Osteopathic Manual Medicine

Jenny Ho, DO, is a board-certified family medicine and osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine physician with specialized training in integrative medicine. She sees patients at UC San Diego's Centers for Integrative Health. She is committed to caring for patients across the lifespan, from newborns to older adults, and enjoys integrating holistic approaches into her clinical practice.

Dr. Ho has extensive experience providing OMT in both outpatient and inpatient settings, including but not limited to stroke rehabilitation, surgical rehabilitation, migraines, pelvic pain, peripartum-related pain, respiratory conditions, motor vehicle–related injuries and rheumatologic conditions. She also has a particular interest in pediatric care, addressing concerns such as feeding difficulties in newborns, torticollis, plagiocephaly, and developmental or behavioral challenges.

Dr. Ho completed her family medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, followed by an additional residency year in osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency. During her training, she also completed 200 hours of Andrew Weil's integrative medicine curriculum. She earned her medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.

Amelia Eastman, DO, is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. She is a physician who meets with patients at different types of UC San Diego Health clinics to help with physical impairments and rehabilitation. She uses a hands-on approach to diagnose injury and illness and encourage the body's natural tendency for good health. Dr. Eastman does not prescribe pain medication. Her treatments focus on multimodal solutions including physical or occupational therapy, injection options, equipment or bracing, or technology to enhance recovery.

Dr. Eastman has trained in both integrative medicine and conventional medicine, allowing her to integrate all aspects of health in the best method for each patient. She is a member of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine.

She specializes in the nonsurgical treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, including neck pain, back pain, and sports injuries. Her work in physical medicine and rehabilitation also includes meeting with patients before and after joint replacements or other surgery to decrease pain, increase movement and regain function.

In her work at the pain clinic (appointments by referral only), she specializes in using osteopathic manual medicine to ease muscle pain through techniques including counterstrain and muscle energy.

She often incorporates exercise into her prescriptions for health. She is a member of the Exercise and Physical Activity Resource Center (EPARC) at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology.

Her research interests include sports concussion, back pain, and a variety of non-opioid pain management options. She is involved in numerous research trials in the areas of pain, functional decline and exercise.

Dr. Eastman completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine and a residency in preventive medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, Calif.

Before attending medical school, Dr. Eastman worked as a river guide and has traveled and lived in South America and New Zealand. In addition, she has lived and worked in health care in Africa, Australia and Cuba.

Alice Chen, DO, is a board-certified osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine specialist who provides an integrative approach towards treating disease and cultivating health. She provides osteopathic manipulative treatment: a type of hands-on care that treats illness and injury by feeling and gently moving a person's tissues and joints, thereby easing pain and improving function. She considers the whole-person (mind-body-spirit) in the quest for optimal health and wellness.

Dr. Chen cares for for people of all ages with a variety of health conditions. She primarily cares for patients in the hospital setting, helping with pain, anxiety, acute illness, infections, traumatic injuries, and after all forms of surgery (from brain to transplant). She cares for infants and newborns in her clinic, helping alleviate biomechanical breastfeeding issues, torticollis, constipation, body tightness and tension, and plagiocephaly. 

As an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Chen teaches medical students, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Her research interests include exploring the mechanisms of osteopathic manipulative treatment and its clinical effects in the patients she cares for.

Dr. Chen completed her residency in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine (NMM/OMM) at St. Barnabas Hospital Health System in the Bronx, New York. She earned her osteopathic medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.

When not treating patients, Dr. Chen enjoys spending time with family, painting, and cooking. She energizes herself through spending time in nature, contemplation, and friendship.

Dr. Vanessa Mervyn-Cohen is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine dual board-certified in Family Medicine and Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (NMM/OMM). She is an attending physician at the University of California San Diego, where she practices both primary care and osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).

Dr. Cohen earned her medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University of Health Sciences. She completed her residency in Urban Family Practice at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, followed by fellowship training in NMM/OMM at Berkshire Osteopathic Health/Berkshire Medical Center.

Within the Center for Integrative Medicine, Dr. Cohen’s clinical interests include women’s health, including prenatal and postpartum care, chronic pain, post-operative recovery, and conditions involving the autonomic and central nervous systems. Her approach emphasizes individualized, trauma-informed, patient-centered care grounded in osteopathic principles and the practice of osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Caitlin MacMillen, DO, MPH, is a board-certified family medicine physician dedicated to providing full-spectrum primary care to adults and children, with a special interest in women's health and integrative medicine. As an osteopathic physician, she has a whole-body approach to medicine and is experienced in osteopathic manipulative treatment, a type of hands-on care that diagnoses and treats illness and injury by moving a person's muscles and joints to ease pain and increase mobility.

Dr. MacMillen completed her residency in family medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where she was chief resident. She earned her doctorate of osteopathic medicine and a master's degree in public health degree, both at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, Calif. She is board certified in family medicine.

Her experiences abroad, including participation in a pediatric oral health and nutrition project in the rural communities of El Salvador and Ecuador, inspired her to pursue a medical school that also offered her the chance to get a master's degree in public health.

In her free time, Dr. MacMillen enjoys ocean swimming, hiking, yoga, playing soccer, cooking and spending time with family and friends. She also likes to practice speaking Spanish and Portuguese.

Tasha Loader, DO is a board-certified specialist in osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine (ONMM) with clinical expertise spanning both inpatient and outpatient settings. She provides an integrative, hands-on approach to patient care through osteopathic manual treatment (OMT), utilizing gentle, precise techniques to evaluate and improve musculoskeletal function, tissue mechanics, and overall well being. Each treatment is individualized, guided by the patient's unique presentation and real-time response, to inform both the approach and trajectory of care. Dr. Loader enjoys this team effort between patient and provider in reaching the patient's functional goals and fostering long term health.

