11/06/2025
This month's OANP Member Spotlight is Dr. Jieyi Zhang, ND, LAc. Dr. Zhang has been a member since 2005! Learn more below:
🌟 Why did you become an OANP Member?
"I always felt it was important to support our local professional organization. By being a member, I contribute to naturopathic medicine in Oregon and also receive support in return. OANP allows me to practice peacefully, knowing they are watching out for us at the legislature and protecting our scope. That is very valuable to me."
🌟 What are you currently intrigued by in your practice, research, or learning?
"In recent years, I’ve been really drawn to nutrigenomics — the idea that nutrition and lifestyle can actually influence how our genes express. I believe that understanding our genes and how they express can help strengthen the foundation of healing. Even a basic understanding of a patient’s genetics can offer helpful clues about where they may struggle — whether that’s with stress response, detoxification, digestion, or neurotransmitter balance. From there, I work to tailor support using herbs, nutrition, lifestyle modifications, or other tools that might help meet each patient’s unique needs.”
🌟 What is your hope for NDs of the future, say in 2050?
"I hope that future naturopathic doctors will have strong foundations not only in naturopathic principles but also in functional medicine, conventional diagnostics, and business. We need to know how to run a successful practice, find our niche early, and specialize.
I also hope the field will be more individualized and science-based. I imagine a future where testing is widely used and every treatment is based on each person’s unique genetics and environment. That way, naturopathic doctors can practice both primary care and deep specialized care with confidence."
Read the full interview at www.oanp.org/news
Thank you for being a longtime OANP Member, Dr. Zhang!