Jill Auerbach is a forceful advocate for Lyme and Tick-borne Disease. Jill has developed a national reputation for her focus on prevention, education, patients, legislative advocacy, and her work with Tick-borne Disease research.Jill suffered from the many impacts of Lyme Disease for decades, and emerged determined to make changes. Her special interest is in stopping ticks and the pathogens they transmit. Ready to both change laws and change the science of the disease.Both she and her husband Ira are a team and co-chairs of NYS Senator Serino’s Advisory Board on TBD. She and Ira have been key persons involved with legislation passed in NYS as well as with federal legislation which inserted TBDs into the 21^st Century Cures act establishing the HHS TBD Working Group. She served as a subcommittee member of the 2018 HHS TBDWG Subcommittee on Disease Vectors, Surveillance and Prevention.  She is also leading the effort to focus on the prevention of Lyme disease by attacking the source of the disease — ticks. As such, she organized the scientific coalition, “Tick Research to Eliminate Disease” (TRED) consisting of notable scientists to advocate the dire need for tick research to both Congress and governmental agencies.Ira Auerbach moved to the Hudson Valley over 50 years ago, when he began his work as an Engineer at IBM. Along with Jill and their children he spent much of his time camping and enjoying outdoor activities, which is where a tick probably nabbed Jill. Since retiring he has spent a great deal of time in helping to resolve issues related to tick-borne diseases. Ira is co-chair of NYS Senator Serino’s Lyme and TBD Advisory Board, a board member of S.T.O.P, a board member of Hudson Valley Lyme Disease Assn., a member of the NYS Coalition on Lyme and TBD, a member of the Coalition for Federal Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Legislation, and participates in the Dutchess County Tick Task Force. A bright and clear minded scientist; he always has wonderful insights to enhance their ability to act together as a team, rarely seeing one without the other! BTW, Ira likewise, had Lyme disease; however, he was treated promptly with good results.Her greatest goal is for our beautiful environment to be returned to the safe place it once was when she was a child so that all of us, especially our children can enjoy it without becoming the victim of a tick!

Dr. Brian Leydet has been studying various areas of tick and tick-borne diseases for the past 12 years.He worked as an EMT Paramedic while he completed his undergraduate work in Community Health at Old Dominion University. He continued his education by pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at the University of North Florida. It was there, Dr Leydet started his journey into the world of ticks.Dr. Leydet went on to complete his doctoral work in Veterinary Clinical Sciences at LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine. In Louisiana, he studied tick-borne diseases in various wildlife, and additionally investigated the pathogenic potential of Borrelia bissettii in a tick-murine infection model.Afterwards, Dr. Leydet completed his postdoctoral studies investigating the invasion of the black-legged tick and its associated disease agents in the Adirondack Park Preserve at both the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake NY and Southern Research in Birmingham AL.The Leydet lab at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is interested in understanding underlying factors that drive vector-borne disease cycles in nature and the distribution of tick-borne diseases in the landscape.

Dr. Wagner is a Professor of Immunology and the Chair of the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. She earned her DVM and PhD degrees at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany. In 2006, she joined the faculty of the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at Cornell. Her research program focuses on equine infectious and allergic diseases. Dr. Wagner is also the Director of the Serology/Immunology section at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell. In this function, she is responsible for the development of new serological assays such as the popular Lyme Multiplex Assay for horses and dogs. The assay is routinely used by many veterinarians throughout the endemic Lyme regions in the US.

(Director of Sales, IGeneX) Robert Giguere has spent the majority of his career dealing with clinical laboratory medicine in the esoteric fields of genetics, endocrinology, and immunology. He did his undergraduate study at Providence College and then got his molecular biology training at MIT. Since starting his laboratory career in the early 1980’s at Nichols Institute in California, he has been a director or higher level at a number of nationally recognized esoteric clinical laboratories. These include the molecular laboratory Collaborative Research Inc.and Repomedix,Inc, in greater Boston. He was COO & Senior Vice President at Boston BioMedica Clinical Laboratory during the 1990’s and for the past 10 years Director of Sales at IGeneX,Inc

Hillary Thing, LAc., Certified Herbalist (NCCAOM) is a holistic medicine practitioner with 2 decades of clinical experience.  Lyme disease became her specialty 10 years ago after her husband suffered repeated bouts of Lyme and co-infection.  Hillary and her associates treat patients both in person in Kingston, NY and nationally via telemedicine consulting.  She runs a yearly training program for health professionals who want to become experts in natural treatment for Lyme and complex chronic disease, and teaches at schools and conferences throughout the US.  