Dr. Loader provides osteopathic manual medicine consultation in the hospital setting, including supporting patients experiencing acute pain, anxiety, traumatic injury, and recovery from complex surgeries (such as brain surgery and organ transplant). In the outpatient setting, she treats a broad range of conditions including cancer related pain and anxiety, sports injuries, post-operative rehabilitation, and prenatal and postpartum care.

Dr. Loader completed her residency in osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine at St. Barnabas Hospital Health System in the Bronx, New York. She earned her medical degree from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona and her Bachelor of Arts in medical anthropology and public health from Hampshire College in Massachusetts. 

Dr. Loader’s experience living in multiple locations has cultivated her interest in art, food, natural landscapes, and cultural and historical context of people and places. She enjoys spending time biking, hiking, and cooking with loved ones. She is fluent in English and Japanese.

Anna Mercer, DO is a board-certified osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine (ONMM) specialist dedicated to supporting the body's innate capacity for healing. Applying the rich tradition of osteopathic manual medicine (OMM), she takes a genuinely hands-on approach — one that considers the whole person, including their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being — to gently identify and address the structural restrictions that can quietly undermine health and function.

Dr. Mercer brings expertise across both acute and chronic care, working with patients through a remarkable breadth of conditions: pregnancy and birth trauma (for both mothers and newborns), pelvic pain, chronic pain, traumatic injuries, pre- and post-operative care, headaches and neurological disorders, respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal and rheumatologic conditions, and mental health challenges. She holds a particular passion for the transformative potential of OMM in the care of women and children.

Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Mercer serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine, where she mentors students and colleagues in the principles and practice of traditional osteopathic medicine.

Dr. Mercer completed her residency in ONMM at St. Barnabas Hospital Health System in the Bronx, NY, where she was honored to serve as chief resident. She earned her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She is an active member of both the Osteopathic Cranial Academy and the American Academy of Osteopathy.

When she's not in the clinic, Dr. Mercer can be found dancing, practicing yoga, swimming, hiking, and playing board games with the people she loves — or curled up with her cat, Henry. She is also committed to strengthening her conversational and clinical Spanish to better connect with and serve her community.

Jared Huffman, DO, is a neuromusculoskeletal medicine physician specializing in osteopathic manual medicine. He practices osteopathic manipulative treatment, helping facilitate a person's natural healing capabilities through light touch and gentle manipulation of tissues, joints, and organs. Some common conditions that Dr. Huffman treats include acute and chronic pain, migraines, post-concussion symptoms, newborn feeding difficulties, plagiocephaly (a flat spot on a baby's head) and musculoskeletal conditions associated with pregnancy.

As an assistant professor of family medicine, he is involved in training medical students, residents and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Dr. Huffman completed his osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine residency at the founding location of osteopathy, A.T. Still Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Mo. He earned his medical degree from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis. He was able to study under a variety of great osteopathic physicians which reflects in his own unique practice today. Before medical school, Dr. Huffman studied the inter-relationship between the environment and public health at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. There, he obtained a Master of Arts in global sustainability and later worked as an intern for the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, District of Columbia.

Outside of work, Dr. Huffman enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including surfing, scuba diving, hiking and skiing. He is also an avid musician and collects a variety of vintage vinyl records.

Ariel Portera, DO, is a physician who provides primary care for patients of all ages with a special interest in women's health, integrative medicine and nutrition. She also performs inpatient and outpatient osteopathic manipulative treatment – a hands-on approach to treating a wide variety of illnesses and musculoskeletal injuries.

Providing general integrative medicine consults through the Center for Integrative Medicine, she utilizes lifestyle medicine to address the root cause of chronic disease. She also integrates and frequently refers to other complementary modalities including but not limited to acupuncture, massage, mindfulness and culinary medicine.

She enjoys treating the mind, body and spirit to optimize health and wellness, and partnering with patients on their health care journey.

Dr. Portera completed a residency in family medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and she earned her medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Fla. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Academy of Integrative Health Medicine, the Institute for Functional Medicine and the American Osteopathic Association.

In her free time, Dr. Portera enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel, hiking, cooking and meditation.

Megan Jolicoeur, DO, is a board-certified family medicine and integrative medicine specialist. She is also an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (FMCP-M).

She serves as an assistant professor of family medicine in the UC San Diego School of Medicine and currently sees patients at UC San Diego's Centers for Integrative Health. Through a holistic perspective, Dr. Jolicoeur empowers her patients to reach optimal wellness from a whole body and integrative approach that includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Dr. Jolicoeur has a passion and expertise in integrative medicine, medical acupuncture, osteopathy, lifestyle medicine, nutrition and functional medicine. She currently holds additional certifications in medical acupuncture, mind body medicine, Ayurvedic counseling, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT),  and is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher.

She previously served as an active-duty naval officer and physician at Naval Branch Health Clinic Port Hueneme while also leading as the senior medical officer. During her time of service, she participated in a humanitarian mission called Pacific Partnership 2015 aboard the USNS Mercy and also established an integrative medical and acupuncture clinic for active duty, retired veterans and dependents.

Following her service with the Navy, she completed an integrative medicine fellowship at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine while also serving as a clinical instructor for UCLA. She completed her internship and residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. She served an additional year focusing on integrative medicine while also serving as a junior attending physician.

Dr. Jolicoeur earned her medical degree at Touro University School of Osteopathic Medicine-California. She completed a bachelor's degree in physiology and neurobiology from The University of Connecticut.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM).

Her hobbies include spending time with family, running, hiking, cooking, and traveling. She uses yoga, meditation, and time in nature to stay grounded and grateful.