Dr. Ottenbacher received her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and has expertise in research methodology, data analysis, and project management. She has made contributions and led teams within consulting, academia, healthcare, and big pharma. Dr. Ottenbacher is passionate about advancing research within the CIRS community and beyond. She is motivated by her own personal experience with CIRS and has hope that the next generation will be better equipped to identify and treat this syndrome.
Christian Navarro-Torres received his Ph.D. in Language and Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine, and subsequently completed two postdoctoral positions at Princeton University and at Georgetown University. His academic research focuses on examining how bilingualism impacts neuroplasticity and cognitive functioning. As a CIRS patient, Christian developed a passion for helping the CIRS community using his scientific training and data analytic skills to continue developing a research program around biotoxin illness. He is now a research consultant in the Surviving Mold community. He is also the co-founder of CIRS Lab, a platform committed to educating broad audiences on the science behind CIRS.
Dr. Joseph Musto serves as President, Director of Laboratory Medicine, Medical Director and Founder, following over 20 years as Medical Director of Diagnostic Laboratory Medicine before founding Microbiology Dx. With over 50 years in laboratory medicine and methods development, he has authored more than 20 publications and co-authored 7 patents, while holding degrees including a B.Sc. in Chemistry, M.Sc. in Organic and Physical Chemistry, M.Sc. equivalent in Biomedical Science, and a Doctorate in Medicinal Chemistry. As a Board Certified Clinical Laboratory Director, he established his first Clinical Pathology Laboratory in 1979 and formerly served as an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He holds numerous prestigious certifications and fellowships, including being a Diplomat of the American Board of Bioanalysis, a Fellow of the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, and maintaining multiple state and federal certifications as a Clinical Laboratory Director. Dr. Musto currently serves as Clinical Laboratory Director for multiple facilities, including Brookside Clinical Laboratory and Progene Dx, while also co-founding Reference Diagnostics, Inc. From 2015 to 2023, he has conducted 19 clinical in vitro studies and written various comprehensive reports on topics including antimicrobials, Covid-19, and tick-borne diseases, earning certification as a CIRS Proficiency Partner Diplomat in 2023.
Dr. Lacey is a chiropractor based in Reno, NV. After she completed her Chiropractic studies at Southern California University of Health Sciences, she further specialized in allopathic and natural health, completing 1000+ hours of training in functional medicine, nutrition, immunology, and gastroenterology. After her own struggles with CIRS she further specialized in studying Dr. Shoemaker’s work. She is sought out for her work with the microbiome and how it relates to chronic illness.
Louise is a Nutritional Medicine BSc graduate of the University of West London. She holds memberships with the Naturopathic Nutrition Association (NNA), the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), National Association of Phlebotomists (NAP) and the British Society of Ecological Medicine (BSEM). Louise is a Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) Registrant and is also an Associate of the Royal Society of Medicine. Louise previously held posts as Director and inaugural Head of Communications at The British Association of Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT), and was also Chair of the BANT Regulatory Committee. Louise has authored articles and chapters for various publications. Louise runs a private practice in Lincoln where she specialises in Nutrition whilst utilising the Functional Medicine framework in which she has undertaken several years of post-graduate study including certification with the IFM. Louise is also certified in the Shoemaker Protocol, becoming the first practitioner in Europe to hold this status. Louise is also Director of Colab Services Ltd, a facilitation service for advanced laboratory testing for the healthcare practitioner community, and is the only service to offer the full spectrum of CIRS related testing in Europe. From 2024 this service is now global. In the last couple of years through the education arm of Colab Services Louise has gathered an integrative education team together to train over 50 practitioners in CIRS in Europe.
Dr. Peg, has had extensive experience treating various environmental illnesses such as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (mold toxicity), Tick-Borne Diseases (Lyme, Bartonella & Babesiosis), Methylation Cycle issues, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Leaky Gut, SIBO and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement. She uses an Integrative Medical Model using pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, lifestyle changes and exercise programs to facilitate wellness. Peg is a certified clinician in the Shoemaker Protocol for Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Having worked with over 1500 CIRS patients during the past 10 years she understands the nuances of the symptoms that each patient presents with. CIRS is triggered by many different biotoxins, water damaged buildings being the most common, but also tick-borne diseases, metals accumulations and even viruses. In turn, CIRS can trigger downstream illnesses such as Leaky Gut Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, SIBO and Dementia just to name a few. Peg is trained as a Recode 2.0 clinician treating Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia afflicting patients. This intervention relies on looking for toxins that interfere with the brain's ability to fully function. It includes utilizing the CIRS protocol, supplementation recommendations, exercise regimes, brain training and socialization applications among others.
Dr. Scott McMahon obtained a BS in Chemistry in 1985, his MD from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1989 and completed his Pediatric Residency at Duke University Medical Center in 1992. He has practiced in Roswell, NM, since 1992. He has worked in primary care pediatrics for 31 years and began learning about CIRS in 2009. Dr. McMahon was the first physician certified in the Shoemaker Protocol for treatment of CIRS. Trained by Dr. Shoemaker himself, he has also collaborated in research, authored or co-authored a dozen scientific papers and 3 medical textbook chapters, delivered more than 50 CIRS presentations at statewide, national and international medical meetings, taught Proficiency Partners, testified as an expert in 10 states and co-authored and co-edited a book on CIRS. Dr. McMahon has practiced CIRS medicine since 2010 and evaluated 2000 patients for CIRS in his practice in Roswell, New Mexico. He is a founder of CIRSx. He also hosts a podcast called Medicine and Miracles.
