Scientific Advisory Board

NHRI’s Scientific Advisory Board Members

Yalda Shokooh, PharmD, Ph.D.

Dr. Yalda Shokooh, the Natural Health Research Institute Executive Director, has more than 20 years of experience in natural products. She conducted research on botanicals for two decades and published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. She is a Pharm D as well as having a doctorate in Pharmacognosy. She had two fellowships in “Phytochemistry” and “Medicinal plants analysis”. Most recently, she was a full professor at Sonoran University of Health Sciences, where she researched herbs and taught Pharmacology. She is also the Director of Science and Nutrition at NOW Health Group. Dr. Shokooh has been in leadership roles for the last 11 years and has a passion for natural products.

Patrick Massey, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Massey is the past Medical Director of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network and currently has an active medical practice, ALT-MED Medical and Physical Therapy Program, in Elk Grove Village IL.  Dr. Massey is board certified in both internal medicine and integrative medicine.  As a graduate of the first class at the Dr. Andrew Weil Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, Dr. Massey has specialty training in integrative medicine and has been a leader in clinical integrative medicine for over 25 years.  Dr. Massey lectures locally and nationally on various integrative medicine topics and is a reviewer for several medical journals. He is published in peer reviewed journals in both basic and clinical science.  For the past fifteen years Dr. Massey writes a biweekly columnist on alternative medicine for the Daily Herald, the largest Chicago suburban newspaper and is the author of  “Miracles or I Have No More Boils.”

Sarah Hung, ND, MSOM, L.ac.

Dr. Sarah Hung is a board certified Naturopathic Physician, licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Her goal is to bring natural healing methods such as looking for the root cause, medicinal plants and herbs and utilizing food as medicine to others so they can feel empowered to heal themselves. Her tools of choice in her clinical practice include nutrition, functional laboratory testing and custom herbal formulations, and she specializes in reproductive and endocrine disorders, cardiometabolic wellness, healthy aging, as well as nutritional and herbal strategies to support brain and neurotransmitter balance. In her free time, she enjoys spending time performing music and enjoying time with family and friends. As a natural foods enthusiast, she enjoys preparing a variety of delicious and healthy meals from a variety of cultures and spending time in nature.

Christopher Vedeler, LAc

Chris is a Licensed Acupuncturist in the State of Arizona and an Assistant Professor at Sonoran University. He is also the Interim Department Chair of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at Sonoran University.  He has been an adjunct professor of Chinese medicine since 2005, teaching at Sonoran University since 2011 and at Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture (PIHMA) since 2005. Chris received the “Excellence in Teaching Award” at Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture in 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2022 and the “Teacher of the Term” award at Sonoran University in 2018.

He has a private acupuncture practice in Tempe, Arizona, where he shares his office with his wife and has been treating patients since 2006. His primary interest areas are in the study of consciousness, the power of the mind in healing and treating pain and emotional issues using Chinese medicine. Chris is equally comfortable discussing scientific theories and the ancient philosophy and healing arts of Chinese medicine. He offers a warm and approachable teaching style, combining stories and humor to help students understand complex theories. When not teaching or practicing Chinese medicine, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and learning about history, astronomy, and psychology.

He also enjoys being in nature, appreciating art and music, working on cars, and doing home remodeling.

Richard B. van Breemen, Ph.D.

Dr. Richard van Breemen received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Experimental  Therapeutics from Johns Hopkins University and B.A. in Chemistry with honors from  Oberlin College. He was Editor-in-Chief of Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening and is currently on the editorial boards of Biomedical Chromatography and Assay and Drug Development Technologies.  He received a University Scholar Faculty Award from the University of Illinois, a 2010 Expert Methods Panel Award from the AOAC International for his work on analytical methods for dietary supplements, and the 2008 Harvey W. Wiley Award from the AOAC International. In 2020, he was named by the editors of Analytical Scientist to their Power List as one of the 10 top analytical science experts in North America. The research of Dr. van Breemen concerns the discovery and development of natural products as chemoprevention agents and the investigation of botanical dietary supplements as alternatives to traditional estrogen replacement therapy.