Melinda R Ring

Melinda R Ring, MD, FACP, ABOIM serves as Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University's Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) and holds the Tina Trott Professorship in Integrative Health. She is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine (General Internal Medicine) and Medical Social Sciences (Intervention Science) at Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in evidence-informed patient-centered integrative medicine with clinical focus on Women's Health including menopause, PCOS, and thyroid disorders.

Her educational background includes:

• MD from University of Chicago (1994)
• Internal Medicine Residency at University of Chicago Hospitals (1997)
• Integrative Medicine Fellowship at University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center (2014)

Dr. Ring's research integrates conventional and complementary therapies with emphasis on health equity, women's hormonal health, and culinary medicine. She develops patient-centered approaches through community partnerships and teaches integrative medicine courses while directing the national Osher Collaborative fellowship program for medical professionals.

Her recent publications reveal strong trends in developing anti-racism tools for health equity, exploring dietary impacts on microbiome composition, and creating integrative protocols for complex conditions like HPA axis dysfunction and chronic liver disease, demonstrating commitment to evidence-based innovation across diverse patient populations.

Her extensive recognition includes:

• Community-Engaged Research Partnership Award (ARCC, 2018)
• America’s Most Honored Professionals (The American Registry, 2018)
• Multiple Patients’ Choice and Most Compassionate Doctor Awards from Vitals (2010-2018)
• Chicago's 100 Most Influential Women (2013)
• Drs. Carl and Pat Greer Distinguished Physician Award (Feinberg, 2013)
• Top 10 for Policy and Action in Integrative Health (The Integrator, 2016)

As an educator, Dr. Ring mentors through the Osher Collaborative fellowship and develops curricula in integrative/culinary medicine. Her leadership extends to editorial boards of Global Advances in Health and Medicine and The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, plus national roles in the American Board of Integrative Medicine and Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

The Osher Center under her direction functions as an interdisciplinary hub integrating clinical care, research, and education to advance holistic health solutions and train next-generation practitioners in evidence-based integrative medicine.