Meet the Team

Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC

Chief Health Officer, Head of Research, and CEO

Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, Naturopathic Practitioner, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals. 

Michael received his BS in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts, his DC from Life West, and is a board-certified Doctor of Natural Medicine through the ANMCB.

Michael founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, a consulting practice and research clinic that helps patients heal a wide range of GI conditions. Michael serves as the Head of Research, rigorously researching complex gastrointestinal disorders as well as their relationship to thyroid health. 

From his clinical research and experience, Michael authored a book Healthy Gut, Healthy You, his Thyroid Self-Management Course, and developed the first ever over-the-counter fully elemental diet formula on the market. 

In 2016, Michael started the Dr. Ruscio Radio podcast, which frequently ranks in the top charts for Alternative Health podcasts.

Clinical Experience

Dr. Ruscio’s clinical experience is extensive and centers around digestive health while also exploring its connection to hypothyroidism, histamine intolerance, MCAS and chronic infections.  This includes: 

Gastrointestinal 

• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating & abdominal pain
• Leaky gut & food sensitivities
• Candida overgrowth
• Reflux, heartburn and stomach acid 
• Crohn’s disease & ulcerative colitis 

Hormonal 

• Hypothyroid & Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Natural supports for female hormones 

Cognitive, Inflammatory & infectious 

• Fatigue, Brain fog
• Lyme disease & co-infections (Bartonella, Babesia) 
• Histamine intolerance & MCAS 

Research Experience

Dr. Ruscio feels scientific research is critical for understanding how to better help those struggling with health challenges.  He diligently follows what is being published, he also performs and publishes research in his clinic.  This research has focused on:

• Herbal treatment for SIBO and SIBO biofilm
• The Gut-Thyroid and the Gut-Thyroid-Nutrient Axes
• Ancestral principles for gut health 
• The scientific application of probiotics

Ongoing data collection and research involves:

• Novel uses for the elemental diet 
• The utility of urinary mold testing
• Herbal treatments for Lyme, Bartonella and Babesia 
• Probiotics Triple Therapy 

Publications 

• Ruscio, M., Guard, G., Piedrahita, G., & D’Adamo, C. R. (2022). The relationship between gastrointestinal health, micronutrient concentrations, and autoimmunity: A focus on the thyroid. Nutrients 14(17), 3572. doi:10.3390/nu14173572
• Ruscio, M., Guard, G., & Mather, J. (2022). Symptoms originally attributed to thyroid dysfunction were instead caused by suboptimal gastrointestinal health: A case series and literature review. Integrative Medicine (Encinitas), 21(3), 22–29.
• Ruscio, M. (2019). Is SIBO a real condition? Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 25(5), 30–38.
• Ruscio, M. (2018). Healthy gut, healthy you: The personalized plan to transform your health from the inside out. Las Vegas, NV: The Ruscio Institute.
• Ruscio, M. (2017). Do you really want a hunter-gatherer microbiota? Journal of Evolution and Health, 2(1).

Professional Training

• International Lyme & Associated Diseases ILADs certification 
• Gastro ANP (Naturopathic Gastroenterology Board) 
• Institute of Functional Medicine 
• Hedberg Institute, Infections Connection training 
• Integrative Healthcare Symposium IHS
• American Naturopathic Medical Association
• Frontiers in Neurology and Brain Health – George Washington University School of Medicine 
• SIBO Pro Course 
• SIBO Symposium 
• World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine 
• National Association of Nutrition Professionals 
• Ancestral Health Symposium 
• The Forgotten Role of Micronutrients in Gastrointestinal Health 
• Integrative SIBO Conference 
• International Congress on Natural Medicine 
• Gut, Microbiota, and Thyroid for Practitioners 
• Integrative Therapy Approaches to Treating Tick-Borne Disease 

Personal Health Challenges 

In his early twenties Dr. Ruscio personally dealt with an intestinal parasite, amoeba histolytica.  In his early thirties he had mold in two consecutive homes.  In his late thirties he dealt with the Lyme-family organisms of Bartonella and Babesia. While painful, these challenges have been gifts as they have made him a vastly better clinician.

Dr. Scott Spiridigliozzi, ND

Clinician, Research Manager

Dr. Scott Spiridigliozzi is a Naturopathic Doctor specializing in gastrointestinal and thyroid health. He brings over 8 years of clinic expertise to patients across the United States and internationally. Including: Canada, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, and Australia. He received his doctoral degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona.

Dr. Spiridigliozzi feels it is critical to uncover the root cause of symptoms and uses functional and integrative medicine to correct the underlying imbalances.

