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Alejandra Reyes, DACM, LAc, is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and a licensed acupuncturist credentialed by both the California Acupuncture Board and the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She has special interests in working with patients with chronic pain, orthopedics and oncology support, utilizing evidence-informed Chinese medicine to care for complex health needs.

Dr. Reyes is the director of the acupuncture and massage department at the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine. She also serves as the co-director of the integrative medicine rotation for UC San Diego medical students, and is committed to expanding integrative medicine education and awareness among future physicians. In addition, she is faculty at Pacific College of Health and Science, supervising acupuncture students in off-site clinical rotations.

Beyond her clinical and academic work, Dr. Reyes is passionate about giving back to the community, including volunteer efforts with refugee shelters and local outreach initiatives. She believes strongly in expanding access to compassionate, culturally sensitive care for underserved populations.

A first-generation Mexican American raised in San Diego, Dr. Reyes is proud to serve the community she calls home. In her free time, she enjoys road cycling, beach days and kayaking with her family. She is also an avid traveler who loves exploring new destinations, cultures and cuisines.

Jacqueline Arellano, DACM is a licensed acupuncturist who sees patients as part of the Center of Integrative Medicine at UC San Diego. She specializes in pain relief, stress management and reproductive care.

Fully fluent in both English and Spanish, she is able to facilitate treatment in both languages effectively.

Committed to accessible health care, she founded and manages Border Kindness Health and Wellness Center. This holistic program provides acupuncture and adjunctive therapies for refugees and unhoused families in community settings including shelters, clinics and encampments. They also provide comprehensive pro-bono services to the community in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.

In addition to patient care, she supervises acupuncture interns at Pacific College of Health Science.

Dr. Arellano completed her Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine degree at Pacific College of Health Science in San Diego. She also has a master's degree in traditional oriental medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego.

Fidés Julian, DACM, is a licensed acupuncturist who cares for patients through the Center of Integrated Medicine at UC San Diego. She uses a wide range of acupuncture techniques, including orthopedic and sports injury treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Kiiko Matsumoto Japanese-style acupuncture (KMS), electroacupuncture and various adjunctive therapies.

Dr. Julian collaborates with multidisciplinary health care teams to provide holistic care and coordinate referrals to other health care providers. She specializes in family medicine, autoimmune conditions and pain management including chronic migraine headaches, neck, shoulder and back pain conditions. Her treatment approach integrates evidence based protocols informed by current research, orthopedic and neurological examination, with treatment plans that evolve with patients' needs.

In addition to patient care, she is a clinical preceptor, mentoring medical students and residents on their pain rotation. She is also a clinic supervisor at Pacific College of Health and Science where she oversees interns and assistants in delivering safe and effective acupuncture treatments to a diverse patient population.

Dr. Julian completed her Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine at Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego. She also has a Master of Science degree in traditional Oriental medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago and San Diego.

She is a member of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, American Society of Acupuncturists and California State Oriental Medical Association.

Kimberly DiStefano is a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine who care for patients as part of the Center of Integrated Medicine. She provides acupuncture treatment and uses a holistic approach to address various health concerns, with a special focus on women's health and orthopedic conditions.

She completed her degree in Chinese medicine at Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego and completed her undergraduate degree at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Jihyung Lee is an acupuncturist and researcher with clinical and laboratory expertise in immunology, integrative medicine and Five Element Acupuncture. He received his PhD in bioscience and biotechnology in Korea and later pursued immunology research training at UC San Diego, focusing on cAMP signaling in dendritic cells and T-cell differentiation. Bridging scientific inquiry with clinical practice, Dr. Lee completed his Master of Science in acupuncture and Oriental medicine and is trained in distal acupuncture systems, trigger point therapy and herbal medicine.

Dr. Lee's clinical approach emphasizes neuro-immune regulation through precise, minimally invasive distal point systems. His background working with patients experiencing chronic stress, emotional dysregulation, and autonomic imbalance informs his understanding of the psychological factors that influence immune and pain pathways. Dr. Lee currently provides patient care at the UC San Diego Lupus Center, focusing on autoimmune modulation, chronic pain, and complex systemic dysregulation within an integrative medical framework.

Lindsay Caruso is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine (DACM) and licensed massage therapist with more than 15 years of clinical experience. She integrates Eastern and Western approaches to deliver highly individualized care that addresses root causes of dysfunction while providing meaningful symptom relief.

Dr. Caruso specializes in older-adult health care, palliative care, chronic pain, migraine, headache management and neurological disorders. By combining precise acupuncture protocols, advanced manual therapy and evidence-informed lifestyle medicine, she helps patients regain function and improve quality of life.

In her massage therapy practice, she specializes in therapeutic and corrective techniques designed to restore postural balance, regulate the nervous system and resolve pain. Her sessions blend modalities such as sports massage, myofascial release, joint mobilization and trigger point therapy.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Caruso is a trained health coach with a particular passion for guiding patients toward lasting behavior change. She partners with individuals to identify barriers, build sustainable habits and cultivate the daily practices—spanning movement, nutrition, stress management, sleep and mind-body awareness—that transform health from the inside out.

