Our Faculty: Teachers, Healers, Mentors

Our faculty members are among the finest Ayurvedic academicians and practitioners in the world. The majority of our faculty have advanced degrees in Ayurveda from prestigious universities in India, and have 15 to 30 years of clinical experience. Feel assured that you will receive an authentic Ayurvedic education. Our professors are eager to share this ancient wisdom and serve as mentors to our students.

Dr. Vaijayanti (Jay) Apte, BAM&S, MS
Dr. Apte is the founder and president of the Ayurvedic Institute of America. Dr Apte has an integrated degree BAM&S in Ayurvedic and Allopathic (conventional) medicine from the University of Poona, India (1973), and a MS degree in Biomedical Sciences (Pharmacology) from the University of North Texas (1991). Dr. Apte has more than 25 years of experience in Ayurvedic practice and teaching. Her experience includes biomedical research at the UT Health Science Center and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 1989, Dr. Apte founded the Ayurvedic center, Health & Nature, which disseminates Ayurvedic wisdom around the country through seminars, radio shows, and TV interviews. The center offers Ayurvedic consultations, Panchakarma, Yoga and Meditation, Ayurvedic cooking, and support groups. In 1994, Dr. Apte developed an Ayurvedic supplemental manufacturing and distributing company called Herbal Care. She is the author of an Ayurvedic cookbook, You Are What You Eat. This year she has launched AyurFoods, an Ayurvedically balanced, packaged food company designed for busy and health conscious people. She was president of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM) for the past 3 years and is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA).

Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar BAMS, MD (Ayurveda)
Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar is an accomplished Ayurvedic doctor with a varied background and experience. He was a research associate in an Indian Ayurvedic pharmaceutical company, Ayuveda Rasashala. Hewas Chairman of Dept. of Medicine at Maharshi College of Vedic Medicine in Albuquerque, NM from1999-2001. He was a medical director and an assistant professor at the Maharshi University of Management, Fairfield, IA from 2001-2002. He has published research articles and given lectures on radio and television worldwide. He has extensive clinical experience in Ayurvedic therapies and Panchakarma and has treated thousands of people.

Mamta Landerman CAS, PKS
Mamta Landerman is a Clinical Ayurveda and Pancha Karma specialist. She was the Founding President and a Board Director of CAAM (The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine) and produced the Ayurveda International Symposium at U.C. Berkeley, bringing together the various lineages of Ayurveda in the U.S. to sow seeds for the future vision of the Ayurvedic profession in this country. A clairvoyant and mother of two grown sons, she has been practicing and teaching Ayurveda and transformational work for the last 23 years. She also grows organic herbs and creates award winning natural foods products.

Dr. Avinash Lele, BAM& S, MA Sc.
Dr. Avinash Lele is vice chairman of the International Academy of Ayurveda, Pune, India. He is a visiting professor at various institutes and universities around the world and holds various honorific positions. He is the author of many books, including Panchakarma and Ayurvedic Massage, and Ayurveda and Marma Therapy. He has published several articles in various Ayurvedic journals. He has conducted Ayurvedic Panchakarma courses at various institutes and universities in Europe, USA, Canada, and Brazil.

Dr. Yashashree (Yash) Mannur, BAMS
Yash Mannur is an Ayurvedic doctor who graduated from Poona University in 1996. She also has a degree in Sanskrit. Yash has earned academic distinctions in several Ayurvedic subjects. She is expert in Panchakarma and was involved in private practice before coming to US. She is instrumental in the success of AIA. Dr. Mannur is one of AIA’s most popular and caring professors, and is a favorite among students. She is an expert in Ayurvedic cooking and offers classes for students and the general public.

Dr. Anjali Paranjpe, BAMS, MD
Anjali Paranjpe is an Ayurvedic Doctor from Poona. She received her BAM&S degree in 1984 and an MD Ayurveda in 1987. She also holds diploma in Yoga. She was professor and dean of Ayurvedic College near Poona. She has conducted many workshops in Ayurveda and Yoga in India and the US. She has given lectures on Ayurveda and Yoga on All India Radio and TV. Anjali specializes in Swasthavritta and was a distinguished teacher for post graduate students. In addition, Anjali is an accomplished athlete and Olympic gold medalist.

Dr. Shrikrishna Phadke, GFAM, PhD
Dr. Phadake has practiced in the Ayurvedic field for more than 40 years. He specializes in Ayurvedic treatments (Chikitsa). He was the principal of the Ayurvedic College in Satara. He was a mentor to many medical students in Ayurveda, and was a member of the Central Council of Indian Medicine. For last 15 years Dr. Phadake has taught Ayurvedic medicine in Germany, Italy, the UK, and France.

Dr. Subhash Ranade, B. A. M. & S; M.A. Sc; Ph. D; FNAIM; FISCA.
Dr. Subhash Ranade is the chairman of the International Academy of Ayurveda, Pune, India, and is a former professor and head of the Dept. of Ayurveda, Pune University. He has also served as the principal of Ashtanga Ayurvedic Medical College. He is internationally recognized as an Ayurvedic physician and has lectured extensively in various institutes such as the Seva Academy (Germany), the School of Ayurvedic Culture (Spain), and other institutes in Europe and the US. He has written over 100 books on various subjects and has developed and taught Ayurvedic courses in Europe, Australia, Japan, Canada, the US, and Brazil. Dr. Ranade works as a consulting editor for several Ayurvedic journals in India and abroad.

Yatrika Shah-Rais
Yatrika Shah-Rais is a practitioner of the predictive art of Vedic astrology who has studied under the guidance of Chakrapani Ullal, Ernst Wilhelm, Robert Koch, and lunar astrology expert Chandra Shankar. She has been a student and practitioner of Hinduism for a number of years and follows the teachings of her Satguru, the late Subramuniyaswami, one of the most important teachers of Vedic studies. She is a student and certified practitioner of Ayurveda and is also involved in the field of music as concert presenter and radio host.

Board of Directors

Dr. Thomas R. Yarema, MD
Dr. Thomas Yarema is passionately committed to bridging the best of all systems of medicine - East & West, Conventional & Non-Conventional, and Scientific & Intuitive.
He is board certified in emergency medicine, a clinical research consultant in bio-energetics, and an educator to both laypersons and medical professionals. He has learned that much of good medicine is common sense, resource management, and respect for an individual's dignity. His professional tools consist of conventional Allopathic medicine, Ayurveda, traditional Oriental medicine and acupuncture, immune stimulation, and chelation therapy. He founded the Kauai Center for Holistic Medicine and Research in 1997.