Dr. Bonakdar has been director of pain management at the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine since 2002. There, he oversees a multidisciplinary healthcare team devoted to providing personalized integrative care for the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions using nutrition, acupuncture, biofeedback, mind-body therapies, and novel, technology-based solutions.
Dr. Bonakdar’s research and over 250 presentations have focused on nonpharmacological approaches to pain management, especially in the setting of headache and neurological conditions, including neuropathy. He is the recipient of the American Nutrition Association Mark Bieber Award for academic accomplishments in the field of nutrition as well as the 2013 American College of Nutrition Seelig Magnesium Award.
Dr. Bonakdar served as an invited presenter to the congressionally mandated Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force and at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on nonpharmacological approaches to pain. He is a 2018 Mayday Pain Fellow and the editor of the Oxford University Press textbook of Integrative Pain Management.
Dr. Bonakdar received his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree in psychobiology from Occidental College in Los Angeles. He received the Richter Fellowship for Independent International Research in Southeast Asian health practices and studied in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and Indonesia, focusing on meditation, acupuncture, tai chi, and herbal medicine. He completed a clinical and research fellowship in integrative medicine at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla and a residency in family practice at the Sharp Grossmont Family Practice Residency Program in San Diego. Board-certified by the American Board of Family Practice, Dr. Bonakdar is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the California Academy of Family Physicians, the American Holistic Medical Association, and the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. Additionally, he is certified in headache management by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, board-certified in integrative medicine by the American Board of Integrative Medicine, and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He has conducted award-winning research and presented at numerous conferences on herbal and natural medicines.
