Speakers at Vegfest 2013

Helmuth Fritz, M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine and is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Prior to his Loma Linda University appointment, he served as a staff physician and researcher at the NEWSTART Medical Clinic at Weimar Institute, a health and education organization that focuses on lifestyle to treat and prevent many common degenerative diseases. He has over 20 years experience practicing general internal medicine in Washington State.

Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, among countless other symposia and institutions, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial. Currently Dr. Greger proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.

Unfortunately, we have just heard that Dr Greger is not going to be able to speak at Vegfest this year, due to a family emergency.

Keith Hanson, M.D. received his medical training at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California in 1978. He is currently Chief of Staff at the Okanogan-Douglas District Hospital and also has private practice in Family Medicine. He has a special interest in preventative medicine and is the Medical Director of the Coronary Health Improvement Program (CHIP) in Brewster, Washington.

Chan Hwang, M.D. obtained his medical degree at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1994 and completed a four-year residency program in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 1998 at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Medical School. Dr. Hwang has been in practice in the Seattle area focusing on the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders since 1998. He has also been the pain clinic physician consultant for the Puyallup location of UBC, Inc. since May of 2001. His passion is to provide lifestyle and physical medicine as well as rehabilitation resources to the under-served not only in Western Washington but internationally as well. 

Dr. Arun Kalyanasundaram (Dr. K) is an interventional cardiologist with practices at Highline Medical Center and Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. Originally from India, Dr. K is a lifelong vegetarian. He obtained a Masters in Public Health at the University of Maryland, and then completed his residency and fellowship at Geisinger and Cleveland clinics respectively. He moved to Seattle in 2011. Dr K. strongly believes in a holistic approach to cardiology – with a particular emphasis on preventive cardiology primarily through diet and lifestyle. He was greatly impressed by the work of Dr Dean Ornish, Dr T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who all advocate a plant-based diet, and his “template” of a diet for his patients is based on the seminal work of Dr. Esselstyn. After his talk, and throughout the rest of the weekend, Dr K, along with Dr. Helmuth Fritz, will be offering free carotid artery scans at Vegfest, so you can discover the level of plaque build up in your arteries, and whether a vegetarian diet would help.

Dr. Park-Hwang is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Washington, medical education at Loma Linda University, School of Medicine, and graduate training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has joined the Tacoma Family Medicine Residency program in 1998 as faculty, and has been actively involved in training the obstetrics and gynecology portion of resident training. Her special interests include managing commonly occurring women’s health problems through healthy lifestyle changes.

George Lee M.D. is a graduate of Loma Linda University Medical School, is board certified in Family Medicine and has been practicing Family Medicine for 15 years. He believes in preventative medicine and emphasizes the value of a vegetarian diet in preventing the most common diseases threatening us today. Dr Lee currently has a private practice at Lake Hills Medical Associates in Bellevue.

Miyoko Schinner, vegan chef, cookbook author, and television cooking show host, has been promoting delicious, decadent, and healthful plant-based foods for the past thirty years. Her most recent cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese, is a top-selling book on Amazon, and has been called “The holy grail of the culinary world.” She is a co-host of Vegan Mashup, a new cooking show on public television, and stars in her own whimsical online show, Miyoko’s Kitchen. As a cooking instructor, she teaches regularly in the McDougall Program, and at festivals and events around the country. She is a former restaurateur (Now and Zen, San Francisco), and food developer, and has had her vegan products distributed nationwide as well as on United Airlines. She has appeared in publications, television, and radio, including VegNews, NPR, ABC World News Tonight, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Washington Post, New York Post, Eating Well, and many other media outlets.