solo practice since 2000, creating Saba Integrative Medicine in 2014 to focus on patients with chronic conditions or undiagnosed symptoms that require multimodal care. Her focus includes treatment of tick-borne illness and the sequela related to those infections. Before medical school, Dr. Saba received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer Southern School of Pharmacy. Serving as the first senior clinical pharmacist in Johns Hopkins Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, she developed research protocols for analyzing various pediatric medications. She also enhanced her research skills as a medical manager of cardiovascular protocols at Squibb Pharmaceuticals. As Chair of the ILADS Pediatrics Committee, Dr. Saba is particularly interested in enhancing patients’ quality of life and thus incorporates many treatment modalities, including homeopathy and herbs. She is certified to practice acupuncture, with training in the Japanese model.

Chris Winfrey, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of New Image Wellness, where he integrates traditional psychiatry with metabolic, mitochondrial, and functional approaches to treat complex neuropsychiatric conditions, including traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairment, PANDAS, autism, mold-related illness, and refractory depression. His work emphasizes the role of immune function, environmental exposures, and metabolic health in shaping brain function and mental well-being. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Winfrey provides forensic psychiatric services and has presented nationally on topics spanning cultural psychiatry and the intersection of faith and mental health. He serves on the ILADS Medical Education Committee, and as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Dr. Winfrey has advanced training in psychoanalysis, functional and environmental medicine, and neuroimmune conditions, reflecting his commitment to a comprehensive, evolving approach to brain health.