Dark green and light green leaves overlapping each other in low lighting.

Physician | Professor | Ethnobotanist | Health & Wellness Innovator

MEET DR TODD:
THE DOCTOR BEHIND
THE ECOSYSTEM

A man sitting cross-legged on the ground in a forest, smiling, with his hands resting on his knees in a meditative pose.

A Unique Bridge Between Ancient Wisdom and Modern Medicine

A single, dried, orange-brown ginkgo leaf against a black background.

Dr. Todd Pesek, MD is a trailblazing holistic physician, ethnobotanist, professor, and forthcoming author specializing in disease prevention, longevity, and culturally rooted models of sustainable health and wellness. With over two decades of international fieldwork and medical practice, Dr. Pesek has studied traditional healing systems and ethnobotany extensively in Central America, India, Appalachia, Amazonia, the Andean highlands and beyond.

His work blends modern science with ancestral knowledge, creating a rare model of translational health innovation that includes groundbreaking medical practice, bestselling books, empowering corporate health and wellness platforms, and award-winning superfood, supplement, and nutraceutical brands with innovative, science-backed ingredients.

Find Dr Todd on
Research Gate

Download
Dr Todd’s CV

View Profile on
Google Scholar

Education & Training

    • MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health / Cleveland Clinic, Sherman and Frances Battles Johnson Scholar

    • Residency, Internal Medicine, Case Western Reserve University / St. Vincent Charity

    • BS Biochemistry, Northeastern University, Magna Cum Laude, Honors Degree

    • Academic Leadership Program at Cleveland State University

    • Clinical Research Fellowship in Neurosciences and Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic

    • Clinical Research in Geographic Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine

Current Positions

    • Associate Professor (with Tenure), Health Sciences & Human Performance, Cleveland State University

    • Founding Director, Center for Healing Across Cultures, Cleveland State University

    • Founder & President, VitalHealth Partners (Private Integrative Medical Practice)

    • Chief Medical Officer, Heinen's Grocery Store (First CMO of a grocery chain in the U.S.)

    • Medical Director, Step Change Innovations; Medical Director, Lighthouse Sciences & former Medical Director at Parker Hannifin (Fortune 200)

The Journey: Key Milestones

1999-2004

1999 - NEU Biochem with Honors

Graduated Biochemist with honors from Northeastern University, launching into Maya Forest work with legendary Belizean bushmaster Monico

2002 - Nutritional Roots Founded

Award-winning superfoods + supplements company launched with first Foraged Formula after Andean Maca Harvest in Peru

Hand holding three bottles of nutritional supplements, including probiotics, multivitamins, and vitamin D3, on a person's palm.

2004 - Ohio State University Med & Cleveland Clinic, M.D.

Graduated into professorship, refusing traditional hospital work to focus on keeping people OUT of hospitals and changing the world

2004 - Professor, Cleveland State University

Began decades-long career as academic ethnobotanist studying "plants and people" in health and sustainability

2005-2008

2005 - Rapid Ethnobotanical Survey (RES)

Created groundbreaking methodology for studying traditional plant medicine, enabling comprehensive Maya healing documentation

A man kneels on the ground with his hands at his sides, while another man stands beside him, pointing at his head with a stick. The scene is set outdoors in a green, tropical environment.

2006 - Healing Across Cultures Publication

Foundational work establishing framework for integrating traditional healing wisdom with modern practice

2007 - Case Western Reserve University Medicine

Completed residency in Internal Medicine, launched food-as-medicine practice serving tens of thousands in Northeastern Ohio

2008 - United Nations Closing Plenary

Selected through peer review to present "Healing Across Cultures: Sustaining Plants and People" at UN Health & Biodiversity Conference

2011-2016

2011 - First Ever CMO of Grocery Store (Heinen's)

Revolutionary appointment as Chief Medical Officer—"How commonsensical! A doctor in a grocery store where food supply becomes the pharmacy of the future"

Man standing in front of a produce section at a grocery store, with fresh vegetables like peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes displayed behind him, and a book stand on the side.

