Dr. Joseph Pizzorno

Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, ND is a transformational leader in medicine. Through half a century of work, he has helped establish and advance the academic, scientific, and clinical foundation of natural, functional, integrative, and environmental medicine. As founding president of Bastyr University in 1978, he coined the term “science-based natural medicine” and led Bastyr to become the first ever accredited institution in the field. He has set worldwide standards of practice by authoring or co-authoring 6 textbooks for doctors, including the Textbook of Natural Medicine (over 100,000 copies in 4 languages across 5 editions) and Clinical Environmental Medicine. He is Editor-in-Chief of PubMed-indexed IMCJ—the most widely read, peer-reviewed journal in the field (25,000 copies/issue). He is a founding member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians and Board of Directors of the Institute for Functional Medicine, where he served 3 terms as Chair. A licensed naturopathic physician, midwife (past), educator, researcher, and expert spokesman, he is also author or co-author of 8 consumer books (most recent, Healthy Bones, Healthy You! with wife Lara). He founded SaluGenecists to develop artificial intelligence tools to help improve healthcare outcomes.

Dr. Pizzorno returned as Interim President in 2025 and now serves as Chancellor of Bastyr.