Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common gastrointestinal infections worldwide. When present, H. pylori infection in the upper GI tract can lead to both peptic ulcers and gastritis. Despite the widespread adoption of antibiotic protocols to treat this infection over the past 30 years, there is still a need for alternative treatment options - due to growing antibiotic resistance and resultant treatment failure, but also the negative repercussions of triple and quadruple therapy on the gastrointestinal tract microbiota. In this presentation, Dr Hawrelak will review the research on probiotic, herbal, and nutritional interventions utilized to eradicate H. pylori and outline a H. pylori case with successful eradication using a combination of specific herbal medicines, probiotics, and dietary interventions in a previously antibiotic-resistant patient.

Dr Hawrelak is a researcher, educator, Western herbalist, and naturopath with over 25 years’ clinical experience. He did his PhD examining the capacity of probiotics, prebiotics and herbal medicines to modify the gastrointestinal tract microbiota and teaches worldwide on the topics of microbiota modification, probiotics, and gut health. He has published extensively in these areas, including 20 textbook chapters. Jason is on the Medical Nutrition Council of the American Society for Nutrition, is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and is a Life member of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia. He is Lead Educator at the Microbiome Restoration Center and Chief Research Officer at ProbioticAdvisor.com.

During this session we will follow the infant microbiome with its sequential evolution and identify key protector and perturbing influences. Questions relating to where the infant acquires their microbes from, sustainable maternal sharing from multiple sites, and environmental acquisition of human-adapted microbes will be explored. The potential health functions of the different stages of microbiome development will be outlined, as well as strategies to help protect and nurture these stages. The dynamic nature of the infant microbiome presents challenges for assessment and decision- making around microbiome-related interventions. Timing for testing, and follow-up testing, will be explored; in particular following microbiome-disturbing events. Risk and benefit considerations and clinical reasoning behind targeted microbiome-focused interventions will be explored. We will look at strategies for nurturing the infant microbiomes’ healthful stages, optimising healthful microbe acquisition, and consider some of the cautions around probiotic prescribing in this population.

Dawn Whitten is a clinician, educator and researcher. She is passionate about protecting and nurturing the microbiome of the next generation and has a broad-base of clinical experience with a focus on women’s health through pregnancy and beyond, and infant and toddler health. Having a background as a Western Herbalist, Naturopath and Lactation Consultant makes her well placed to serve parents through these life chapters. Dawn is published in the peer-review literature and has contributed to textbook chapters in the area of breastfeeding and infant health. She has been in clinical practice for over 20 years and is part of Goulds Natural Medicine, a busy apothecary, clinic and associated herb farm in Tasmania. She taught Evidence-based Complementary Medicine at the University of Tasmania for over 10 years. She is co-founder of the Microbiome Restoration Center, an organisation dedicated to providing non-biased continued professional education to clinicians relating to microbiome health. She is the Early Life Health Lead there.

This talk provides a clinically grounded overview of modern pharmacologic strategies for inflammatory bowel disease, translated through an integrative lens. It reviews the major medication classes used in IBD, including 5-ASA compounds, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, biologics, and small molecules, with a focus on mechanisms, clinical positioning, and safety considerations. Attendees will gain clarity on how and when these therapies are used, including induction versus maintenance strategies and step-up versus top-down approaches. The talk emphasizes practical decision-making for naturopathic physicians managing complex IBD cases alongside or in collaboration with conventional care.

Dr. Ilana Gurevich is a naturopathic physician, licensed acupuncturist, and Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Gastroenterology. She earned her doctorate from the National University of Natural Medicine in 2007 and a master’s in Oriental medicine in 2008. Based in Portland, Oregon, she runs a gastroenterology-focused private practice specializing in IBD, IBS, SIBO, and complex functional GI disorders. Dr. Gurevich co-hosts The Turd Nerds and The Point of Medicine podcasts, where she translates complex concepts into practical clinical insights. She is a sought-after speaker and educator, mentoring physicians and supervising residents in advanced GI care. Her work bridges conventional and naturopathic approaches to digestive health. She has been named a Portland Monthly “Top Doc” multiple times and received the 2022 Borborygmus Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gastroenterology Association of Naturopathic Physician.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to play an important role in many chronic maladies, including gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, gastroparesis, and others. This presentation shall review its basic science, pathophysiology and treatment options.

Dr. Rade is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) and his practice focuses on persistent borreliosis and coinfections, mold illness, integrative oncology, the biomedical treatment of autism, PANS/PANDAS, neurological disorders, SIBO, chronic pain and treatment-resistant conditions. He utilizes a wide range of tools including ozone therapy, prolotherapy, perineural injection therapy, Low Dose Immunotherapy, intravenous therapies, neurofeedback and many others.