Dr Deb developed an interest in human health during her childhood, as she spent most summers visiting her sister who was repeatedly hospitalised with asthma. She became interested in nutrition, the human body and its function, and how the environment around us influences health, which led her to study medicine at University of Auckland.

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She has worked in regional New South Wales, Australia, Hamilton, Blenheim and for the past 8 years in Ōtepoti | Dunedin, Aotearoa | New Zealand. Working in NSW in an integrative medicine general practice introduced Dr Deborah to a more holistic approach to health and wellbeing. This approach focused on the whole-person and how food, movement, relationships, sexual health, stress and sleep contribute to health and illness, rather than focusing on diseases and systems as separate entities. 

Medical training, caring for patients and raising a family, have been challenging but joyful experiences that necessitated constant care for creating balance and boundaries to ensure her own health to prevent burnout. 

Dr Deborah currently practices Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine in New Zealand in-person in Ōtepoti Dunedin and via remote consultation. Having worked in General Practice for over 10 years she has a broad base of clinical and interpersonal skills. She is passionate about empowering and supporting women and their whanau to have optimal health so they can thrive. 

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Dr Deborah is Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine with the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practice. She completed a Masters degree in Maternal and Infant Nutrition at University of Auckland, which has fueled her ongoing interest in the way food influences so much of human health including the gut microbiome, mood, and chronic inflammation. Her qualifications and ongoing training enable her to incorporate the insights of both conventional and evidence-based nutrition and integrative medicine to support the total wellness of each client.

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She also holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Human Biology and Diploma in Paediatrics - from the University of Auckland. She has a passion for growth and development, enjoys reading newly published medical research around nutrition, gut microbiome, exercise and finding ways to implement these into her clinical practice.