Our Team
Team
Executive Director
Dr. Dugald Seely, ND, M.Sc.

Dugald Seely is a naturopathic doctor with a clinical practice focused on cancer care who has been involved in research since graduation from the 91茄子 (CCNM) in 2003. Dr. Seely completed his MSc in cancer research at the University of Toronto in 2007 and has been a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) since 2012. As a clinician scientist, Dr. Seely has been awarded over 11 million dollars in competitive grant and trainee funding from the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation, CIHR, CBCRA, the SickKids Foundation, the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the Gateway for Cancer Research. In addition to clinical research, Dr. Seely has conducted and supervised dozens of synthesis reviews and meta-analyses with the goal of building on the growing body of evidence that supports integrative and naturopathic oncology.

Dr. Seely is an adjunct professor with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, is an affiliate investigator with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and is an assistant editor for the journals Current Oncology and Integrative Cancer Therapies. Dr. Seely was one of the founding directors of the Knowledge in Integrative Oncology Website (KNOW) and is Past President of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP). Having published over 100 peer-reviewed publications and chapters, Dr. Seely has spoken frequently at national and international conferences with the goal of expanding consciousness towards a more proactive model of healthcare. In 2017 Dr. Seely was the recipient of the Dr. Rogers Prize for excellence in Complementary and Alternative Medicine and in 2022 was the winner of the International Sheikh Zayed award for excellence in naturopathy research.

Team
Trial Coordinator
Mark Legacy, B.Sc., CCRP

Mark is a full-time researcher with the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research. He functions as trial coordinator and is involved in the development, implementation, day-to-day activities, and publication of all clinical research. Mark joined Dr. Seely鈥檚 research team in 2018 after volunteering with his brother, Dr. Andrew Seely, at The Ottawa Hospital in 2017. Mark is also an employee of The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), working closely and often collaboratively with the Thoracic Surgery Research Team. In 2021, he became a Certified Clinical Research Professional with the Society of Clinical Research Associates, and in 2022 he joined the Ottawa Health Sciences Network Research Ethics Board, the ethics committee which oversees clinical research at the OHRI. With most of the research at the Patterson Institute being the first of its kind, Mark and his colleagues are eager to provide new insights to the field of integrative oncology.

Team
Research Associate
Dr. Ellen Conte, ND

Dr. Ellen Conte is a naturopathic doctor and clinical researcher with a focus in integrative cancer care. In addition to her clinical practice at Halifax Naturopathic, Ellen is an associate researcher with the 91茄子 and the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research where she studies the effects of a complementary and integrative approach to cancer care. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at academic conferences. Ellen completed a degree in biochemistry from the University of Ottawa prior from obtaining her Doctor of Naturopathy from The 91茄子 (CCNM), she then completed a 2-year residency at the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre, and is board certified in naturopathic oncology through the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO). Ellen is involved with the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians as a board member and as Chair of the Research Committee, she is also on the editorial review board for the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors Journal.

Team
Research Assistant
Dr. Mohamed El Sayed, MD (Egypt), ND, PhD

In addition to being a registered naturopathic doctor, Mohamed is a foreign-trained medical doctor from Egypt, holding both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in radiation oncology. He has held clinical, research, academic, and administrative positions in oncology for nearly 20 years. Mohamed is a research assistant at the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research at the 91茄子 (CCNM). He is also a teaching assistant for clinical courses at CCNM. He focuses on integrative medicine, as well as supportive and integrative oncology care. He follows the evidence-informed approach and is passionate about research and teaching. Mohamed has published 29 journal articles and is a reviewer for four international peer-reviewed oncology journals.

Team
Research Assistant II
Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND

Dr. Erica Rizzolo, ND is a licensed naturopathic doctor and research assistant at the Patterson Institute for Integrative Oncology Research. Prior to naturopathic medical school, she completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at McMaster University, where she also worked as a personal trainer. Erica is an active member of the research committee for the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) and is passionate about integrative oncology research.

In practice, she focuses on supporting people affected by cancer from initial diagnosis through chemotherapy, surgery, and preventing recurrence. She helps patients manage side effects, energy levels and mental health throughout all stages of their cancer journey. In addition to supportive cancer care, she has a clinical focus on mental health concerns including stress management and anxiety, as well as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and sports nutrition.

Dr. Rizzolo鈥檚 clinical approach is evidence-based and patient-centered. She enjoys working with patients to create realistic and sustainable treatment plans, through the use of nutrition, physical activity, supplements, herbal medicine and counselling.

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