At the age of 42, Ather Ali, ND MPH MHS, passed away of complications from metastatic esophageal cancer on October 26, 2017. Ather was a humble, intelligent, generous, soft-spoken and gentle human being. He was loved by many and will be remembered by all who were touched by his life. Ather was truly selfless. He graduated from Bastyr University in 2003 with a degree in naturopathic medicine.

He was one of very few naturopath physicians in North America who became truly integrated into an academic medical center and assumed a leadership position in integrative medicine. He was the founding director of the Yale Program in Integrative Medicine. He was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Yale and was at the time of his death the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Smilow Cancer Hospital. He died at Smilow, the Center he poured his heart and soul into.

He was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar, NCCIH F32 postdoctoral fellow, and recipient of a K23 Career Development Award. He consulted with the Turkish Ministry of Health on Traditional Medicine Practices and was a visiting fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine. He was a national and international leader in integrative medicine and health. He completed innovative research on irritable bowel syndrome, Lyme disease, nutritional interventions, diagnostic testing, fibromyalgia, and the microbiome.

He truly loved his Academic Consortium friends and colleagues, and always expressed gratitude for the mentorship and guidance he received. His contributions to the Consortium were numerous and included serving as Research Working Group Chair, At Large Board Member, lead on website redesign, and Conference Planning Committees. He provided wise and thoughtful guidance on our direction. He spoke many times of his appreciation for being part of our community.

SCHOLARSHIP DESCRIPTION

The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health Ather Ali Scholarships for NDs were established with support from the Samueli Foundation, Ather's parents, Akbar and Sahibzadi Faizunisa and the generosity of individuals in our community to honor the life, work, memory and spirit of Ather Ali, ND, MPH, MHS.
 
Ather's parents, Akbar and Sahibzadi Faizunisa, will now be funding a second scholarship so that two will be awarded for each Congress. Scholarships provide support for registration and travel expenses for two Naturopathic Physicians to attend the Academic Consortium's annual International Congress. These scholarships are available to any individual that is a Naturopathic Doctor or ND student.