If medicine has been about personal health, Ecological Medicine is about a restored symbiosis between humanity and our entire ecosystem.
A TURNING POINT FOR HUMAN HEALTH
We are long overdue for a rethink
Human health is facing a paradox. Despite biomedical advancements, communities are grappling with rising chronic disease, health disparities, and loneliness so pervasive that the Surgeon General and World Health Organization have declared it a public health concern.
Rooted in evidence-based research, transdisciplinary expertise, and a changemaking ethos, Ecological Medicine asserts that we cannot meaningfully address the major crises in human health unless we also consider the health of the Earth we call home. Ecological Medicine offers unique opportunities to care for ourselves, one another, non-human animals, and our planet simultaneously by integrating traditional ecological knowledge and emerging practices into modern medicine.
WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL MEDICINE?
A philosophy and a practice, grounded in interconnectedness and relationality
In the simplest terms, Ecological Medicine holds that treatment of the human mind and body is incomplete unless it also considers the broader ecosystem within which we all live. A philosophy as well as a medical practice, it regards human and ecosystem health as inextricable and seeks to close the gap between them.
PARTNERSHIPS & PROGRESS
Milestones in a growing movement
2025
Ecological Medicine at BWF
2026
Reciprocity Retreat
2026
Ecological Medicine in Practice Convening
Strong roots
OUR PEOPLE
The Ecological Medicine Society unites a growing, transdisciplinary network of more than 200 researchers and practitioners, guided by its founding leadership and advisory board.
Leadership
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Landon Pollack
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A lifelong polymath with 25 years uniting transdisciplinary groups around meaningful causes, Landon has spearheaded the field of Ecological Medicine, including its implementation at UCLA. His work centers a multispecies perspective, translation to practice, and a changemaking mentality.
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Michael Makhinson, MD, PhD
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Chair and psychiatrist at Harbor UCLA and clinical leader in Ecological Medicine, Dr. Makhinson is also the lead author of the field's consensus statement, Moving Toward Connection-Based Medicine.
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Karen Waconda
SENIOR TRIBAL ADVISOR ON INDIGENOUS PRACTICES
A native of the Isleta and Laguna Pueblos, Karen integrates Western medicine, Native healing, and mindfulness. She founded and directs the Center for Native American Integrative Healing, bringing traditional practices into clinical and community settings.
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Matthew Browning
CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER
An environmental scientist studying nature, health, and immersive technology, Matt brings rigorous evaluation and evidence to connection-based interventions.
