Dr. Ramona Charikar
After a previous career as a graduate student and researcher, Dr. Marianne made a life changing decision in 1999 to study Naturopathic Medicine. She completed her ND degree from Bastyr University in Seattle in 2006 as a President’s Scholar for her clinical work. She then spent a post-doctoral year at Bastyr’s Research Institute focusing on projects around nutritional therapies for pre-diabetes, autism and ADHD.
After relocating to Vancouver Island in 2007, she has had a successful private practice for several years in Victoria. During this period, she also worked as a Director of the BC Naturopathic Association, and was involved with Inter-Professional Affairs and lobbying around scope of practice issues, including prescribing rights and access to laboratory and diagnostic testing. She has recently relocated to Calgary to seek new opportunities in both clinical practice and research.
As a clinical practitioner, Dr. Marianne supports her patients with her direct, honest and collaborative approach to finding their inner vitality and health, whatever their age. She welcomes patients throughout the life span, with a particular focus on women’s health (including hormone therapies) and children with autism and ADHD, as well allergic and digestive problems.
Dr. Marianne has also been an Associate Editor of the Canadian ND journal Vital Linksince 2009. She has published many peer-reviewed and general interest articles on allergies, autism, and environmental health. She is an expert on the biomedical treatment of autism, ADHD, and other developmental syndromes of childhood and has been affiliated with the Autism Research Institute, Autism Canada Foundation, and the Victoria Society for Children with Autism since 2006.
Dr. Marianne has been certified in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHRT), from the US Bioidentical Hormone Initiative and is a supporter of the UBC Centre for Menstrual and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR). In 2013, she was honoured to receive the first CAND Vital Link award, for her contributions and editorial work with the journal. She also recently received an In-Cam Research prize for a case study on low dose naltrexone for the treatment of childhood autism at their 2014 conference in Calgary, AB.
When not in her office or at her computer writing, Dr. Marianne is a big fan of mountains, trees and water. She finds regular doses of nature and clean, high-altitude air, are a great key to sustainability in life, as well as promoting long-term health.
Dr. Meghan Haggarty is a fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS). She works extensively with patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PANDAS, and Lyme Disease. Dr. Haggarty helps patients and their families to address the underlying biochemical processes that cause disease by using current medical research and cutting edge treatments, including Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, in combination with traditional natural therapies.
