About Me

Whether you are looking to resolve a chronic illness or to optimize your wellness, we will work together to remove obstacles that may be keeping you from achieving your health goals, obvious, or hidden.  How will we do this?

• We will take an extensive history.   Your current state of health is a reflection of your past history, your past and present habits, and your genetics and environment,
• We will map your historical inputs on the Functional Medicine Timeline and Matrix.  The Timeline is a sequential representation of your history.  The Matrix refers to the major systems of the body.  The human body works as a whole, and all systems influence each other.  The Matrix will help guide us on where we need to focus our efforts to rebalance your body and improve your health.
• We will use standard and advanced testing.  Where your “ink” falls on the matrix will help guide which tests are needed.  Many of the tests available today are very advanced over standard lab testing that is typically done in a conventional medical clinic.   They can uncover problems that you did not know you had.

My goal in working with patients is to help them to maximize their health.  Health is our greatest asset.  We often do not realize this until it is lost and we have a crisis.  If we are in our best health, with great energy and optimal brain function, we are able to live our best life and achieve our goals, whatever those may be.  We should not wait for a crisis to invest in our health.  Our daily habits can either support our health or take it away.  Having good health is mostly under our control.  The estimates from research suggest that 80-90% of what happens to us is determined by lifestyle and only 10-20% is genetic.  Even with unfavorable genetics, the way we live can prevent those unfavorable genes from being expressed.  We have to be willing to take the responsibility for protecting and changing our health.  If you have developed a disease and your lifestyle choices have been poor, these changes may seem extreme, but they will be necessary to restore your health.  Do not wait for the disease process to cause irreversible damage to get help and start making changes.  The human body has an amazing capacity to heal if given the correct conditions for healing and damage has not been severe. Remember too, the absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of disease and normal traditional lab test results do not mean the absence of disease.  Be proactive.  Understand that symptoms of any kind, are your body telling you that something is out of balance.  Don’t ignore them or medicate them to suppress them.  Figure out what is causing them.  More often than not, it is something we are doing or not doing.  Functional medicine can help if you are having trouble figuring it out.

Invest in your health!  If you do not invest for your retirement, you may have to continue working until you die instead of relaxing on a beach somewhere.  Similarly, if you do not invest in your health on a regular basis and only make choices that damage your health, then you may have a shortened lifespan and reach old age with a variety of disease diagnoses, on a variety of pharmaceuticals, with poor quality of life.  Worse yet, you could end up in a nursing home unable to care for yourself and have dementia.  Work on building your health daily!

Like many who have moved to preventative  and root cause models of healthcare, I had my own very severe health issues that no one seemed to be able to solve.  It was only through the utilization of advanced laboratory and genetic testing and extensive research, that I was able to uncover the many drivers that took down my health.

I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome shortly after completing my residency.  This occurred after abusing my body with chronic stress imparted by my career choice, some poor lifestyle choices driven by ignorance in my earlier years, toxic exposures, chronic infections and mold/mycotoxin illness, complicated by some very complex and challenging genetics.  (Ironically, my genetics are such that I very easily trigger NF-kB mediated inflammation and have a difficult time turning off this response.  This was the very thing I studied for my PhD at Yale and is the major driver of chronic illness.  It explains so many symptoms I have struggled with since I was young.)  My healing did not occur through the use of traditional allopathic medicine of course.  Like many patients, I saw many doctors, conventional and alternative to look for solutions.  I probably saw about 20 doctors across the country.  Some were helpful, some were not.   Some of these were very high profile practitioners in Functional Medicine.  Several were listed in the top 50 Functional and Integrative Medicine doctors on various websites.  They were not able to help me and missed some big issues that were going on with me.  Some of the “expert practitioners” I had seen made me worse, so I finally stopped wasting my money on seeing these providers and just worked to treat myself.  With persistence and lots of research and self education, I was able to recover from a very difficult diagnosis.   With chronic fatigue syndrome, few in the medical community know how to diagnose this, why it occurs or how to help the patient.  Truly this condition is often driven by many factors that create a perfect storm that can wreak havoc on the patient’s daily functioning.  For myself, every time I learned about something new and tested myself for that particular issue, I found that I had it.  The obvious issue I had was severe mitochondrial dysfunction.  Obvious to the integrative/functional medicine providers that is.  Among the things that took me out were mercury toxicity from dental amalgams, very challenging methylation genetics (that were further impaired by the mercury), mold/mycotoxin illness, industrial chemical toxicity from growing up in an industrial town in the northeast, further exacerbated by mitochondrial damage caused by the mercury, mold, and other accumulated toxins, leaky gut and sibo, poor liver function, unfavorable genetics for mercury clearance and general detoxification , chronic Lyme and coinfections from growing up in Connecticut and having a severely damaged immune system.  I am remarkably better now.   I still have occasional mild challenges, and I suspect I always will, due to my genetics, but I have learned to live in a way that supports my unique biochemistry and physiology to maximize my health.