Clinical Experience

Dr. Spiridigliozzi is passionate about helping individuals with a range of symptoms and conditions, such as: 

Gastrointestinal

• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO)
• Candida overgrowth
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); Constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating & abdominal pain
• Leaky gut & food sensitivities
• Reflux & heartburn 
• Crohn’s disease & ulcerative colitis 

Thyroid

• Hypothyroidism
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Infectious & Inflammatory 

• Lyme disease & co-infections
• Mold 
• Histamine intolerance & MCAS

Research Experience

At the Ruscio Institute, Dr. Spiridigliozzi performs research to help discover the most effective evidence-based treatments to optimize health. His research focuses on: 

• Effective nutrients supporting leaky gut
• Probiotics’ efficacy in treating SIBO and IBS 
• Candida supplement and dietary treatments
• Herbal antimicrobials for Lyme disease & co-infections
• Natural treatments that improve Hashimoto’s
• Strategies to improve food reactivity 

In addition to performing research, he has co-authored a paper and continues to work on publishing additional papers, including: 

• Efficacy of herbal antimicrobial therapy & biofilm support for SIBO (in peer review)
• Probiotic guideline recommendations for IBS, SIBO and depression (in progress) 
• Using the elemental diet to improve IBS and SIBO (in progress)

Professional Training

Dr. Spiridigliozzi stays up to date on the latest clinical practices and research in the fields of gastroenterology, thyroid disease and lyme disease. His advanced professional training includes:   

• The Overgrown Fungal Gut Masterclass with Dr. Mona Morstein
• Gastroenterology Association of Naturopathic Physicians Annual Conference
• International Lyme and Associated Disease Society ILADS Training 
• Washington Association of Naturopathic Medicine Annual Conference
• Fundamentals and Clinical Applications of IV Nutrient Therapy
• Updates in Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Clinical Tips and Applications for Practice

Personal Health Challenges 

For much of his 20s and 30s, Dr. Spiridigliozzi personally dealt with candida overgrowth and histamine intolerance, which has since been resolved utilizing the tools we’ve discovered through our clinical research. Dr. Spiridigliozzi is using what he’s learned in his own journey to make himself an even better clinician and support those with their own gut health.

Dr. Jake Vonfeldt, DC, MS

Clinician

Dr. Jake Vonfeldt, DC, MS, is a clinician and researcher at the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health. He consults with clients both nationally and internationally. 

Dr. Vonfeldt earned a Bachelor’s degree in human biology and a Doctorate in Chiropractic from Cleveland University-Kansas City, as well as a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States.

Dr. Vonfeldt uses an evidence-informed functional and integrative approach to help his clients overcome a wide array of chronic health complaints. He has dedicated his life to helping people find answers for their health struggles via natural methods.   

Clinical Experience

Prior to joining the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, Dr. Vonfeldt worked in his own clinical practice where he helped people dealing with a variety of health issues. He strongly believes that his greatest attribute as a clinician is his ability to listen and carefully craft personalized health plans tailored to the individual.

Through his years of experience, he has developed a wide toolkit of therapies which allows him to support those dealing with many issues such as: 

Gastrointestinal

• Abdominal pain, constipation & diarrhea
• Gas, bloating, indigestion, & reflux
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Candida overgrowth
• Food sensitivities and leaky gut

Hormonal

• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hypothyroidism
• Sex hormone imbalances
• Adrenal issues

Cognitive and Immune

• Fatigue, brain fog, & mood imbalances
• Lyme & other hidden infections
• Histamine intolerance & MCAS
• Allergies & autoimmune disorders

Research Experience

Since 2021, Dr. Vonfeldt has been working as a research analyst at the Ruscio Institute, where he has spent thousands of hours combing through the literature to help provide evidence-based health advice. This has allowed him to stay abreast of the latest research and strongly informs his clinical decision making with his clients.

Currently he is working on publishing probiotic guideline recommendations for IBS, SIBO and depression in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Professional Training

Dr. Vonfeldt has dedicated much of his life to obtaining an extensive and diverse education in an effort to help anyone who seeks out his health guidance. His postgraduate training is highlighted by a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. This degree program was created in collaboration with the Institute of Functional Medicine, the leading educational body within the field of functional medicine. Through this program, he received extensive training from leading practitioners in the following areas:

• Gastrointestinal imbalances
• Nutritional biochemistry and evidence-based nutrition
• Detoxification and biotransformation
• Sports nutrition
• Immune imbalances and autoimmunity
• Nutritional epidemiology and clinical research
• Oxidative-reductive dynamics and energy production
• Hormone and neurotransmitter regulation and imbalances
• Cardiovascular and metabolic imbalances

Additional training:

• Cogence Functional Immunology
• Hedberg Institute
• Hundreds of continuing education hours