Speakers of the Ayurveda Symposium 2023

Ayurvedic Physician, Consultant (Ay) Joint Secretary Rank, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
Dr. Nesari MD PhD advises the Government of India at the Ministry of AYUSH on strengthening the health system and integrating Ayurveda and other Indian traditional systems of medicine into public health care. He is the Head of the International Cooperation Division in the Ministry of AYUSH and holds a PhD in Policy Research. As an Ayurvedic physician MD, he specializes in internal medicine (Kayachikitsa).
He has also successfully completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation' from Guru Govindsingh Indraprastha University, Delhi.
Dr. Nesari has 30 years of experience in Ayurvedic science and clinical practice as well as in policy planning, international cooperation and public health. Many new initiatives to expand Ayurvedic services and their use in public health etc. are to his credit. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of the National Academy of Ayurveda and Chief Medical Officer in the Central Govt. Health Scheme.

Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)
Prof. Dr. Tanuja Nesari, BAMS, MD (Ayu), PhD (Ayu) Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). She is the Chair for the Health Sector sub-skill Council for AYUSH and a member of Governing Council of IMS, BHU. Dr. Nesari is also a member of the General Assembly of ICCR, a Member of the Board of Governors, CCIM and serves on the academic board of various universities like ITRA, Jamnagar & National Academic and Research Bodies.
She serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of CCRAS and domain expert of the Technical Screening Committee (TSC) of NMPB. Her influential leadership has brought more than 20 MOUs into the credit of AIIA. She played a key role in converting AIIA Hospital, New Delhi into COVID Healthcare Centre, where the patients are being provided holistic Ayurveda treatment.

Delegate of the Ministry of AYUSH
Director National Institute of Ayurveda, University of Jaipur

Physio- and Ayurveda therapist, alternative practitioner (physiotherapy)
Karin Bachmaier is an Ayurveda, Kalari and Sukshma Marma therapist as well as a non-medical practitioner for physiotherapy. As a lecturer, the trained physiotherapist enriches the European Academy of Ayurveda with her over 25 years of experience in manual therapy patient care, including from her own practice in Eichendorf/Lower Bavaria.

Master of Science in Ayurvedic Medicine, certified educator, alternative practitioner
Oliver Becker has been practicing Ayurvedic medicine in his own practice for many years. At the European Academy of Ayurveda, he works as a lecturer, module leader, educational coach and interpreter in the Ayurvedic Medicine course. In addition, he teaches in various other training courses of the Academy. His professional focus as a lecturer includes pharmacology and internal medicine of Ayurveda. In addition to Ayurvedic medicine, he has profound knowledge of yoga, Vedic knowledge systems and Sanskrit.

Gynecologist

Head of the Ayurveda department at the Habichtswaldklinik Kassel
Ananda Samir Chopra, MD, studied medicine and Indology at the University of Heidelberg. After his license to practice medicine, he spent one year in Kolkata, India, studying Ayurveda. Since 1996 leading physician of the Ayurveda Clinic Kassel. 2009 to 2011 scientific assistant in a research project on the modern history of Ayurveda at the University of Heidelberg. Furthermore, he is the 1st chairman of DÄGAM e.V. (German Medical Society for Ayurveda Medicine). In addition to his clinical activities, Dr. Chopra continues to be scientifically active in the history of medicine. Since his childhood he has been learning and practicing Indian classical music (Hindustani Sangit).

Assistant professor Panchakarma at the AIIA
Dr. Prasanth Dharmarajan PhD comes from a family of Ayurvedic doctors in Kerala and was one of the first employees of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), the top institute of the AYUSH Ministry of the Indian government. In 2015, he was appointed advisor and assistant professor for Panchakarma. He built up and developed the Panchakarma Department, which now treats hundreds of patients per day. He created the first national standards for training panchakarma therapists in India and trained the Institute's postgraduate students and therapists. Zuvor he worked in the Department of Panchakarma and Integrative Medical Studies at the Mata Amritanandamayi Math and its Ayurvedic School of Kerala. There he led and taught educational programs for international students, including Western doctors and medical personnel.

Ayurveda Clinic Director, Professor, J.S. Ayurveda College, Vice Chancellor, Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University, India
Prof. Shivenarain Gupta MD (Ayu) is a physician and professor of Ayurvedic medicine from Nadiad (India). He earned his doctorate degree from the famous Ayurveda University of Jamnagar. Today he heads the Department of Internal Medicine at the P. D. Patel Ayurveda Hospital. As a professor of the affiliated J. S. Ayurveda College, he has succeeded in establishing one of the most prestigious pancakarma clinics in India, where patients from India and Europe receive help. He was awarded by IASTAM (India) for his achievements in teaching and appointed as Vice Chancellor, Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University in 2022. At the European Academy of Ayurveda, he has been one of the key teachers and academic head of training in Ayurvedic Medicine for many years.

Professor and head of Svasthavritta
Dr. Mihir Hajarnavis MD (Ayu) is professor and head of the department of Svasthavritta and deputy headmaster at Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya in Pune. He is also a member of the study commission PG Paraclinical Subjects at the Ayurved Maharashtra University of Health Science in Nashik. He has been teaching in his special field of Svasthavritta for two decades and has extensive experience in research.

