The daughter of a holistic veterinarian and a naturopathic physician, Dr. Vaccarella was introduced to integrative medicine at a very young age. Listening to her parents discuss unique cases at the dinner table, she quickly realized how much integrative, truly integrative, medicine had to offer.

Even so, a life in medicine was not Dr. Vaccarella’s original plan. As a child, her dream was to become a “world famous violinist”. After starting violin at the age of 3, she continued to fiddle with several additional instruments including piano, mallet percussion, and guitar. Originally an opera major, Dr. Vaccarella has performed internationally with jazz ensembles, big bands, youth symphonies, and renegade musicians. Though she is now mostly retired, Dr. Vaccarella still finds opportunities to regale with song – she even took the stage for a few songs are her wedding!

After earning her Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine from Southern California University of Health Sciences, Dr. Vaccarella practiced in Oregon for several years before accepting a teaching position at the University of Western States. Her unique teaching style quickly became recognized within the academic community, prompting the National University of Natural Medicine to recruit her as their Director of Continuing Education in 2013. Life’s journey led her to Boston, Massachusetts, where she was hired as the Executive Director of a start-up CME organization named Synergy CME Group. Her experience with Synergy eventually prompted her to pursue an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, an education that filled in the gaps that experience had already given her.

An avid runner and cyclist, Dr. Vaccarella loves all things outdoors, wine tasting, cooking, reading and taking long walks with her husband and 8-month old son. But if you ask her what her passion is, she will respond with “integrative medicine.” It is because of this that she is delighted and honored to become the new Executive Director of the International College of Integrative Medicine, and is looking forward to seeing the organization grow!