Food As Medicine Lecture Series

Dilip K. Sarkar, MD, FACS, D.Ayur: Dr. Sarkar is an expert in Yoga Therapy. He combines his 40-year experience in conventional medicine with his extensive knowledge of integrative medicine, including Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy. After 25 years of practice as a Vascular Surgeon in Tidewater Virginia, Dr. Sarkar retired from practice after suffering a heart attack and undergoing by-pass surgery in 2001. Since then, he developed a profound interest in Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga Therapy, devoting considerable time to the study of these ancient treatments and wellness philosophies in Virginia and in India. He is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and continues to practice and teach classes in Yoga Therapy, Mind/Body Connection, Ayurvedic Wellness, Integrative Nutrition, and Integrative Medicine. Currently, he is the Executive Director, School of Integrative Medicine, Taksha Institute, Hampton, Virginia.

Dr. Sarkar has held positions that included teaching as a primary focus of his medical career.  He was an Associate Professor of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, and Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Chief of Staff at Portsmouth General Hospital. He serves on several local and national healthcare boards as: Board Member and Chairman of "My Life Check" Program, American Heart Association; Life Member, National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and Member of its Research and Standards Committee; Advisory Board Member, International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT); and, Fellow, American Association of Integrative Medicine (AAIM).

Saurabh Dalal: Mr. Dalal enjoys being involved in outreach, education, and advocacy of sustainable vegan diets and Ahimsa (non-violence) as compelling solutions to many global problems.  Saurabh serves as Deputy Chair of the International Vegetarian Union (www.ivu.org) and President of the Vegetarian Society of DC (www.vsdc.org).  He works in various capacities with many other like-minded non-profit groups and has been active in the Jain community on the local, continental, and international levels.  He holds graduate degrees in Physics and Engineering, takes part in several professional and technical societies, and explores ways of integrating sound science and quantitative assessments into related areas of interest.