Portland, OR– January 6, 2026 – The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to its Herbal Medicine Program Advisory Council (PAC), strengthening the college’s commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based, and industry-responsive herbal medicine education.
The Herbal Medicine PAC plays a vital role in ensuring that ACHS programs remain at the forefront of herbal education. Council members provide expert guidance on curriculum development, industry trends, student learning outcomes, workforce needs, and emerging research in botanical medicine. Their insight helps ACHS prepare graduates who are knowledgeable, ethical, and professionally ready to contribute to the evolving fields of herbalism, integrative health, and natural products.
This year, ACHS proudly welcomes the following new PAC members:
Denise Cusack, MIFPA
Herbalists Without Borders, Executive Director
Denise Cusack is the Executive Director of Herbalists Without Borders and an internationally certified aromatherapist and herbalist. She brings decades of experience in community herbalism, clinical outreach, trauma-informed wellness, and global health equity initiatives. Denise is widely recognized for her leadership in promoting sustainable, accessible, and justice-oriented herbal healthcare.
Roy Upton, RH, Dip Ayu
American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Founder
Roy Upton is the founder and Executive Director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and a Registered Herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild. A respected herbal educator, author, and formulator, he has led major initiatives to establish botanical quality standards, monographs, and research guidance for the herbal industry. His contributions have shaped modern herbal regulation, safety, and evidence-based practice worldwide.
Shanti Albani, ND
Life Extension, Manager of Clinical Information
Dr. Shanti Albani is a naturopathic doctor and herbal medicine educator with extensive experience in clinical botanical therapeutics, integrative wellness, and curriculum development. She specializes in evidence-based herbal protocols for whole-person health and has contributed to advancing clinical herbal education through teaching, consulting, and student mentorship. She is the Manager of Clinical Information at Life Extension, and her work emphasizes safety and client-centered botanical care.
Jason Dave, ND
Restorative Formulations, Medical Advisor
Dr. Jason Sailesh Dave, NMD, MS, is a licensed naturopathic physician who currently serves as a medical advisor for Restorative Formulations, a professional-strength nutritional supplement company specializing in primarily organic botanical formulas designed for therapeutic use by healthcare practitioners. After completing a hospital-based medical internship and an NIH postdoctoral clinical research fellowship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, he practiced as a primary-care integrative medicine physician in Washington. Throughout his career, he has advised medical nutrition and supplement companies, developed products grounded in scientific and clinical evidence, written extensively, and lectured widely to healthcare practitioners on clinical use of nutritional supplements.
Sarah Hasler, MS, RD
Herb Pharm, Director of Botanical Affairs
Sarah Hasler is Director of Botanical Affairs at Herb Pharm and brings a rich and diverse background in traditional Western herbalism and clinical nutrition. A Registered Dietitian with a B.S. in herbal medicine and a B.S. and M.S. in nutrition, her training is rooted in Western herbalism, and her work is influenced by global herbal traditions as well as an abiding interest in health equity and sustainability. Passionate about bridging ecological respect, scientific rigor, and ancestral knowledge, she inspires others to see plants as partners in wellness and sustainability.
Nathan Brennan
Foster Farm Botanicals, Manager
Nathan Brennan is the Director of Agricultural Operations at Foster Farm Botanicals, where he oversees organic cultivation, sustainable farming practices, and large-scale medicinal herb production. With a background in ecological agriculture and supply-chain stewardship, he brings deep expertise in cultivation techniques, soil health, and regenerative growing systems. Nathan supports strengthening connections between herbal education and the realities of sustainable herb farming.
Sarah Vito
FairWild Foundation, North American Business Development Representative
Sarah Vito serves as the North American Business Development Representative at the FairWild Foundation, supporting North American businesses in connecting to FairWild-certified ingredients and/or certifying their current wild ingredient supply chain as FairWild. FairWild-certified ingredients are 3rd-party audited, ethical, traceable, and sustainable wild-harvested botanicals. She is an advocate for biodiversity protection, workers’ rights, and transparent supply chains within the botanical and natural products industries. Sarah’s work helps ensure that wild plant ecosystems and harvesting communities thrive for generations to come.
“We are honored to welcome these accomplished professionals to the Herbal Medicine Program Advisory Council,” said Dr. Judith Thompson, Dean of Herbal Medicine at ACHS. “Their depth of experience—from sustainable cultivation and clinical herbal practice to product formulation and botanical research—will enrich our programs and help us ensure our students are receiving the most relevant, evidence-based, and forward-thinking education available.”
The addition of these experts reflects ACHS’s ongoing dedication to engaging leaders in the herbal and integrative health communities. Each new PAC member brings a unique perspective that will support innovations in experiential learning, sustainability, clinical decision-making, and industry partnerships across our expanding herbal medicine curriculum.
ACHS President, Tracey Abell, added: “The insights of our Program Advisory Councils have long been essential to our mission. We are excited to collaborate with these new council members as we continue to elevate the quality, rigor, and real-world relevance of our herbal medicine programs.”
About ACHS and the ACHS Program Advisory Councils
Founded in 1978, ACHS is an accredited institution specializing in online integrative health and wellness education. As a Certified B Corporation, ACHS upholds the highest standards of social and environmental performance. Through rigorous academics, experienced faculty, and immersive learning experiences, ACHS empowers students to make a positive impact on individuals and communities through holistic practices. ACHS’s Program Advisory Councils (PACs) are formally constructed to meet accreditation standard III of the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), ACHS’s institutional accreditor. ACHS also has a long history of exchanging information with PAC members, industry experts, employers, and other professionals. For questions about this press release or to schedule an interview, please contact Dr. Judith Thompson at [email protected].