2011 - Maya Traditional Healing Studies

Launched most comprehensive study on Maya traditional healing ever accomplished, working with dozens of bushmasters and healers

2011 - Tenure & Promotion, Cleveland State

Achieved tenure after rigorous seven-year journey, solidifying academic foundation

2013 - Maya Anti-Inflammatory Plants Validated

Scientific validation of traditional Maya medicines, proving ancient wisdom through modern research methods

2013 - Itzamma Sustainable Healthcare

Established healer-led garden and integrative health project in Belize—model replicated globally

2013 - Fortune 200 Parker Hannifin Medical Director

Developed "Path to Wellness" program for 85 billion company, documenting millions in healthcare savings through food-as-medicine strategies

2016 - Itzamma Expansion to India

Brought sustainable healing garden model to Western Ghats Mountains, expanding global healing network

Two men standing outside near greenery, smiling. One man has dark hair and darker skin, wearing a plaid shirt. The other man has light hair and light skin, wearing a plaid shirt with a colorful shoulder bag. They have their arms around each other.

2018-2020

2018 - Anti-Diabetic Maya Plants Validated

Continued scientific validation of traditional medicines, bridging ancient knowledge with clinical applications

A smiling man with earrings holds a black plate of food, standing outdoors near a balcony or patio with a wooden table in front of him.

2019 - Immunosupportive Maya Plants Research

Advanced ethnopharmacology research demonstrating immune-supporting properties of traditional plant medicines

2019 - VitalHealth Optimization Panel (VHOP)

Created proprietary panel examining immune, digestive, cardiovascular systems with tailored food prescriptions (Fx)

2020 - K'AN, Precious Yellow Discovery

Breakthrough research connecting Classic Maya hieroglyphs with medicinal plants, solving ancient mysteries

2020 - Heinen's Club Fx Launch

Free wellness program with 100K+ subscribers offering nutrition tips, recipes, in-store consulting, and strategic product placement

2021-2025

2021 - Lighthouse Sciences Medical Director

Launched Ohio's leading medical cannabis brand combining plant medicine with clinical expertise

A man is sitting on a tree branch in a lush, green outdoor setting, surrounded by trees, water, and grass.

2022 - Personalized Nutrition Center

Opened medical clinic inside Heinen's grocery store, practicing medicine where people shop for food

2022 - Comprehensive Ethnobotany Review

Published definitive review of Q'eqchi' Maya traditional medicines, cementing decades of fieldwork and research

2023 - Coral Roots Farm Established

Launched regenerative agriculture and plant sourcing operation in Costa Rica, completing farm-to-pharmacy vision

2025 - WellWerks Launch

Functional foods + nutraceuticals line bringing clinical-grade nutrition to everyday consumers

A man smiling in a bright kitchen, standing at a counter with bottles of dietary supplements and potted plants.

Research & Fieldwork Excellence

  • Principal Investigator in traditional healing, ethnobotany, and phytotherapy

    • Creator of Rapid Ethnobotanical Survey (RES) and the Maya Mountains Ethnobotany & Ecology Project (MMEEP)

    • Founding partner of the Itzamma Project – a healer-led garden and integrative health project via traditional healing in Belize

    • Led over 100 field expeditions to Central America, Appalachia, India, Amazonia, Andean highlands, and beyond

    • Over $2.7 million in external research funding from World Bank, IDRC, CIET, and corporate partners

    • United Nations Conference on Health and Biodiversity, Closing Plenary

    • Named keynote and featured speaker at international conferences across four continents

    • SigmaXi—The Scientific Research Honor Society, Member

Published Works & Media

    • Eat Yourself Super—One Bite at a Time (Morgan-James, 2012)

    • Healing Across Cultures & The Good Life (Cengage Learning, 2010)

    • Dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles in Phytochemistry, EcoHealth, HerbalGram, J. Ethnopharmacology, Sustainability, Economic Botany, Heritage, and more

    • Authored Sickness and Healing in The Commonality of Humans Through Art—How art connects mankind through the ages (Paul Holberton Publishing, London, UK, 2024)

    • Featured subject of Grocery by Michael Ruhlman (Abrams, 2017)

    • Bestselling book distribution exceeding 50,000+ copies regionally to practice alone; 100K+ wellness program subscribers

    • Featured in Food as Medicine, Organic Spa Magazine: The Art of Well Being, (Bookazine, Spring 2025)

    • Large venue speaking engagements/keynotes internationally at the United Nations, Green Festival, GA 2023, LOHAS, Expo East, Expo West, Coop America Green Business Festival

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Line art illustration of two ginkgo leaves with detailed vein patterns on a black background.

    • MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health / Cleveland Clinic, Sherman and Frances Battles Johnson Scholar

    • Residency, Internal Medicine, Case Western Reserve University / St. Vincent Charity

    • Academic Leadership Program at Cleveland State University

    • Clinical Research Fellowship in Neurosciences and Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic

CURRENT POSITIONS

Stylized line drawing of two ginkgo leaves facing each other on a black background.

    • Associate Professor (with Tenure), Health Sciences & Human Performance, Cleveland State University

    • Founding Director, Center for Healing Across Cultures, Cleveland State University

    • Founder & President, VitalHealth Partners (Private Integrative Medical Practice)

    • Chief Medical Officer, Heinen's Grocery Store (First CMO of a grocery chain in the U.S.)

    • Medical Director, Step Change Innovations; Medical Director, Lighthouse Sciences & former Medical Director at Parker Hannifin (Fortune 200)

RESEARCH & FIELDWORK EXCELLENCE

Two stylized, white ginkgo leaves with detailed vein patterns on a black background.

  • in traditional healing, ethnobotany, and phytotherapy

    • Creator of Rapid Ethnobotanical Survey (RES) and the Maya Mountains Ethnobotany & Ecology Project (MMEEP)

    • Founding partner of the Itzamma Project – a healer-led garden and integrative health project via traditional healing in Belize

    • Led over 100 field expeditions to Central America, Appalachia, India, Amazonia, Andean highlands, and beyond

    • Over $2.7 million in external research funding from World Bank, IDRC, CIET, and corporate partners

    • United Nations Conference on Health and Biodiversity, Closing Plenary

    • Named keynote and featured speaker at international conferences across four continents

    • SigmaXi—The Scientific Research Honor Society, Member

PUBLISHED WORKS & MEDIA

Line drawing of two ginkgo leaves with detailed venation, black background.

    • Eat Yourself Super—One Bite at a Time (Morgan-James, 2012)

    • Healing Across Cultures & The Good Life (Cengage Learning, 2010)

    • Dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles in Phytochemistry, EcoHealth, HerbalGram, J. Ethnopharmacology, Sustainability, Economic Botany, Heritage, and more

    • Authored Sickness and Healing in The Commonality of Humans Through Art—How art connects mankind through the ages (Paul Holberton Publishing, London, UK, 2024)

    • Featured subject of Grocery by Michael Ruhlman (Abrams, 2017)

    • Bestselling book distribution exceeding 50,000+ copies regionally to practice alone; 100K+ wellness program subscribers

    • Featured in Food as Medicine, Organic Spa Magazine: The Art of Well Being, (Bookazine, Spring 2025)

    • Large venue speaking engagements/keynotes internationally at the United Nations, Green Festival, GA 2023, LOHAS, Expo East, Expo West, Coop America Green Business Festival

BRAND & PRODUCT INNOVATION

Abstract line art of two ginkgo leaves on a black background.

  • Award-winning superfoods and supplements line

  • Functional foods + nutraceuticals line

  • Premium medical cannabis line (leading brand in Ohio)

  • Regenerative agriculture + plant sourcing

Ready to explore Dr. Todd's integrated approach to healing?

A man with slicked-back hair and tanned skin, wearing a sleeveless shirt, standing in a kitchen with various fruits and vegetables on the counter, including a watermelon, yellow squash, peppers, and bananas, with potted plants and a bust statue in the background.
EXPLORE SERVICES
A person holding a book titled 'Eat Yourself Super' by Todd J. Pesek, M.D., with an image of a bitten red apple on the cover.
READ THE BOOKS
A man crouches in a swampy, wooded area, gently touching a cluster of tall, conical cypress knees.
SPEAKING & WORKSHOPS