Our Team
Beth Frates, MD
FACLM, DipABLM
Beth Frates, MD, FACLM, is a trained physiatrist and a health and wellness coach, with expertise in Lifestyle Medicine. She is an award-winning teacher at Harvard Medical School, where she is an assistant clinical professor. Dr. Frates is a pioneer in lifestyle medicine. She developed and taught a college Lifestyle Medicine curriculum at the Harvard Extension School in 2014. She was voted president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in August 2020.
Amy Comander, MD
DipABLM
Amy Comander, MD, DipABLM is a breast oncologist and Director of Breast Oncology and Survivorship at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Waltham and at Newton Wellesley Hospital. She is Medical Director of the MGH Cancer Center in Waltham, and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Michelle Tollefson, MD
FACOG, DipABLM, FACLM
Michelle Tollefson, MD, FACOG, DipABLM, FACLM, is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Denver, Colorado, and a Professor in the Health Professions Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver where she created and oversees the Lifestyle Medicine Program and the Wellness Coaching and Lifestyle Medicine Pathway.
She was voted in for a second term as Secretary of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and is the Lead Editor for Improving Women’s Health Across the Lifespan.
Valeria Tivnan
MPH, Med
Valeria (Val) Tivnan is the Vice-President Population Health Strategy & Well-being at IMA Financial Corp. Val advises many companies on how to bring lifestyle medicine into their culture so employees can optimize health and thrive. With over 25 years of experience, her passion lies particularly in mindfulness & meditation, wellness, lifestyle medicine, disease prevention and population health management. As a meditation instructor, Val’s passion involves the connection of mind and body to optimize health and well-being.
Jodi Bornstein
Author Plant Forward: A PAVING the Path to Wellness Cookbook
Jodi Bornstein, originally from Montreal, Canada, is an occupational therapist at Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, Massachusetts. She works in an outpatient-at-home program, helping people identify what truly matters most to them as they work toward living their lives with meaning, purpose, and the utmost functional independence possible. Jodi also teaches at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She has a loyal following on her cooking and food blog Redgate Kitchen (redgatekitchen.com and on Instagram @redgatekitchen). Jodi is the author of Plant Forward: A PAVING the Path to Wellness Cookbook.
Dr. Neha Kumar
Coordinator for PAVING Classes for Connection and Book Club
Neha Kumar, DO, MPH, DipABLM is an Osteopathic physician certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). Her personal and professional experiences have been a catalyst that led her to certify in Lifestyle medicine and Plant based nutrition. After benefitting from her participation and training in PAVING the Path to Wellness program, Neha aims to share how the Lifestyle Medicine Pillars and PAVING wheel components can be implemented in daily life. A resident of Northern Virginia, Neha lives with her husband and enjoys cooking whole-food plant-based meals, walking, and spending time in nature.
Dr. Mahima Gulati
Shared Medical Appointment Expert
Dr. Mahima Gula, is a triple board-certified physician: certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism; as well as Internal Medicine and Board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
She is an Associate Professor, Department of Medical Sciences at the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, where she teaches both endocrinology, and Lifestyle Medicine to medical students.
Julia Pangalangan
MS, CPT, Senior Research Associate
Julia Pangalangan, MS, CPT, is a senior professional research associate at the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center where she works on the implementation and evaluation of nutrition education and health promotion programs for underrepresented youth, teachers, and families. As health coach and personal trainer with a specialty in positive psychology, Julia has always been passionate about strengths-based approaches to well-being.
Julia is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health. She first graduated from Miami University with a degree in honors psychology and nutrition. She then worked in the health and wellness space for 4+ years before completing her masters in Community Health and Prevention Research at Stanford University. Her primary focus is on community-informed lifestyle medicine approaches to prevent chronic disease and promote whole-person well-being.
Spiridoula Varelis
PAVING Intern
Spiridoula Varelis has a Bachelors of Science in Integrative Health care from MSU where she held an executive role in the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) affiliated with the College of Lifestyle Medicine Professionals in Training (PiT). She is currently a Pre-Medical student focused on applying her passion in holistic health to underrepresented communities in rural areas. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and currently serving as a PAVING intern. Her research experience focused on the impact of stress on the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, specifically the maladaptive effects on the hypothalamic adrenal axis during low grade, chronic stress. Spiridoula has applied her stress research and expertise in lifestyle medicine by working with families in rural Colorado as a member of a local non-profit. She coached families on strategies for nutrition and physical activity using a protective factors framework to contribute to children and adult health, development, and well-being. She is a blue-ribbon award winner with the Department of Health and Human Services for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visitation. Certified in motivational interviewing methods, she delivered therapeutic intervention to prenatal women and mothers for health positive behavioral changes. Spiridoula is a certified Yoga Therapist and has trained students and teachers on stress-reduction through breath work and yoga movement. She is also a certified suicide care first responder and a certified phlebotomist.
Michelle Going
PAVING Intern
Michelle Going is an integrative healthcare major at MSU Denver, graduating in Spring of 2024. She has served as the vice president for the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group at school and continues to volunteer for events the group holds. After being introduced to the PAVING program in 2021, she became an intern and has enjoyed helping people live healthier lives. She has been a licensed massage therapist for over 7 years specializing in sports massage and cupping therapy. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school for naturopathic medicine in fall of 2025. When she is not studying she can be found enjoying all that the Colorado mountains have to offer.
Jill Wilson
PAVING Intern
Jill Wilson spent 23 years in the financial services industry including serving as Assistant Vice President of Global Operations at Oppenheimer Funds. She then decided to make a career change and is currently a student at Metro State University graduating with honors in May 2024 with a BS in Lifestyle Medicine, after which she will pursue an MS in Social Work, also at MSU. In her free time, she enjoys activities such as hiking, paddle boarding, scuba diving, and traveling.
Barbara Petersen
Admin Assistant
Barbara Petersen has dedicated over 25 years to the health and wellness industry, combining her expertise in physical therapy, clinical laboratory sciences, and nonprofit leadership to create impactful programs. She holds an associate’s degree in physical therapy and a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. For 18 years, she was a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, working closely with individuals and communities to improve their strength, mobility, and overall well-being.
Our Partners
PAVING Directors
Jenny Sunghyun Lee PhD
MPH, DipIBLM, FACLM
PAVING Chapter Leader – Korea
Dr. Lee is a faculty of Preventive Medicine at Loma Linda Univ. School of Medicine, Dr. Lee is a Fellow of Am. College of Lifestyle .....
Aleksandra Pikula, MD
DipABPN, DipABLM
PAVING Director of Brain health - Canada
Dr. Pikula is a distinguished international expert in vascular neurology, brain health, and lifestyle medicine, with .....
Mahima Gulati
PAVING Director of Diabetes Care
Dr Mahima Gula, is a triple board-certified physician: certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism; .....
Kalliopi Kalaitzi, MD
MSc, PhDc
PAVING Director - Greece
Dr. Kalliopi Kalaitzi is a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician. She is the founder and chief medical Officer of the first .....
