Gatherings and classes for connection.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Sley Tanigawa is a physician certified by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine and Brazil's Ambassador for the PAVING program. She is a co-founder and past president of the Brazilian College of Lifestyle Medicine, coordinates the Postgraduate Program in Lifestyle Medicine at Einstein Hospital Israelita, and serves as a Course Leader for Harvard- Emeritus. She has authored numerous scientific publications in lifestyle medicine and is an international speaker and TEDx speaker.

Practical, evidence-based strategies for a healthier body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart

What if the everyday choices you make could help you build greater resilience, navigate stress, and support your mental well-being?

Join internationally recognized lifestyle medicine physician Dr. Sley Tanigawa for an engaging, evidence-based presentation exploring how the PAVING STEPSS® can help you cultivate habits that support mental health and overall well-being.

Mental health is influenced by many interconnected factors, including how we move, eat, sleep, manage stress, connect with others, and find purpose. The PAVING® approach brings these elements together in a practical, whole-person framework that helps bridge the gap between knowing what supports our health and putting it into practice.

Explore the 12 PAVING STEPSS®

The PAVING STEPSS® provide a framework for building sustainable lifestyle habits across four interconnected pillars.

HEALTHY BODY

Physical Activity

Nutrition

Sleep

PEACEFUL MIND

• Stress Resiliency
• Attitude
• Time Outs

JOYFUL HEART

• Energy
• Social Support
• Purpose

ACTION

• Goals
• Investigations
• Variety

Together, these 12 steps offer a practical way to explore daily habits that support whole-person wellness.

What You'll Take Away

During this session, you will:

• Explore the connection between lifestyle behaviors and mental well-being.
• Discover practical ways to strengthen stress resiliency and cultivate a healthier perspective.
• Learn how intentional breaks, meaningful relationships, and purposeful living can support well-being.
• Consider small, achievable changes you can incorporate into your daily routine.
• Gain a broader understanding of how lifestyle practices can complement professional care for stress, anxiety, and depression.

Who Should Attend?

Everyone is welcome! Whether you are looking to support your own mental well-being, strengthen healthy daily habits, or gain insights that may help you support others, this session offers an opportunity to explore practical, evidence-based approaches to living well.

Ready to take the next step toward greater well-being?

Join us and discover how small, intentional lifestyle changes can help pave the way toward a healthier, more balanced life.

Spearker Bio:

Dr. Mahima Gulati is a triple board-certified physician in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism and Internal Medicine, and is board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where she directs the Lifestyle Medicine Endocrinology service line and serves in leadership roles developing lifestyle medicine education across medical and health professional training programs .She also serves as an adjunct associate professor of Internal Medicine at Frank H. Netter School of  Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, Connecticut.  

A Fellow of both the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and American College of Endocrinology, Dr. Gulati is a national leader in lifestyle medicine, having served on the ACLM Board of Directors and as founding chair of its Endocrinology Member Interest Group, where she now serves as Co-Chair. Dr. Gulati has been an invited speaker at more than 50 regional, national, and international conferences and has authored numerous journal articles and textbook chapters.

Most notably for this presentation, she is the corresponding author of ACLM's multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines on “Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Adults,” published in 2025. She also serves on the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology's Clinical Practice Guidelines Oversight Committee.

Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Adults

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are growing global health challenges, but evidence shows that lifestyle changes can play an important role in improving metabolic health and, for some individuals, supporting diabetes remission. Dr. Mahima Gulati will explore the science behind diabetes remission, review evidence-based lifestyle approaches, and translate the research into practical strategies that can be applied in clinical care and everyday life. Whether you are a healthcare professional looking to strengthen your approach to lifestyle medicine or someone interested in taking a more active role in your health and wellness, this session offers practical, evidence-informed insights.

