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Doctor's Visit

Meet the team that is Moving Medicine Forward​

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Michael Klaper, MD, DipACLM

Executive Director

Michael A. Klaper, M.D. is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. He has practiced acute care medicine in Hawaii, California, Florida, Canada and New Zealand and for the past 35 years, has been focusing upon health-promoting food and lifestyle choices to help reverse disease and prevent the need for hospitalization and surgery.

 

Dr. Klaper is board-certified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has served as nutrition advisor to NASA’s programs for space colonists on the Moon and Mars. He recently joined the staff of Aroga Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Victoria, B.C and continues his work with the non-profit “Moving Medicine Forward” initiative that teaches medical students about reversing chronic disease utilizing plant-predominant nutrition.

Zach Burns, DO, MPH

Associate Director

Dr. Zach Burns gravitated to Moving Medicine Forward after hosting Dr. Klaper to speak on his medical school campus in 2019. He has since partnered with hundreds of medical, health professional and undergraduate students to cultivate a generation who is prepared to tackle the chronic disease burden. Alongside Moving Medicine Forward, Dr. Burns practices family medicine in Rochester, New York. Favorite foods include healthy pesto and black raspberry nice cream. 

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Alese Jones

Communications Director

Alese Jones brings her 30 years of experience and communication skills as a yoga teacher and musician to expertly function as the Communications Director for Moving Medicine Forward (“MMF"). Her role is a vertical one. She fields questions from physicians and the public seeking nutritional guidance to managing complex travel arrangements. Regardless of level or scope, Alese keeps the communication lines open with a smile and a song. In her spare time, Alese fosters kittens from animal shelters and is a jazz singer. She was previously a staff member at True North Health Center in Santa Rosa, CA and currently on the staff of PlantStrong Immersions.

Jacquelyn Cully

Outreach & Fundraising Director

Jacquelyn been plant-based for a long time and most likely the person you reach when you reach out to MMF. She started her career in grassroots environmental activism and worked as a lobbyist for non-profits. Her most notable victory was writing and passing a bill in Colorado. With fifteen years of non-profit management and fundraising experience, she is most proud to use her advocacy skills to help Dr. Klaper’s message of plant-based disease reversal reach as many students as possible. As an animal lover and yogi, she supports the healing of as many beings as possible. Her favorite Dr. Klaper quote: “Do what you can, with what you have, from where you’re at.” 

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Beth Summers, Ph.D.

Member, Board of Directors for MMF

Beth Summers spent her career helping companies enhance their leadership talent.  She earned her PhD. in Organizational Psychology from Bowling Green State University where General Motors sponsored her dissertation research. She had the good fortune to join a “fruit company” when it was an unknown. Now she takes pride in her membership in the Apple Alumni. 

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In 2010 she was diagnosed with heart disease and dove into learning about reversal and prevention. In 2016 she attended the Esselstyn sponsored Plantstock and started to meet the subculture of Whole Foods devotees. This extended to include Michael Klaper M.D. whom she immediately recognized as a “national treasure.” She retired from her consulting business to volunteer and contribute to plant based nutrition education. The mission of Moving Medicine Forward fits precisely into her philosophy for change.

Steve Kehoe

Member, Board of Directors for MMF

Steve Kehoe serves as Treasurer for Moving Medicine Forward. He became very interested in using a WFPB diet to help his wife, Sue, overcome Stage 4 breast cancer in 2011. He attended a presentation by Dr. Klaper that really inspired him and Sue to go full force into a WFPB diet and other healthy lifestyle changes. With the incredible results (Sue is still cancer free), they became more active in promoting the healing benefits of a WFPB diet in their own community. They hosted monthly WFPB potlucks with numerous guest speakers for 7 years. Dr. Klaper was one such speaker and when he started Moving Medicine Forward in 2017, Steve was an enthusiastic supporter and helped set up several of the initial medical school speaking tours for Dr. Klaper. Steve has since become a Board member and continues to support Moving Medicine Forward’s goal of educating medical students about the critical role WFPB nutrition and lifestyle play in healing.

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