Functional Medicine Research in Clinical Practice: A Call to Action for Practitioners

The 2026 IFM Functional Medicine Conference included poster presentations. IMCJ was provided the opportunity to publish these presentations, allowing the content to be indexed in PubMed.

The manuscripts published in this section are a testament to the feasibility of conducting functional medicine research in clinical practice. The projects were carried out by a diverse practitioner group, primarily without large grants or research staffs. Their work was done in a wide variety of clinical settings and represents a broad range of study designs. We hope these articles inspire and empower clinicians of all backgrounds to consider ways in which they may leverage their unique skills to conduct and publish functional medicine research. As these articles demonstrate, clinicians have the potential to meaningfully build the evidence base and support the widespread adoption of functional medicine.

To view the editorial commentary describing this program please click here.

You can also view a digital version of the issue by clicking here, or read each individual presentation by clicking on the title below.

Functional Medicine Research in Clinical Practice: A Call to Action for Practitioners   

• Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Approach to Restore Veteran Vitality: A Feasibility Pilot 
  Omowunmi Osinubi, MD, MSc, MBA, FRCA, ABIHM, IFM-CP; Steven Greer, MS, EP-C; Pauline McManus, BSN, RN, COHN-S; Carrie J. Carlson, DO, FAAFP, IFMCP, ABOIM; Elijah Sacra, FMCHC CPT, E-RYT 200; Clarissa A. Kussin, FMCHC, CNHP, E-RYT 500; Helena Chandler, PhD; Kari Haws, PhD

  Seventeen veterans with Gulf War Illness followed functional medicine program for mitochondrial enhancement for six months, seeing improvements in energy, mood, and pain.

• A Root Cause Approach to Men’s Hormone Health Using Specific Maca Phenotypes: A Narrative Review
  Emily C. Hernandez, MS, CNS; Corey B. Schuler, PhD, FNP-C, APHN-BC, CNS; Marc B. Sklar, DACM, LAc, FABORM; Kim Ross, DCN, MS, MBA, CNS, LDN, IFMCP; James Edward Barnes Frame, BS; Deanna Marie Minich, MS, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMCP

  An overview of lifestyle and dietary changes for men’s health with emphasis on how specific types of maca and saw palmetto can be used to address hormone health, sexual health, and prostate health.

• A Functional Medicine Lens on Eating Disorders and Ultra-Processed Food Use Disorders: A Narrative Review
  David A. Wiss, PhD, RDN, IFMCP

  This narrative review looks at the connection of restrictive eating disorders, binge-eating disorders, and ultra-processed food use disorders to adverse childhood events and generational trauma that suggests mental health treatment is a critical component of treating these disorders, supporting the functional medicine approach that looks at the whole person for successful treatment.

• CYP450 Enzymes in Drug Metabolism and Personalized Medicine: A Narrative Review
  Francesca Orlando-Baldwin, DSc, MS

  In this discussion of CYP450 enzymes, evidence shows how variation in these enzymes impacts drug reactions, leading to the conclusion that determining CYP450 variants will lead to better treatment outcomes.

• Functional Deprescribing: A Systems-Based Framework for Safe Medication Reduction
  Leslie Fuller, ND

  A functional medicine approach to deprescribing medications that addresses the whole person.

• Dry Eye Disease: A Functional Medicine Approach Aligned with the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS)
  Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, FMCP, FOWNS

  Proposal to add lifestyle factors to assessment of dry eye, giving health professionals and patients understanding of modifiable factors to incorporate into treatment.

• Insulin Resistance Screening in Perimenopausal Musculoskeletal Care: A Functional Medicine-Informed Framework
  Tara Moore, PT, DPT, MEd, NTP, IFMCP

  One symptom of perimenopause, musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction, may be a result of insulin resistance, and lifestyle changes, including resistance training, should be utilized to bring whole person health.

• Enhancing Periodontal Outcomes with Genomics and Functional Medicine: A Case Report
  Mary Ellen S. Chalmers, DMD, MS, IFMCP; Clare Cattarin, MSN, FNP, IFMCP

  This case report of a 65-year-old woman with periodontal disease despite conventional treatment and compliant lifestyle choices illustrates the need to take a whole-person approach to periodontal health.

• Functional Medicine Approach to Autoimmune Hypothyroidism: A Case Report
  Jamie Marie Punzi, ND

  For those with autoimmune hypothyroidism, addressing micronutrient deficiency, gut dysbiosis, metabolic dysfunction, and any other upstream contributors can improve patient outcomes.

• Beyond the Diagnosis: A Clinical Framework for Assessing Micronutrient Deficiency in High-Risk Care
  Layth Tumah, MD, ABFM, DABOM, DiABLM, FMCP-M; James Carter, MD, FACC, FSVM, IFMCP, RPVI; Ramona Wallace, DO, IFMCP; Ashley Siuda, RD, LD, IFNCP

  Looking at three examples of cases of micronutrient deficiencies, a new framework is proposed to assess and address these deficiencies using food first in high-risk populations.

• CPAP Therapy Linked False Reassurance to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients: A Retrospective Observational Study
  Sahil Chopra, MD; Savit Raj Malhotra; Quynh Theresa Do, BS; Stacey Gunn, MD; Keilah Oberstein-Wright, NP-BC, MSN; Cali Bahrenfuss, CCSH, RPSGT; Robert Joseph Thomas, MD, MMSc

  By analyzing data from CPAP machines in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, results show that patients’ sleep is often still low quality and disrupted, demonstrating the need for follow up sleep analysis and complementary therapies and changes.

• Targeting Gut Dysbiosis and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Deficiency in Chronic Eczema: A Case Report
  Stephanie Daboub, BA; Emma J. Norton, ND, IFMCP; Sabrina Brakke, BS, BA; Samantha Wessel, BS; Alexandra Currell, BS

  A case report on a patient with chronic eczema given a multi-staged functional medicine protocol to treat gut dysbiosis, lowering inflammation, healing gut lining, balancing the gut microbiome, and supporting short-chain fatty acid production

• Histamine Intolerance Through a Functional Medicine Lens: A Systems-Based Review
  Elena Colussi-Pelaez, MD

  Histamine Intolerance, which presents with gastrointestinal distress, flushing, headaches, and hives, can be addressed through a functional medicine approach, which centers on a low-histamine diet, diamine oxidase supplementation, and microbiome support for reduction in symptoms.