Target Audience

Healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and anyone interested in learning how evidence-based lifestyle interventions can support the prevention, treatment, and potential remission of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

Key Takeaways

Participants will:

• Understand the underlying factors contributing to type 2 diabetes and its broader health impact.
• Learn what diabetes remission means and the metabolic changes associated with it.
• Explore evidence-based lifestyle strategies that may support improved metabolic health and diabetes remission.
• Discover practical ways to apply these strategies in clinical practice and everyday life.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Aleksandra Pikula is a Professor of Medicine (Neurology) at the University of Toronto and the inaugural Jay & Sari Sonshine Research Chair in Stroke Prevention and Brain Health at UofT/UHN/KBI, where she is the founding director of the JS Sonshine Centre. A quadruple board-certified neurologist and lifestyle medicine physician, she specializes in women's brain health and midlife stroke and dementia prevention. 

She has authored over 120 peer-reviewed papers and secured over $20 million in research funding. She leads sex- and gender-responsive education and clinical initiatives, including the Women's Neurology Fellowship Program at the University of Toronto, the Women in Midlife Brain Health & Stroke Prevention Program at the Krembil Brain Institute, and the HER BRAIN Initiative for patient education. 

As Director of the Brain Health section of PAVING the Path to Wellness, she has fully integrated shared medical appointments based on the PAVING framework into her clinical practice at UHN, adapted for both the Women in Midlife Program and a separate Stroke Prevention Lifestyle Medicine Program. 

She chairs the World Stroke Organization's GENESIS Committee and holds multiple other leadership and editorial roles. She is passionate about mentorship and sponsorship, advocates for wellness and burnout prevention for women in medicine, and is the founder of HER PRISM™, a successful woman-centered life and wellness coaching practice.

Dr. Pikula is also an avid reflective writer. Her essays share the evidence behind how women's brain health, midlife, and lifestyle intersect, combining scientific insight with lived experience.

You can find more about Dr. Pikula's work at:

Aleksandra Pikula, MD — Vascular Neurologist & Women's Brain Health

Through HER Prism | Aleksandra Pikula, MD | Substack

Welcome to HER PRISM — Coaching for Women in Medicine

Session Description

Midlife is the period in which a woman's long-term cognitive trajectory is most open to change — and the period most often overlooked. Women carry roughly two-thirds of the dementia burden, yet the conversation about prevention typically begins decades after the window for meaningful intervention has narrowed.

This session makes the case for acting earlier. It begins with why the menopause transition marks a distinct period of vulnerability, then traces the mechanism that explains it: the brain as a vascular organ, shaped by blood pressure, lipids, glucose regulation, and sleep long before memory is affected. From there the session turns practical — how to assess where someone actually stands, which lifestyle pillars carry the strongest vascular-brain evidence in women, how to speak accurately about hormone therapy without overstating its role, and what to prioritize first when everything cannot change at once.

The aim is a clear, evidence-grounded framework that clinicians, coaches, and individuals can each apply within their own scope.

Target Audience

Clinicians and allied health practitioners working with women in midlife; wellness and health coaches seeking a defensible, scope-appropriate framework; women navigating the menopause transition; and anyone with an interest in lifestyle medicine and preventive brain health. No specialist background is assumed — the material is built to serve a mixed-expertise room.

Key Takeaways

• Midlife is a modifiable window, not a waiting period — the trajectory of cognitive aging is shaped decades before symptoms appear.
• Cognitive health is largely vascular health. What protects the heart protects the brain, and the menopause transition alters that risk profile measurably.
• Measurement precedes change. A small set of trackable markers distinguishes informed action from generic wellness advice.
• Lifestyle pillars work in combination, not isolation — the evidence favours multidomain intervention over any single change - few words on "influencers"
• Hormone therapy is not a prevention strategy, but knowing about it is important
• The most useful advice is sequenced. Participants leave with a prioritized first three

Speaker Bio:

Kristen Siminski, RPT, spent twenty years as a physical therapist in a community hospital emergency room before transitioning to community-based health and wellness programming on Cape Cod. Guided by her belief in lifestyle medicine and the power of small, sustainable changes, Kristen delivers free programs—including group health coaching, Nordic walking series, fall prevention clinics, and home visits—to residents across the region. As part of a multidisciplinary team that includes a nurse, exercise physiologist, and epidemiologist, she champions a community-centered approach to public health, emphasizing that meaningful impact requires more than education. It requires presence, trust, and meeting people where they are.

