About Seekers » Our Team
Our Team
Dr. Richard Nahas MD
The Seekers Centre was established by Dr. Richard Nahas, a physician with a special interest in combining effective alternative therapies and traditional healing with conventional or 'western' medicine.
Dr. Nahas was born and raised in Ottawa. He studied biochemistry at the University of Ottawa before attending the University of Toronto, where he obtained his medical degree in 1998.
During his four years of medical school, he pursued an interest in international health. His was awarded a scholarship from the University of Toronto's International Health Program, which supported an initiative to educate young mothers about oral rehydration of infant diarrhea in Cairo, Egypt. He subsequently founded the student section of CISEPO (Canadian International Scientific Exchange Program), a non-governmental organization dedicated to building bridges to peace in the Middle East through academic partnerships between Israeli and Palestinian health professionals. His career interest in emergency medicine led him to a trauma elective experience in Johannesburg, South Africa.
After completing a residency program in family medicine, Dr. Nahas spent three years working as a full-time ER physician. He worked in a wide range of clinical settings, from remote rural outposts to academic teaching hospitals. During the outbreak of 2003 he was one of a small team of physicians caring for patients with SARS.
He then spent two years traveling abroad. What began as a vacation became an odyssey that took him to over 30 countries. He underwent an apprenticeship in shamanism, received formal training in Ayurveda in India and spent time with medicine men and healers from many walks of life. This journey renewed his vocation as a physician and healer.
At the end of 2006, he returned to Ottawa and established the Seekers Centre for Integrative Medicine. He has worked with the Mohawk population living on the Akwesasne reserve and continues to practice emergency medicine part-time.
Dr. Nahas has lectured undergraduate medical classes at the University of Ottawa, and works with their Complementary Medicine Interest Group. He was recently appointed by the Faculty of Medicine to create and teach the CAM component of their undergraduate curriculum.
Dr. Shadi Nahas PhD - Research Director
Dr. Shadi Nahas (née Monemdjou) received her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine, where she published several research papers in the area of insulin resistance in Type 2 Diabetes. This was followed a Post-doctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto’s Banting and Best Diabetes Research Centre.
Prior to joining the Seekers Centre, Shadi worked for the patent law firm of Smart & Biggar/Fethersonhaugh, providing technical expertise in the area of biotechnology. Shadi has received several awards, including the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine Post-Doctoral Fellowship and the Canadian Diabetes Association Post-Doctoral Fellowship for her research and the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre.
Shadi brings practical experience in the worlds of research and industry to a new mission: putting complementary and alternative medicine on the Canadian healthcare agenda. This is her challenge as the research director of the Seekers Centre. Currently, she is the site research coordinator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) heart study. This is an international multi-million dollar US-funded study which is looking at the use of chelation therapy in people who have heart disease.
Dr. Chad Wilson DC
Originating from Waterdown, Ontario, Dr. Chad Wilson received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo, specializing in Kinesiology (the science of human movement). Following a life-long interest in natural healing, he attended the Logan College of Chiropractic and Health Sciences in St. Louis Missouri, obtaining a second Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology and a Doctorate in Chiropractic. Chad furthered his education by becoming fully certified in all three levels of Active Release Technique ( www.activerelease.com ).
Chad holds a special interest in working cooperatively with health care providers of various disciplines. This ensures that each patient receives the best care available for their specific needs. He is one of only a handful of Active Release providers in the Ottawa area, and combines this technique with chiropractic treatment, stretching, exercise and lifestyle coaching to provide superior care for acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
Lisa Rocha RMT - Massage Therapy
In September of 2004, Lisa moved back to Ottawa and attended the Massage Therapy program at Algonquin College, from which she graduated with honours in 2007. Lisa has additional training in Cranial Sacral Therapywith the Upledger Institute in Ottawa and Washington DC.
Combining the most current medical research and a genuine thirst for knowledge, Lisa is a gifted therapist whose career is growing at the Seekers Centre. With a focus on pain management and acute-chronic rehabilitation, she believes that pain can be managed without drugs and should not prevent people from living the best life possible.
Dr. Hamed Sattari - Clincial Associate
Upon his arrival in Canada in 2004, Dr. Sattari joined the Multiple Myeloma group at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, where he worked as Clinical Researcher. In 2006, he moved to Ottawa and joined the University of Ottawa's Department of Surgery, where he was involved in clinical study design. That same year he joined the Seekers Centre team.
Kim Beach - Administrative Associate