To this day, I am dumbfounded by the disregard for the health of the medical student and medical resident by the allopathic medical system of training.  If we push ourselves to extremes, and we don’t know how to take care of ourselves, should we be giving advice to patients on health and wellness? Ultimately, my illness was my gift.  In my incessant search for wellness, I developed extensive knowledge in many areas of functional, integrative and preventative medicine.  It is one thing to learn something for the sake of learning it, it is another thing to learn something because your heath depends on it.  I would not be the doctor I am today if this did not happen to me.

I have have 36 years of experience in medicine, research and science.  I believe that to be the best clinician one can be, one has to be a life long learner.  Medicine and science are continually advancing, and it takes a tremendous amount of work to stay up to date with all of the latest scientific discoveries.  Sadly, it has been shown that it takes an average of 17 years for what is in the research literature today to be applied in medical practice.  This means that the average doctor is out of date with what is happening on the cutting edge.  Many physicians are so overworked today, that they read no scientific papers and attend only the most basic conferences that review the medical “standard of care”.   I routinely read journal articles and books, take courses and attend several conferences annually on a variety of topics to stay current.

Formal Education:

• • Family Medicine Residency – University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency at Rose Hospital, 2004
  • MD, Yale University School of Medicine, 2001
  • PhD, Immunology – Yale University School of Medicine, 2000
  • MS, Immunology –  Yale University School of Medicine, 1998
  • BS, Microbiology – University of Massachusetts at Amherst, graduated Summa cum laude, 1988
  • BS, Zoology – University of Massachusetts at Amherst, graduated Summa cum laude, 1988

I have always been interested in science and biology and how things work.  I am a self proclaimed “geek” of sorts.  Asking and figuring out why keeps me going and is exciting to me.    This lead me to a career in science and medicine.  I received my undergraduate training at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.   I earned two BS degrees in Zoology (where I focused on biochemistry and cellular and organismal biology and physiology) and Microbiology (where I studied bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

I then spent a couple of years working in research at the university studying the process of programmed cell death during development.  In a nutshell, we were exploring how a caterpillar goes on to change into a moth or butterfly.  This truly astounding process involves a complex orchestration of events, one of which is the targeted death of certain cells in the organism, but not others.  We were identifying genes that were controlling this process.

I then worked as a cytogeneticist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.  We analyzed chromosomes from cancer patients to help diagnose their disease.

