Founding President Emeritus Joseph E. Pizzorno, Jr., ND

Dr. Joseph E. Pizzorno, Jr., ND, smiling portrait

Joseph E. Pizzorno, Jr., ND, served as Bastyr University's founding president for its first 22 years (1978-2000). A licensed physician, educator, researcher and expert spokesperson, Dr. Pizzorno is one of the world's leading authorities on science-based natural medicine. Under his pioneering leadership, Bastyr became the first fully accredited, multidisciplinary university of natural medicine and the first school of its kind to receive research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

With a commitment to advocating for a wider acceptance of natural medicine, Dr. Pizzorno has held a variety of public posts. In 1993 he was appointed to the Advisory Panel on the Safety and Efficacy of Dietary Supplements for the U.S. Congress. Continuing his work with supplement quality, he served in 1996 as an ad hoc advisory committee member for the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. He has also served on conventional medical boards, including the Seattle/King County Board of Health. In 2000, President Clinton appointed Dr. Pizzorno to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. President Bush's administration appointed him to the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee in 2003.

Since 2001, Dr. Pizzorno has had his own company, Salugenecists, Inc., which develops science-based, artificial intelligence-aided advice systems that provide personalized health promotion and self-care guidance.

Dr. Pizzorno has written and coauthored numerous books and publications, including A Textbook of Natural Medicine, Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Total Wellness,I and Natural Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. He is the founding executive editor of Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal and is on the editorial board of Alternative Medicine magazine and Alternative Therapies magazine, among others.

Dr. Pizzorno has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In 2000, Alternative Healthcare Management recognized him as one of the four most influential leaders in alternative health care. That same year, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America named him "Humanitarian of The Year." In 2001, Natural Health magazine recognized him as one of the leading health educators in the past 30 years. He was awarded "Naturopathic Physician of the Year" in 2002 by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians as well as the "Founder's Award for Pioneering Complementary and Alternative Medicine" by the National Foundation for Alternative Medicine. The American Holistic Medical Association recognized Dr. Pizzorno in 2003, naming him the "Pioneer in Holistic Medicine." In 2006, at the 50th anniversary of the founding of his alma mater, the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Dr. Pizzorno was recognized as its most illustrious graduate.

When he is not writing and editing, serving on boards and running Salugenecists, Inc., Dr. Pizzorno travels worldwide, lecturing and promoting science-based natural medicine and collaborative health care.