Michael is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with a deep passion for understanding the connections between mind, body, and healing. His journey in medicine began at UC Berkeley, where as an undergraduate he studied biochemistry, neuroscience and the role of medicinal plants in medicine. Seeking a more comprehensive approach to understanding human health led him to pursue MD and PhD degrees at the University of Rochester, where he explored biology, neuroscience and medicine in greater depth. During his graduate work Michael studied the neural mechanisms of brain aging and the role of nutrition as a foundation for health. As a medical student he apprenticed to physicians who could weave the science and art of medicine into a singular thread. These experiences inspired Michael to pursue training in psychiatry and psychotherapy as well as integrative frameworks including the application of meditative practices and shamanism to medicine. Michael completed residency in psychiatry at UCSF, served as a chief resident, and then pursued a research fellowship in neuroscience and psychiatry at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. His ongoing research focuses on neurobiology, metabolism and the evolution of human consciousness.

He is a co-founder of Soma & Psyche, a functional medicine practice in San Francisco where he supports clients through an integrative mind-body review to examine their health goals and challenges in the larger context of their life, patterns and story. When he’s not doctoring nor lost reflecting on the complex nature of mind and body, Michael is usually wrangling his children, wandering out into nature or reading a good book.