I then went on to earn my MD and PhD degrees from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT.  I was one of 5 students out of 500 who applied in my entry year who were accepted into this highly competitive and very prestigious program.  My PhD research was completed in the Department of Immunobiology under Howard Hughes Investigator Dr Sankar Gosh.  For four and a half years, I studied how NF-kappa B is regulated.  NF-kappa B is a protein family that is the master regulator of the immune response and inflammation.   It turns on genes of the innate and adaptive immune responses and inflammation, in addition to several other very critical cellular processes.  The innate immune system is the “non-specific” immune system that exists in all plants and animals and might be thought of as the “first responder” system when we have infection or injury.  It was the first immune system that developed in simple organisms to defend against invaders.  The innate immune system also triggers the adaptive immune response found in vertebrate organisms, which is a response system which generates specific antibodies and specific immune cells that are created in response to a specific pathogen/invader and what we classically think of when we think of the immune system.  This system also generates a “memory response” so that if the organism is attacked again by the same pathogen/invader, the immune system immediately kicks in to stop it.  Vaccines take advantage of this  adaptive immune response and memory to protect us from specific infections.   Inflammation is part of any immune response.  It is a necessary part of recovery from infection and injury, but when it becomes chronic and sustained, health will be damaged.  Inflammation is central to all acute and chronic disease processes and aging, so this has immense relevance to all that we do in medicine.

Although my initial goal when entering the MD/PhD program was to become a medical researcher, I decided to go into Family Medicine because I did not believe that reductionist medicine (the creation of specialists who would focus on their body part) or pharmaceutical medicine were the answers to having the greatest impact on improving health in patients.  This seemed to be where research and allopathic medicine were focused.  I felt that nothing that was happening in the body was occurring in isolation, and to maximize a patient’s health, the whole body and everything about that patient needed to be considered.  Family doctors, and other primary health care providers, have the opportunity to have the greatest impact on a patient’s health, if they accept that challenge.

After completing a medical residency in Family Medicine for three years through the University of Colorado School of Medicine, I took a position at a very large health care organization (Kaiser Permanent) where I spent 16 plus years treating thousands of patients with my holistic style of medicine.

Certifications/Memberships:

• Institute for Functional Medicine, Certified Practitioner
• American Academy of Family Physicians, member
• Board Certified in Family Medicine since 2004
• International Society for Environmentally Aquired Illness, full member

Conferences/Courses attended:

• Institute for Functional Medicine, annual conferences
• American Academy for Anti-aging
• American Academy for advancement in Medicine
• Academy of Environmental Medicine
• Progressive Medical Education
  • • Environmental medicine course
• Integrative Medicine for Mental Health
• Reversing Cognitive Decline Advanced Clinical Training, IFM, Bredesen Protocol
• Seeking Health.org
• AutismOne
• Harvard Medical School Continuing Medical Education:
  • • Joslin Diabetes Center, diabetes update
    • Endocrinology update
    • Internal Medicine Board review courses
• Western A Price Foundation
• Training in Functional Genetics
  • • Amy Yasko, PhD, ND
    • Nutrigenetics Research Institute, Bob Miller, ND
    • Seeking health, Ben Lynch ND
    • Progressive Medical Education, Steve Ottersberg
• October 2019 ISEAI annual conference
• April 2020 Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS part A) with Dr Ritchie Shoemaker and Dr Andrew Heyman20 ISEAI annual conference
• August 2020 AARM Restorative Medicine conference
• August 2020 AARM Peptide Intensive conference
• September 2020 Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS part B) with Dr Ritchie Shoemaker and Dr Andrew Heyman20
• October 2020 ISEAI annual conference

Here are just some of the things my patients have said.  It has been a great privilege to work with so many amazing clients over the years.

• “Thank you for you.  It’s been a long time since I was in the care of anyone who knew much of anything about post-viral CNS dysfunction and inflammation (since I left Michigan 10 yrs ago, in fact)”.  -M.K. June 2021
• “I wanted to let you know that I will be moving my primary care to the Castle Rock office.  I have tried to keep from making the switch as I feel you are not only my doctor, but have become a friend, as well.  I have been doing home hospice with my sister and the time it takes to travel across town these day is more than I have.  I have really enjoyed knowing you and have so much respect for the way you practice medicine.”  -S.E.  June 2021
• “I am so thankful for your help and support!  I have been on the FODMAP diet since my visit with you on May 4th and I feel so much better.  I noticed a difference immediately.  Intestinal problems are at least 90% better in terms of gas bloating and cramping!  Also, blood pressure was much better at the 2 weeks check up.  Thanks so much!”  -M.T.  June 2021
• “I want to thank you for all the work you did with me last year getting me on track.  The work you did with me felt life saving- I cannot emphasize that enough.  Thank you.”  -M.H.  may 2021
• “After my last appointment, I got off all refined sugar and gluten, as well as corn and rice.  I increased my fiber and started on omega-3 too.  For almost a month, I have had no constipation issues.  Never have I experienced this before.  I am not bloated either.  Thank you so much for all of your knowledge.  We truly appreciate your natural approach.”  -J.P.  May 2021
• “You were really right.  I have breathed much better, no headaches, and not as tired when I exercise.  I have also had virtually no arrhythmias and have lost about 10 pounds since you saw me and I have been living at sea level.  The low oxygen I was suffering was an unknown stress and triggering all sorts of PTSD stuff as it felt out of control.  Thanks for your observation, your keen analysis and recommendation for the higher o2 levels.  Maybe if one of the specialists had  done that the last few years could have ben much better.  You are an excellent physician and I am sorry to lose you. ” -H.F.  May 2021
• “I am checking in as you asked.  WOW – my belly has not been this flat in 3 years!!!  I no longer have flatulence all day and every day.  I feel like I am finally healing.  …. So there you have it – you are amazing and I can’t thank you enough for being a true healer!”  -A.M  May 2021
• “I haven’t been a patient of Dr Budde’s for a couple of years now but felt compelled to write this long overdue review.  As someone who tends to have high expectations for the quality of medical care I receive and does a lot of research in hopes of finding it, unfortunately often I’ll find myself disappointed.  For years however, I was lucky and felt reassured to have Dr Budde as my PCP – I truly miss having her in my corner!  Leaving aside Kaiser related limitations and the quality of other team members, Dr Budde is by far the best PCP you can get.  Over the years, I have seen a number of general providers and specialists in and outside of the Kaiser network, and she is one of the best all-around physicians there is.  She is VERY knowledgeable and a great resource, willing to hear you out entirely and takes a genuine interest in your well-being, proactive and hands on, consistent and does her best to cover all your concerns every time, treats patients as people who she wants to help succeed, instead of problems that need solving, keeps a calm but focused bedside manner and is capable of keeping you honest without being judgemental.  She’s prompt with prescriptions and lab results and during my many visits over the years, she never made me feel rushed once she walked into the exam room, even when the office was very clearly running behind.  I can’t say enough good things about Dr Budde, she is truly wonderful and a skilled physician.”     -D.T. July 2020
• “I would give Dr Budde 15 stars if I could.  She is very knowledgeable and caring.  Certainly the best doctor I have ever had in my 50 years of being on this earth.”  -D.K. December, 2019
• “I have been seeing Dr Budde for the last few months.  She has helped me understand my health problems.  Now I am able to play a n active role on my journey to health.  Thanks to Dr Budde I have regained hope for recovery.  Thank you for such high quality doctors.”  -Anonymous, October 2019
• “Outstanding doctor!  Very knowledgeable with a PhD from Yale and MD credentials.  I have gone to Dr Budde for years!  She listens, is an outstanding problem solver, and gives pros and cons pertaining to options (when asked).  I am happy she is my primary care doctor and hope she continues to work for several more years!”  -Anonymous, September 2019
• “I want you to know how much I appreciate you as a doctor.  I always feel comfortable and know that I have your full attention.  You explain things well, and I value the fact that you provide me with resources like books and articles to help me manage my own care.  Thank you for all you do, for it is very evident that you put your patients first.  I learned a lot during my visit today.  Thanks so much.  -D” 2019