Continuing Education
- Approved for 5 CME for MD, DO, NP*
- Recordings included with registration
Saturday, September 26, 2026 all times are in EST
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00-11:55 | Mucuna pruriens and Other African Neuroactive Botanicals: Pharmacological Perspectives on Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Plants | Charles Nnadi, PhD |
| 12:00-12:55 | A Clinical Framework for Integrative Mental Health: Protocols for Neurotransmitter Optimization (Part I) | Jaquel Patterson, ND |
| 1-1:30 | Lunch | |
| 1:30-2:30 | Vital Role of Amino Acids for Mental Health | Hyla Cass, MD |
Saturday, October, 17, 2026 all times are in EST
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00-11:55 | Griffonia simplicifolia: Clinical and Pharmacological Perspectives on 5-HTP in Mood, Sleep, and Fatigue | Olive Egbuchulem |
| 12:00-12:55 | Kanna: Ethnobotany, Pharmacology, and Clinical Considerations in Anxiety, Fatigue, and Depression | Thomas Brendler, PhD |
| 1:00-1:30 | Lunch | |
| 1:30-2:30 | Clinician's Guide to Mental Health: Nutraceutical Approaches to Neurotransmitter Modulation | Jillian Stansbury, ND |
| 2:30-3:15 | A Clinical Framework for Integrative Mental Health: Protocols for Neurotransmitter Optimization (Part II) | Jaquel Patterson, ND |
PRESENTATION SUMMARIES
Hyla Cass, MD
The Vital Role of Amino Acids for Mental Health
Specific biochemical deficiencies, particularly in amino acids, the precursors to neurotransmitters, play a significant and underrecognized role in mental and emotional imbalance. This session shows practitioners how to identify and address these insufficiencies using targeted amino acid support, often producing rapid and lasting improvements in mood, cognition, and overall wellbeing.
Jaquel Patterson, ND
A Clinical Framework for Integrative Mental Health: Protocols for
Neurotransmitter Optimization
Dr. Patterson presents a comprehensive clinical framework for using botanical combinations to optimize neurotransmitter balance across serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and cortisol systems. She’ll be sharing her clinical experiences with herbs including Kanna, Skullcap, Magnolia, L-Theanine, Mucuna, Griffonia, Agmatine, and Lycopodium. Clinical applications range from anxiety and sleep disturbance to age-related cognitive decline and Parkinson's-associated motor symptoms, with particular attention to synergistic herb combinations and herb-drug interactions. Attendees leave with immediately actionable protocols and the pharmacological context to use these formulas safely in medically complex patients.
Thomas Brendler, PhD
Kanna: Ethnobotany, Pharmacology, and Clinical Considerations in Anxiety,
Fatigue, and Depression
Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a mood-modulating botanical widely used in other countries but largely unknown in U.S. clinical practice, now gaining research attention for its bioactive alkaloids, mesembrine and mesembrenone, which appear to influence serotonergic pathways and PDE-4 activity. This session builds practitioner confidence in using kanna with patients who have not responded well to conventional treatments for anxiety, fatigue, and depressive symptoms. Dosing, safety, and contraindications are covered.
Olive Egbuchulem, B.Pharm
Griffonia simplicifolia: Clinical and Pharmacological Perspectives on 5-HTP in Mood, Sleep, and Fatigue
Griffonia simplicifolia is a West African medicinal plant whose seeds are among the richest natural sources of 5-HTP, the direct metabolic precursor to serotonin, making it a clinically relevant botanical for patients with mood disorders, sleep disturbances, and fatigue syndromes. This session reviews the pharmacology of Griffonia in serotonin synthesis, the clinical evidence for its use in depressive symptoms, anxiety, appetite regulation, and sleep, and guidance on selecting quality supplements for reliable clinical outcomes. Safety, contraindications, and interactions with serotonergic medications are covered in detail.
Charles Nnadi , PhD
Mucuna pruriens and Other Neuroactive Botanicals: Pharmacological Perspectives on Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Plants
Professor Nnadi examines Mucuna pruriens, a leguminous plant containing naturally occurring L-DOPA, with a focus on its dopaminergic properties and clinical relevance to neurological health, Parkinsonian symptoms, and fatigue. Dosing, safety, and potential interactions with dopaminergic and serotonergic pharmaceuticals are addressed throughout.
Jillian Stansbury, ND
Clinician's Guide to Mental Health: Nutraceutical Approaches to Neurotransmitter Modulation
Dr. Stansbury explores the clinical applications of three botanical medicines- Skullcap, St. John's Wort, and Magnolia- along with the natural compound Agmatine, examining how each influences key neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, glutamine, and GABA. Drawing on clinical trials and substantiating research, she demonstrates how these compounds can be applied to pain syndromes, mood disorders, sleep, and stress in ways that are mechanistically distinct from pharmaceutical options. Practitioners will leave with a clearer understanding of botanical CNS actions and how they compare to conventional drug approaches.