Amy Lazzarini, MD has practiced clinical medicine for 15 years and is board certified in both gastroenterology and internal medicine. She graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Gastroenterology through SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Dr. Lazzarini has found that conventional medicine does not always have the answers to the complex chronic illnesses faced by many of her patients. She subsequently has completed the following training:

• Two year fellowship in Integrative Medicine from George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
• Master of Science in Health Sciences (MSHS) degree in Integrative Medicine from George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
• Advanced Fellowship training in Anti-Aging, Metabolic and Functional Medicine (FAAMFM) through the Metabolic Medical Institute
• Attendance at the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) annual conferences, and a preceptorship with Dr. Richard Horowitz, one of the leading Lyme disease doctors in the world and a founding member of ILADS
• Acupuncture training at McMaster University Health Sciences Medical Acupuncture Program
• Usui Reiki Master Practitioner

Dr. Lazzarini practiced general gastroenterology in both private practice and hospital settings for 13 years. Prior to joining Integrative Medicine of Central New York, PC, she was an integrative medicine specialist at The Virginia Center for Health and Wellness, with a focus on integrative gastroenterology, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, mold-related illness, hormonal imbalances and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Integrative Medicine Master’s and Fellowship program at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She is an active member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), the Metabolic Medical Institute (MMI), the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine (A4M), and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). Dr. Lazzarini’s philosophy is to combine the best parts of conventional medicine with all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches and disciplines. She believes that medicine is not “one size fits all” and forges a partnership with her patients to come up with the best approach for the individual person. Her passion lies in building relationships with her patients that foster healing in all aspects of their lives, and in guiding them through their healing journeys into wellness. She is delighted have joined Dr. Heidi Puc’s integrative medicine practice, Integrative Medicine of Central New York, PC (www.imofcny.com)

Heidi S. Puc MD, FACP, ABIHM, is a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist with over 20 years of experience in the private practice of adult hematology and oncology, after having completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Cornell University Affiliated Hospitals of The New York Hospital and subsequent fellowship training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC.  While in private practice at Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York (HOACNY), she personally experienced Reiki, other energy healing, and individual and group meditations, which launched her interest in integrative medicine, and she desired to bring an integrative approach to the care of her patients. She thus pursued specialty training in integrative medicine through the Scripps Clinic in California, and also completed a two-year fellowship program run by Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona.  She developed an integrative oncology consultative practice within her conventional hematology/oncology position at HOACNY, and she joined The Stram Center for Integrative Medicine in October 2015 as her passion for a more holistic approach to treatment grew.  At The Stram Center, Dr. Puc provided integrative medicine and integrative oncology consultations and services in conjunction with conventional approaches provided by the primary oncologist. These integrative approaches included incorporating nutritional and herbal supplements, and mind-body therapies. There, she also managed patients with Lyme disease, and has undergone training through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) as well as a mentorship with Dr. Richard Horowitz, a renowned specialist in the field.  In March of 2018, Dr. Puc took a brief sabbatical to create her own practice in her hometown of Syracuse, NY, to serve her community and beyond.  Her desire was to provide a whole health approach that bridges conventional and natural practices, empowering patients to tap into their own innate healing ability. Her goal was to change the paradigm of disease-focused care to one of whole person care, embracing the importance of listening to the patient’s story and experiences to reveal the dis-ease in their whole being, recognizing the interwoven nature of mind, body, spirit, and community, all of which contribute to the health of an individual. Dr. Puc is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine.  She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, The American College of Physicians, the Society for Integrative Oncology, and ILADS. Dr. Puc also has Energy Medicine Certifications in Reiki Levels I and II, training in Basic Pranic Healing, and is a Seichim Master, and personally practices Transcendental Meditation. Dr. Puc is the founder and owner of Integrative Medicine of Central New York, PC (IM of CNY), which opened in August 2018 in Chittenango, NY (www.imofcny.com).

Dr. Kenneth Liegner is a Board Certified Internist with additional training in Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, practicing in Pawling, New York.  He has been actively involved in diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and related disorders since 1988. Dr. Liegner has published articles on Lyme disease in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented talks at national and international conferences on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Dr. Liegner has cared for many persons seriously ill with chronic and neurologic Lyme disease.  His work has focused on the serious morbidity and (occasional) mortality that can eventuate from this aspect of the disease.  His work has emphasized the urgent need for widespread clinical availability of improved methods of treatment for Lyme disease in all its stages. Dr. Liegner holds the first United States patent issued proposing application of acaricide to deer for area-wide control of deer-tick populations as a means of reducing the incidence of Lyme disease.  He has authored In the Crucible of Chronic Lyme Disease – Collected Writings & Associated Materials, a documentational history of the struggle to characterize the nature of Lyme disease in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries, published November, 2015.Dr. Liegner served two terms on the Board of Directors of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lyme Disease Association.  In addition, Dr. Liegner is a member of the American Medical Association, the Westchester County Medical Society, the Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Liegner is on the staff of Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Mount Kisco, New York and the Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut.