David Lessens, MD, MPH, is an integrative family physician at the Southcentral Foundation, an Alaskan Native-owned, non-profit health care organization based in Anchorage, Alaska. The Southcentral Foundation’s mission focuses on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness through a relationship-based “Nuka System of Care.”
Dr. Lessens attended the University of Michigan Medical School for his medical training and earned a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He concentrated his MPH studies on the interactions among food, sustainability, and culture. He then completed his family medicine residency and a fellowship in academic integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Lessens’ interests include food and nutrition, the intersection between integrative medicine and public health, integrative medicine education, and mind-body medicine. He has provided leadership for the Humanistic Elective in Alternative Medicine, Activism, and Reflective Transformation (HEART) program as both a medical student and fellow.