Stay Safe. Maintain Independence. Thrive at Home.

What does it take to age safely and confidently in the place you call home? Whether you're planning for your own future, supporting an aging parent or loved one, or working with older adults, knowing what to do—and when to ask for help—can make a meaningful difference.

Join physical therapist Kristen for a practical, interactive conversation about the everyday challenges and opportunities of aging in place. Drawing on her clinical background in acute and emergency care and her current focus in community public health, Kristen brings a grounded, real-world perspective to the strategies that help people remain safe, independent, and engaged at home.

From preventing falls and making simple, cost-effective home modifications to recognizing caregiver stress and navigating family dynamics, this session will explore practical ways to address challenges before they become crises. You'll also learn when to seek support from physical and occupational therapists, healthcare professionals, home health services, and community resources.

What You’ll Take Away

• Reduce fall risk: Discover practical steps to improve safety and help prevent falls.
• Make your home safer: Explore simple, affordable modifications that can support independence.
• Recognize caregiver stress: Understand the signs of caregiver burden and when additional support may be needed.
• Know where to turn for help: Learn how healthcare professionals and community resources can support older adults and their caregivers.
• Plan ahead with confidence: Identify important steps families can take before a fall, hospitalization, or other unexpected crisis.

Bring Your Questions. Leave with Practical Strategies.

Designed for real-life concerns and open to clinicians and community members alike, this interactive session offers an opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and explore solutions that support aging well at home.

Join us as we work toward a future where older adults can experience greater safety, independence, dignity, and quality of life.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Dimitrios Tsatiris is a practicing, board-certified psychiatrist and clinical associate professor who specializes in the intersection of achievement and well-being.

A dynamic TEDx speaker, he regularly shares his insights at universities, healthcare organizations, and medical conferences. His work has been featured in popular outlets, including Psychology Today, Thrive Global, The White Coat Investor, NAMI, and Doximity, among others.

As a leading expert in physician wellness, Dr. Tsatiris has helped hundreds of doctors navigate the intense pressures of their careers. He is the author of the book Physician Burnout: How to Rise Above a Broken Healthcare System as a Practicing Clinician, a vital guide helping healthcare professionals reclaim their well-being.

Ultimately, Dr. Tsatiris is deeply passionate about empowering people to cultivate a healthy relationship with achievement. Through his work as a psychiatrist, writer, and speaker, he seeks to fulfill this mission.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions in the United States, affecting nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lifetime. Beyond their impact on emotional well-being and daily functioning, anxiety disorders are associated with a range of adverse physical health outcomes, including cardiovascular concerns, gastrointestinal conditions, chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and substance use disorders.

However, the impact of anxiety extends beyond those who meet diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder. Even everyday experiences of anxiety can influence health and quality of life when individuals rely on ineffective coping strategies. These patterns may affect work performance, relationships, and the ability to establish and sustain the foundational behaviors that support optimal health and well-being.

Given the widespread prevalence of anxiety and its far-reaching effects on physical, mental, and social health, healthcare professionals, wellness coaches, and the general public can benefit from a greater understanding of how anxiety presents and how it can be effectively managed.

Grounded in a biopsychosocial framework, this presentation will explore the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral manifestations of anxiety while providing practical, evidence-informed strategies to help individuals recognize, understand, and navigate anxiety more effectively.

This talk is designed for healthcare professionals, wellness coaches, and anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of anxiety and learning practical management approaches through a biopsychosocial and Lifestyle Medicine perspective.

Key Takeaways 

Participants will discover:

• Anxiety affects the mind, body, and behaviors—not just emotions.
• The many ways anxiety can influence overall health and daily life.
• How a biopsychosocial approach provides a more complete framework for anxiety management.
• Practical insights for recognizing and responding to anxiety more effectively.