When not in the clinic, she can be found tending her garden (under the close supervision of her opinionated chickens), experimenting in the kitchen, and enjoying life with her husband and their demanding English Bulldog, Gidget.

Melanie Fiorella, MD, is a board-certified family medicine doctor. She provides primary care for patients of all ages, including preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. She has a special interest in women's health, mood disorders, back pain, gastrointestinal disorders and sleep problems.

Dr. Fiorella integrates lifestyle medicine - such as nutrition, mindfulness-based stress reduction and yoga - into the medical care of her patients. Where indicated, she refers patients to complementary therapies such as osteopathic manual therapy, acupuncture and massage. She also offers consults in integrative medicine through UC San Diego's Center for Integrative Medicine.

As a professor of family medicine, Dr. Fiorella is involved in training medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is the director of the Integrative Medicine in Residency program.

Dr. Fiorella completed her residency at UC San Diego School of Medicine and earned her medical degree at State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. She is board certified in family medicine and completed fellowship training in integrative medicine.

Daniel Slater, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician and offers integrative medicine through UC San Diego's Center for Integrative Medicine, which focuses on whole-person wellness by addressing physical, lifestyle, psychological, and spiritual needs. Integrative therapies recommended often include, but are not limited to, complementary modalities such as acupuncture, osteopathic manipulation, mindfulness, acupressure, specific movement therapies, and natural supplements.

Dr. Slater strives to partner with his patients, building mutual trust and communication to individually tailor their care. He believes that a physician and healthcare team ideally treat a person's entire health, both body and mind, not merely their disease or diagnosis.

Dr. Slater is associate team physician for the San Diego Padres and team physician for UC San Diego Tritons.

As professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Dr. Slater trains medical students and residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine. He is a faculty member in the Division of Global Public Health and an executive team member of the Center for Integrative Medicine.

Dr. Slater completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona and a residency in family medicine at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. He earned his medical degree from UC San Diego School of Medicine. He is board-certified in both family medicine and integrative medicine, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP).

Dr. Slater was born and raised in Southern California, and is bilingual in Spanish.

When he is not caring for his patients, his number one priority is spending time with his family. Dr. Slater also enjoys traveling, music and fitness.

Dr. Sozanski’s academic foundation is rooted in the University of Arizona, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, graduating Summa Cum Laude, followed by his Doctor of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the same institution and is board-certified through the American Board of Family Medicine. To further refine his expertise in holistic health, he completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

His practice is deeply informed by an international perspective on healing, having completed extensive training in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture across the United States, Thailand, and China. He holds active medical licenses in California and Arizona, and is also licensed by the Medical Council of Thailand. This international background, combined with his early experience in hospice volunteerism, underscores his commitment to compassionate and versatile medical care.

Deepa Sannidhi, MD, is board-certified family medicine, obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine physician. Trained in preventive medicine, Dr. Sannidhi provides chronic disease management and also helps people prevent and treat disease through lifestyle and integrative medicine. Her expertise includes women's health, integrative medicine, and lifestyle medicine, which uses evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep and other non-drug modalities, to decrease disease risk and illness. She is also trained and proficient in using medications in the management of overweight and obesity, and practices obesity medicine at the UCSD Center for Digestive Diseases Weight Management Clinic.

Dr. Sannidhi created and runs a shared medical appointment program called the Supervised Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine Program, or SLIM Program for Weight Management and Lifestyle Related Disease, which is offered by the UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine in partnership with UCSD Weight Management Clinic. Patients are able to see her individually and in groups to get assistance with managing their disease through evidence-based integrative treatments and lifestyle management that is individualized to their needs. The SLIM Program is a structured weight management program consisting of 17 group medical visits and five one-on-one visits.

As an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Sannidhi enjoys teaching residents and medical students at UC San Diego School of Medicine about lifestyle medicine and nutrition. Her research interests include obesity and behavior change, as well as the implementation of clinical models of care that allow physicians to practice in line with their values within the confines of today's healthcare system.

Dr. Sannidhi completed her family medicine residency training at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, N.J., one of the first six family medicine residencies in the country, and trained as a resident in the UCSD/SDSU General Preventive Medicine Residency program, where she also served as chief resident and now serves as core faculty. She earned her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

She is a member of many professional organizations including the California Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the Obesity Medicine Association, The Obesity Society and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, where she serves as chair of the research committee.

Dr. Sannidhi is married to her high school sweetheart and they have a young daughter. Outside of work, she enjoys eating at healthy restaurants and finding new ways to cook healthy and delicious food.

In addition to English, Dr. Sannidhi is fluent in Telugu and conversational in Hindi and medical Spanish.