Professor at Southern California University of Health Sciences.
Dr. Anupama Kizhakkeveettil  is an Ayurvedic doctor, licensed acupuncturist, professor, researcher, and program director of Ayurvedic Medicine at the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). She is a founding Director of the Ayurveda Medicine Department at SCU. Her contributions to the field of complementary and alternative medicine include extensive travel to propagate Ayurveda worldwide, numerous research presentations at national and international conferences, and publications in various peer-reviewed research journals. She currently serves on the Research Working Group of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health, and she recently completed an NIH-funded research study. Dr. Anu has received a number of awards for her work on Ayurveda and complementary and alternative medicine.

General practitioner

Indologist and religious scholar
Prof. Dr. Martin Mittwede is head of the Master of Science in Ayurveda Medicine at the European Academy of Ayurveda. The indologist and religious scholar habilitated already in 1996 with a research project on Ayurveda and has many years of experience in further medical training. He also teaches at the University of Frankfurt/Main and has published numerous works on Ayurveda medicine.

Neurologist and Ayurveda doctor
Antonio Morandi is a neurologist and Vaidya (Ayurveda Academy, Pune (India) / Joytinat International College of Ayurveda). He also has a specialization in Ayurvedic Panchakarma therapy ( Ayurvedic
Institute Ashtavaidyan Thaikat Mooss',Thrissur). He has been Director of the Ayurvedic Point, Milan, for many years and is President of the Scientific Society for Ayurvedic Medicine Italy (SSIMA). In 2017 he was awarded the prestigious IASTAM ZANDU Award for Research in  Ayurveda. In 2019 he received the ECIM Award for the best clinical publication as co-author.

General practitioner and Ayurveda physician
Since 1998, Dr. med. Annette Müller-Leisgang has been working with her own practice for Ayurveda and nutritional medicine in Munich. In addition, she specializes in travel and occupational medicine. She has more than 30 years of experience in Ayurveda and heads the Ayurveda Institute Munich.

Ayurveda doctor and researcher, director of Ayuwave
Dr. Vijayendar Murthy is an internationally recognized Ayurvedic physician and researcher. He is the Director of Ayuwave London, UK, and Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. Murthy received his diverse medical education and clinical practice in India, New Zealand, Australia and England. He lives and works in London. His healing methods attract a wide range of health seekers and patients, including stars and the British Royal Family. Dr Murthy also runs an innovative radio show called "Unlock your Health".

Specialist for physical and rehabilitative medicine, medical psychotherapist
Dr. med. Kalyani Nagersheth has been working as an Ayurveda doctor since 2000 and was head of the Ayurveda department at the Habichtswald-Klinik, Kassel. Today she runs her own practice for Ayurveda medicine in Frankfurt. She also takes over the medical supervision of Panchakarma cures at the Rosenberg Ayurveda Health and Spa Centre. One of her specialties is Western and Ayurvedic Phythotherapy. She is a book author and has many years of experience as a lecturer in Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurveda Physician
Dr. Sandeep Nair is a research associate and Ayurvedic physician in the Department of Neurology and Complementary Medicine at Augusta-Kranken-Anstalt Hattingen, Germany since September 2011. He is working with Univ. Prof. Dr. med. Przuntek on various research projects such as the influence of Vasthi and Ayurveda diet on microbiomics and the influence of Nasya on hyposmia of Parkinson's disease patients. His main responsibilities include diagnosing and treating patients with extrapyramidal movement disorders and other neurodegenerative diseases using complementary methods, training neurologists, therapists, and nurses on complementary medicine, and conducting clinical trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews of various treatment approaches for Parkinson's disease. Dr. Nair is a former assistant professor of panchakarma at MVR Ayurveda Medical College Kannur, Kerala. He completed his BAMS and MD in Panchakarma at Government Ayurveda College Trivandrum, his MSc in Neurorehabilitation Research at Danube University Krems, Austria, and his specialization in Clinical Research and ICH GCP at Pharma Academy Leipzig, Germany. Dr. Nair is one of the board members of IFAD (Indian Professional Association of Ayurveda Germany).

Director of the Institute of Ayurveda SNA Oushadhasala
Prof. A.N. Nambi MD (Ayu) represents the rich heritage of the Ashtavaidyas, for centuries the largest family of traditional doctors in India. He is active as a speaker, lecturer and physician in clinical practice and research. In addition to his position as director of the Institute of Ayurveda S.N.A. Oushadhasla (P) Ltd,
Thrissur, Kerala, he is a faculty member at Ayurvedic Point, Italy. He also served as scientific coordinator of the INDRA network and was a member of the Council for International Cooperation of Indian System of Medicine in the AYUSH Department of the Indian Government.

Ayurvedic Practitioner, Aromatherapist
Gabriela Paleta is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Aromatherapist and Yoga instructor and practices Ayurveda in Lisbon Portugal, specialising in Women and Children Wellbeing. She is also part of the AMAYUR Board - The Ayurvedic Medicine Portuguese Association for some years.

