Kara Fitzgerald, ND, received her doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first Counsel on Naturopathic Medicine-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, PhD. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Fitzgerald is the lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine and is a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)’s Textbook for Functional Medicine. With the Helfgott Research Institute, Dr. Fitzgerald is actively engaged in clinical research on the DNA methylome using a diet and lifestyle intervention developed in her practice. The
first publication from the study focuses on reversal of biological aging and was published 04-12-2021 in the journal Aging. She has published a consumer book titled
Younger You as well as a companion cookbook,
Better Broths and Healing Tonics and has an application-based
Younger You Program, based on the study.
Dr. Fitzgerald is on the faculty at IFM, is an IFM Certified Practitioner and lectures globally on functional medicine. She runs a Functional Nutrition Residency program, and maintains a podcast series, New Frontiers in Functional Medicine and an active blog on her website,
www.drkarafitzgerald.com. Her clinical practice is in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Additional publications
When I sit down with Sergey Young, I’m always struck by the balance he brings. He’s deeply embedded in the future of longevity science, yet he champions the fundamentals we already know work: nutrition, exercise, sleep, purpose, and medical screening. For me, that’s a powerful reminder that as functional medicine practitioners, we already have the tools to help patients live longer, healthier lives. What excites me in this conversation is how Sergey shows us that the technologies on the horizon, including AI drug discovery, blood-based cancer tests, organ regeneration, and wearables, are making these solutions more affordable, more immediate, and more engaging for our patients. This isn’t just a distant dream. It’s a glimpse of where medicine is heading, and we are well positioned to lead the way. ~DrKF
Hair loss isn’t just cosmetic. It’s a visible marker of aging biology and a profound emotional burden, and I think this is even more true for women. The last time Carolina Reis Oliveira joined me on the podcast, we explored the OS-01 peptide for skin. This time, she’s back to share new research on how it can be applied to hair, not only outperforming minoxidil in clinical trials but also pointing us toward protocols that address stress, hormones, UV exposure, and the scalp microbiome. I love OneSkin’s deep commitment to science and the curiosity that drives their work, which is exactly what allows them to bring discoveries like this forward. This is the kind of science that changes the way we think about both aging and patient care. ~DrKF
Have you ever struggled to understand why some patients just don’t respond as expected, even when you’re following all the usual gut protocols? In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Tom Fabian, who breaks down the latest insights from StoolOMX and GI-MAP testing and shows us how to put them into practice for our most complex cases. We dive into how identifying specific types of inflammation, bile acid patterns, and microbial imbalances can guide more precise interventions, whether it’s introducing fiber, addressing biofilms, or supporting secondary bile acid production. Dr. Fabian makes the science practical, helping us see not just what’s happening in the gut, but what to do about it in real-world clinical settings. ~DrKF
This is the longevity conversation functional medicine providers need to hear. What struck me in each of these conversations is how deeply functional medicine already holds the answers we’re chasing in longevity science. We don’t need to reach for extremes. The tools we use every day—our frameworks, our lens, our root-cause approach—are longevity medicine. If you’re a clinician who’s felt unsure about where you fit in this rapidly growing space, I want this episode to remind you: you’re already in it. You’ll hear how leaders in our field are using the functional medicine matrix to slow cognitive decline, decode inflammatory pathways, and reframe aging itself as a process we can impact—intelligently and safely.
This conversation with Dr. Nir Barzilai is one of the most thought-provoking we’ve had on New Frontiers. His decades of research on centenarians, biological age, and the hallmarks of aging have shaped how we think about longevity—and what’s possible when we start targeting aging itself, not just individual diseases. We get into the science behind why some people live 20–30 years longer and healthier, and what it means to measure the biological age of individual organs. But we also hit a few sparks—especially when it comes to nutraceuticals and the role of metformin in prevention. I don’t agree with everything you’ll hear, and I followed up with Dr. Barzilai afterward to unpack some of the more provocative claims. We may just need a second round for this one… stay tuned.
Let’s be honest, the term “longevity medicine” has gotten a bit of a reputation lately. For many of us in functional medicine, it can feel like the exclusive domain of elite biohackers or billionaires chasing the next shiny object. I hear it from practitioners all the time: “Longevity isn’t for me. It’s all hype, no science.” Or “It feels disconnected from the work I do every day with real patients.” But I’m here to tell you that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, I would argue that Functional Medicine Is Longevity Medicine. Always has been. This is exactly why I created the Functional Medicine IS Longevity Medicine Masterclass: For Clinicians, happening live, virtually, and for free, September 17–19, 2025. Because it’s time we reframe the narrative and take our seat at the table. Or better yet, remind folks that we built the table.
I’ve been watching the science behind Calocurb evolve over the last year, and I have to say—this is one of the most exciting clinical tools I’ve seen emerge in the metabolic space in quite some time. A hops-derived compound that stimulates endogenous GLP-1, CCK, and PYY—without a prescription or injection? That’s a big deal, especially for patients struggling with appetite regulation, weight plateaus, or the aftermath of GLP-1 discontinuation.
Before we dive in—I just want to say thank you. Ten years of New Frontiers wouldn’t have been possible without your support, your curiosity, and your commitment to moving this field forward. I’m so excited to share this conversation with Romilly. ~ DrKF
With thanks to Romilly Hodges, CNS, for her contributions to this article. I’m not here to fan the flames of controversy, but I do believe in asking smart, systems-oriented questions—especially when we’re talking about chemicals that may be added to something as essential as drinking water. Fluoride is one of those topics that sits right…
