Dr. Christine Girard returned to lead her alma mater in 2019 after more than two decades of practice, teaching, research and leadership. She brings to NUNM significant experience and a deep understanding of natural medicine within the rapidly changing field of health care. Her career has focused on integrative medicine and undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Previously, Dr. Girard served as executive vice president at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, Arizona, for more than 10 years. Prior to SCNM, she was the director of naturopathic medicine at Southwestern Regional Medical Center, a Cancer Treatment Centers of America Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1999, Dr. Girard co-founded and co-directed with David L. Katz, MD, MPH, the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital, a Yale-affiliated acute care community hospital in Derby, Connecticut.

In addition to her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from NUNM (1997), Dr. Girard received a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Health Services Administration from the University of Arizona. Dr. Girard is a former board member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. She was named Physician of the Year by AANP in 2010, the highest honor a naturopathic physician can receive; it is awarded in recognition of an individual’s dedicated leadership and achievement on behalf of the naturopathic profession.