Ayurveda Physician
Manish Patel MD (Ayurveda), PhD in Kayachikitsa, works as Professor and Head of the Postgraduate Department of Kayachikitsa, J. S. Ayurveda College, Nadiad, India, where he works closely with Prof. Dr. S.N. Gupta. He has more than 20 years of clinical experience and has been actively teaching since 2007. Among other things, he gives practical/clinical training to students of the European Academy of Ayurveda and other institutions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Numerous publications about his research in areas that were only sporadically present in Ayurvedic clinical research, such as chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, ulcerative colitis, diabetic neuropathy and Parkinsonism.

Ayurveda doctor and pharmacologist
Vaidya Rammanohar MD (Ayu) is a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine and pharmacologist. He is currently serving as Director of Research at Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kollam, Kerala. He also serves as a research advisor for the National Institute of Ayurveda and for History of Science at the Indian National Science Academy. He is an expert member of the World Health Organization Committee on International Standardization of Ayurvedic Terminologies. He served on the Kerala State Government Task Force for AYUSH response to COVID-19. Further, he is a member of the Interdisciplinary Research and Development Working Group for COVID-19 at the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. His special interest is psychology and spirituality from Ayurvedic perspective.

Practitioner of alternative medicine
Hans Heinrich Rhyner, MD, PhD (Alternative Medicine), Dipl. NHP Ayurveda Medicine, is a recognized expert and pioneer of Ayurvedic medicine in Europe. He lived in India for 25 years and ran his own clinic in Bangalore. He looks back on 40 years of clinical experience and is the author of textbooks on Ayurveda. He applies his knowledge in his Swiss practice in Teufen, in Munich, Vienna and on Mallorca as well as in his manufacture of Ayurveda products in Austria.

Specialist for Ayurveda nutrition
Kerstin Rosenberg runs the European Academy for Ayurveda together with her husband. The internationally renowned specialist for Ayurveda and nutrition has been training people in Ayurveda nutrition and health counselling, psychology and therapy throughout Europe since 1996. She has 25 years of practical experience in Ayurveda and is in daily contact with patients, training participants and spa guests. As an author, she has published numerous Ayurveda books, which are among the best known works of Ayurveda literature.

Director of the European Academy for Ayurveda
Mark Rosenberg heads the European Academy for Ayurveda and is managing partner of the Rosenberg Ayurveda companies. He has many years of experience as a management consultant, Vastu expert and Yoga teacher BDY/EYU. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of VEAT - Berufsverband Europäischer Ayurveda-Mediziner und -Therapeuten e.V. He was awarded the prestigious Vaidya Sundarlal Joshi Memorial Management Award by MGMS (India) to honour him for his outstanding management achievements in the field of Ayurveda. He also received the IASTAM Pandit Shiv Sharma Oration Award.

Ayurveda Physician
Dr. Sukumar Sardeshmukh (BAMS) comes from a long line (more than 11 generations) of Ayurvedic physicians known for their ability to diagnose disease through pulse diagnosis (nadi pariksha). Along with his father and grandfather, Dr. Sardeshmukh has experience in the clinical treatment of cancer patients at India's first "Integrated Cancer Research Hospital," which is recognized both nationally and internationally for its success in the comprehensive treatment of cancer. He also has several Panchakarma centers across the country that receive patients from all over the world for a process of complete regeneration and healing. He is a trustee of Bharatiya Sanskriti Darshan Trust, which is involved in various activities such as Ayurvedic Medical College, Ayurved Hospital, Integrated Cancer Treatment and Research, Panchakarma Hospital and Sanjeevani Medicinal Plantation Unit.

Senior physician, neurologist
Sandra Szymansik, MD, heads the Department of Neurology and Complementary Medicine at Augusta-Kranken-Anstalt in Hattingen.

Yoga teacher, therapist, vice-director Ayurvedic Point
Carmen Tosto is a yoga teacher and Ayurveda therapist. She is also the Vice-Director of the Ayurvedic Point, Milan (Italy) and holds an Honorary Degree of Ayurveda Acharya from the Ayurvedic Institute Ashtavaidya Thaikat Moss, Thrissur.

Ayurveda Physician
Vaidya Hitsh Vyas, MD PhD, is Professor and Dean (Academics) at the Institute for Teaching and Research in Ayurveda in Jamnagar, India.

Specialist in neurology, Ayurvedic physician
Dr. med. Nadine Webering worked for a long time in a leading position in acute neurolgy in various clinics before she decided to study traditional Indian medicine at the Chair of Naturopathic Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Most recently, she worked in the Department of Neurology and Complementary Medicine (Ayurveda) at the Protestant Hospital in Hattingen as a senior physician. Today, she runs her own online company where she offers Ayurveda consultations online, among other things, making Ayurveda accessible to people who do not want to travel far to see an expert. Her main focus is the treatment of neurological diseases with Ayurveda and her first book "Migraine holistically treated with Ayurveda" was published on this topic. She is also a lecturer in Ayurvedic medicine.