New members bring a broad range of specialty expertise and experience to the board that provides strategic oversight and leadership to the fast-growing medical professional society.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced the election of seven new members to its Board of Directors, which provides strategic oversight and leadership for the medical professional society representing more than 15,000 members dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine.
The new board members bring diverse expertise and experience across clinical practice, public health, education and health system leadership, further strengthening ACLM's efforts to advance lifestyle medicine as the foundation of health and all health care. They join the board at a time of unprecedented growth for the field of lifestyle medicine and ACLM, which has tripled its membership since 2019.
The newly elected board members are:
- Secretary: Qadira Ali, MD, MPH, DipABLM, FACLM, pediatrician at Children's National Hospital, Washington, D.C.
- Treasurer: Christina Wells, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, DipABLM, DABOM, physician at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Mile Square Health Center
- Young Director: Emily Jamo, OMS-IV, DO candidate class of 2026, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Director at Large: Alka Gupta, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, CEO and co-founder of Bluerock Primary Care in Washington, D.C. (*Reelected)
- Director at Large: Maria Fernanda Levis, MPH, MPA, PCMH-CCE, DipACLM, CEO and founder of Impactivo Consulting in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Director at Large: Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, DipABLM, orthopedic trauma surgeon and physician executive; founder and managing principal, The Suk Group; board chair, Joint Commission; immediate past board chair, American Medical Association
- Director at Large: Michelle Thompson, DO, AOBFP, ABOIM, DipABLM, FACLM, medical director at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Lifestyle Medicine
"These leaders reflect the breadth and momentum of lifestyle medicine," ACLM CEO Susan Benigas said. "Their combined experience and expertise across care delivery, education and health system leadership will help ACLM continue to accelerate the integration of lifestyle medicine into all aspects of health care. ACLM is proud to welcome these passionate and dedicated individuals to the Board of Directors."
The new board members will join ACLM's incumbent Board of Directors:
- President: Padmaja Patel, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, CPE, chief medical officer at Nudj Health
- Immediate Past President: Elizabeth Frates, MD, DipABLM, FACLM, Harvard Medical School associate professor, part-time
- President-elect: Michelle Hauser, MD, MS, MPA, FACP, FACLM, DipABLM, DABOM, Chef, Stanford University School of Medicine clinical associate professor and obesity medicine director
- Director at Large: Marsha-Gail Davis, MD, MPH, DipABLM, FACLM, DipABPM, DipABOM, internal medicine physician at Piedmont Primary Care in Sharpsburg, Georgia
- Director at Large Aruna Nathan, MD, DipABLM, lead physician for lifestyle medicine at Absolute Care in Columbia, Maryland.
- Ex Officio; American Board of Lifestyle Medicine Board Chair Amy Mechley, MD, FAAFP, FACLM, DipABLM, DipABFM, Lifestyle Medicine Intensivist, cofounder and CEO of TRIDPC; cofounder, CEO and clinical physician with Integrated Family Care
About ACLM®
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is the nation's medical professional society advancing the field of lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a redesigned, value-based and equitable healthcare delivery system, essential to achieving the Quintuple Aim and whole-person health. ACLM represents, advocates for, trains, certifies, and equips its members to identify and eradicate the root cause of chronic disease by optimizing modifiable risk factors. ACLM is filling the gaping void of lifestyle medicine in medical education, providing more than 1.2 million hours of lifestyle medicine education to physicians and other health professionals since 2004, while also advancing research, clinical practice and reimbursement strategies.
Media Contact
Alex Branch, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, 8173072399, [email protected], American College of Lifestyle Medicine
SOURCE American College of Lifestyle Medicine
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