IFD was founded by pioneers in the field of functional dentistry and social impact leaders. We are building a community of providers who embody the principles of systems-based care, scientific integrity, and compassion.
Mary Ellen Chalmers, DMD, BCNP, MS, IFMCP, leads the development of IFD’s residency-style educational framework. A practicing functional dentist based in Santa Rosa, California, she holds degrees from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the University of Southern California Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. She is an IFM Certified Practitioner and Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. Dr. Chalmers has lectured internationally on oral-systemic health and serves as faculty with the American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry.
Her work focuses on integrating functional medicine principles into dental education to equip clinicians to recognize early systemic signals, address root causes of disease, and practice dentistry as a true form of preventative medicine.
Valerie Kanter, DMD, MS, helps shape IFD’s strategic growth, partnerships, and long-term impact. A board-certified endodontist licensed in California and Florida, Dr. Kanter is the founder of Integrative Endodontics and the visionary behind ComprEndo Academy, a continuing education platform advancing integrative endodontic care. She is internationally recognized for translating the complexity of dental anatomy, chronic infection, and tissue regeneration into precision protocols that honor both the tooth and the whole body.
A clinical instructor at the UCLA School of Dentistry and a frequent international speaker, Dr. Kanter’s teaching weaves together evidence-based techniques, energetic awareness, and trauma-informed care, creating space for a new paradigm of dentistry.
Dr. Staci Whitman, DMD, IFMCP, leads education, community building, and public awareness around oral-systemic health. A nationally recognized pioneer in functional dentistry, she founded the first dedicated Functional Pediatric Dental practice in the United States in Portland, OR. She is also one of the few dentists board certified through The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and her work bridges the gap between clinical dentistry, functional medicine, and public health, with specialized training in airway and sleep medicine, oral microbiome science, nutrition, and craniofacial development.
Known as Dr. Staci, she hosts one of the most prominent educational platforms on functional dentistry, lectures internationally, and is a frequent guest on top-ranked health and wellness podcasts. Dr. Staci empowers clinicians to think beyond symptom-based care and dentistry as the blueprint for lifelong health.
Tova Mac is a mission-driven social impact entrepreneur and small business advocate with 18 years of cross-industry experience spanning logistics, food/beverage, wellness, technology, and health. Through her Los Angeles firm, TWT Strategies, she advises businesses on success pathways. Her commitment to economic and community health was evident during the pandemic when she founded and led PPE Unite, mobilizing resources for 150,000+ small businesses across California.
This crisis leadership built on her prior roles as a business advisor for the Los Angeles SBDC, Director of a Los Angeles SBDC Incubator for tech and underrepresented founders, and Co-Executive Director for Align Organization, focusing on economic recovery. Tova uses her expertise in building resilient systems to empower IFD practitioners and is creating the strategic framework to integrate and advance functional dentistry.
Lauren works as a Registered Dietitian. She earned her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition and a Bachelor’s degree in Biopsychology, in addition to completing coursework in human nutrition and functional medicine. After 6 years in the clinical and private practice setting, Lauren moved into brand work. For the past 7 years, she has worked in marketing, brand building, and community for health and wellness-focused consumer brands.
Georgenne Garcia has over ten years of professional experience at the crossroads of marketing, operations, and community-focused initiatives. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, she has applied her expertise to a range of efforts, from coordinating community health initiatives with PPE Unite during the pandemic to supporting small business recovery with Align Organization.
With a background in medical small business and a deep commitment to mission-driven work, Georgenne is now dedicated to providing seamless, reliable support for IFD’s students as they advance their professional training in functional dentistry.
Join a global community redefining the future of dentistry. Our comprehensive program will empower you to think critically, elevate your care, and transform outcomes for your patients.
