Natural Healing and Cooking

Dr. Gordon Saxe is the director of research, a preventive and integrative medicine physician, a founding member of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine and co-developer of the UC San Diego Natural Healing & Cooking Program. He is also the recipient of a prestigious NIH Career Development Award from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Dr. Saxe is a national expert in cancer and complementary and alternative medicine, and most well-known for his pioneering work in the combined use of a plant-based diet and body-mind stress reduction to control the progression of advanced prostate cancer. His previous studies have included: epidemiology of diet and cancers of prostate, breast and pancreas; diet and body-mind exercise to control spread/of advanced prostate cancer; and diet and gene expression in prostate cancer. His background in complementary and alternative medicine includes study in: nutritional healing in regards to diet, vitamins/minerals, herbals, and other non-drug medicines; exercise modalities of yoga, t’ai chi, and other body-mind approaches; and eastern and western systems such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathy, macrobiotics and natural hygiene.

Prior to coming to UC San Diego, Dr. Saxe was the medical director for the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. He received his M.D. at Michigan State University, his Ph.D. in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan and his M.P.H. in Nutrition at Tulane University. He completed residency training at the University of Massachusetts and is board certified in Preventive Medicine.

As managing director of the UC San Diego Center for Integrative Medicine, Lauray MacElhern oversees the business administration, strategy, operations, marketing, finance, management and development of the Center and its four mission areas and related committees: clinical, education, research and community partnerships.  MacElhern is co-founder, teacher and trainer of the UC San Diego Natural Healing & Cooking Program. She is also co-founder and elected co-chair of the Business of Integrative Medicine sub-committee of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine (CAHCIM). 

MacElhern joined UC San Diego after running a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, The Cancer Project, dedicated to nutrition education and research for cancer prevention and survival. As part of that role, she worked with and trained more than 100 chefs around the world on how to teach the organization’s award-winning cooking and nutrition courses. Under her leadership, the organization reached millions through its public outreach efforts and within community centers, hospitals and medical centers in more than 160 cities across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Panama, Jamaica, India and Spain.

For the past decade, MacElhern has specialized in technology, management, marketing and leadership roles contributing to the successful start-up of three ventures. She has achieved formal recognition from NASA and the Telly Awards for her work. From an early age, MacElhern has been personally immersed in healing cooking, naturopathy, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine modalities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and commerce through coursework in the Wharton School and Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and advanced degree coursework in nutrition sciences through extension programs at Harvard University, UC Berkeley and American University.