Please see the Rogues Gallery post index here

This is a hand-edited index. If there isn’t a dedicated page for a subject, information is linked below that may not be linked elsewhere. Not everything listed below is related to Lyme disease pseudoscience.

It is very rare, but some quacks do eventually decide to stop grifting.

Expert review: Antiscience and ethical concerns associated with advocacy of Lyme disease. This comprehensive 2011 review published in Lancet Infectious Diseases references:

  • Misinformation spread by the destructive chronic Lyme movement, including via films like Under Our Skin
  • “Lyme literate” doctors, their violations of ethics or legal standards, and their many victims
  • Pseudoscience groups: ILADS, Lyme Disease Association (LDA), LymeDisease.org (formerly CALDA), Global Lyme Alliance (succeeded Time for Lyme and Turn the Corner Foundation)
  • IgeneX and other sources of discredited testing
  • ILADS/IgeneX leaders Steven J. Harris, Joseph Burrascano, Jyotsna Shah, Nick Harris
  • Other ILADS leaders:  Joseph Jemsek, Richard Horowitz, Steven Phillips, Raphael Stricker, Bernard Raxlen, Robert Bransfield, Charles Ray Jones
  • Jeffrey Wulfman (ILADS member), Ritchie Shoemaker, William T. Harvey, Anju Usman, John Roy Toth, Totada R. Shanthaveerappa, Charlene Demarco, Anthony Lionetti, JoAnne Whitaker, James Shortt
  • Harassment of scientists by conspiracy theorists, including politicians like Congressman Chris Smith and Senator Richard Blumenthal

Organizations and businesses

DNA ConneXions and owner Blanche Grube (a dentist)

Everlywell (parent company Everly Health)

Galaxy Diagnostics

  • See our page about the “chronic bartonella” scam and pseudoscience advocates falsely claiming that stretch marks are bartonella.
  • Executives: Edward Breitschwerdt, Amanda Elam, Ricardo Maggi, Bobak Robert Mozayeni (former ILADS president), Nicole Bell
  • CDC scientists found “serious flaws” in an article co-authored by Breitschwerdt, Maggi, and Mozayeni.

IgeneX

ILADS and ILADEF (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society)

Predatory Publisher MDPI: A vanity publisher for cranks

Medical Diagnostics Lab (MDL)

National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA), Washington, DC

  • Former NIHA employees who have been found guilty of misconduct:
  • Quackwatch notes that former NIHA employee Sakiliba Mines, MD was sentenced to prison for income tax evasion
  • Steven Kulawy, NIHA, and NIHA’s owner Daniel Storck were sued by an intern who claimed Kulawy harassed her and touched her inappropriately. According to the intern’s amended complaint:
    • “NIHA and Storck knew or should have known that Kulawy had his chiropractic license suspended due to his inappropriate touching of female patients and fondling their breasts.”
    • “Given this knowledge, it was foreseeable to NIHA and Storck that Kulawy would commit battery against and sexually harass other female patients and/or employees.”
    • “NIHA and Storck did not inform Ms. Evans of Kulawy’s propensity for sexual battery
      and sexual harassment of women.”
  • In 2015, a blogger examined the NIHA web site and concluded that it “is a quack organization which strongly promotes dangerous ‘anti-vaxxer’ pseudoscience.”

R.E.D. Laboratories, UNEVX, Inc, Tatjana (Tanja) Mijatovic, Jinyu Shan, Kenny De Meirleir

RGCC Group (Research Genetic Cancer Center), Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT), and Ioannis Papasotiriou

Trinity School of Natural Health (aka Trinity College of Natural Health)

Under Our Skin (cult propaganda films)

Vibrant America/Vibrant Wellness

People

United States

Peter Voss Abraham, DO and Christopher Peine, DO

Neil Adelman, MD

Sultana Afrooz, DO and naturopathic fake doctor Susan Williams

Melanie Ann Burgos Alarcio, MD

George W. Allibone, MD

Rathna Alwa, MD

Geoffrey Ames, MD

Albert Aniel, MD

Michael Arata, MD

Gregory P. Bach, DO

  • Discussion on an ALS forum about Dr. Greg Bach, an ILADS leader who scammed ALS patients: original, printable

Paul V. Beals, MD

Michael Belfiore, DO

Giuseppina Benincasa-Feingold, MD

Keith Berndtson, MD

Robin Bernhoft, MD

Chitra Anjani Bhakta, MD

Harvey Bigelsen, MD

Carrie Blades, MD

Kenneth Bock, MD

Marilyn Boehm, MD

Domenick Braccia, DO and Patricia Kane (creator of The Patricia Kane Protocol, aka PK Protocol)

Robert Bradford

Robert Bransfield, MD

Mark Robert Brody, MD

Douglas G. Brooks, MD

Monica Sava Bruenn and Sava Holistic Health

Karen Bullington, MD

Joseph Burrascano, MD

Rashid Buttar, DO

Daniel Cameron, MD

Jill Carnahan, MD

Irma Rivera Chance, MD

Henry Earle Childers, MD

Pamela M Cipriano (a nurse practitioner)

Kelly Lynn Cobb, MD

Theodore J. Cole, DO

  • Ohio Medical Board: Theodore Cole discipline, 2014

Leigh Erin Connealy, MD

Kevin Conners (chiropractor who surrendered his license)

Eboni Cornish, MD

Pamela Jo Costello, MD

William Lee Cowden, MD

Gordon Crozier, DO

Nooshin Darvish (licensed naturopath)

Joseph Dambrauskas, MD

  • Pennsylvania Board of Medicine: License suspension, 2013
  • New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct: Misconduct resulting in agreement to relinquish license, 2009

Sandra Denton, MD

Gregory Derderian, DO

Charlene DeMarco, DO

Phillip DeMio, MD

Patricia Derges, MD

Steven Devore Best, MD

Timothy Joseph Donovan, MD

David Edelberg, MD and Whole Health Chicago

Isaac Eliaz, MD

Travis Elliot (a Vermont naturopath)

Monica Embers, PhD and collaborators

Derek Enlander, MD

Larry Everhart, MD

Brian Fallon and collaborators

Peter Fabulian, DO

Clifford Fetters, MD and Jerry Weber (a naturopath)

Chris Foley, MD

Jenny Franczak, MD

Martin D. Fried, MD

Charles Edward Gant, MD

Lowell Gerber, MD

Kristi Hellenbrand (a chiropractor)

Elizabeth Hesse-Sheehan (a chiropractor)

Fouad Ibrahim Ghaly, MD, Suzanne Oh Kim, MD, Phillip Battiade (naturopath/heilpraktiker), and Infusio Beverly Hills

James D. Gloor, MD of Rhode Island

Victor Gong, MD

V. John Gonino, DO

Eric David Gordon, MD and Gordon Medical

Renee Grandi, MD

David Greene, MD and R3 Stem Cell

Andreas Grossgold, MD

Martha Grout, MD

Geoffrey Gubb, MD

Jamey Hagan (nurse practitioner) and Platinum Wellness Center

Richard Michael Hagmeyer (a chiropractor whose Illinois license expired in 2023)

  • In 2014, Richard Hagmeyer (“Respondent”) was reprimanded after a judge concluded: “The Department proved by clear and convincing evidence that Respondent engaged in dishonorable, unethical or unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud or harm the public when he failed to make a medical record of two dates where patient E.B. received treatment in violation of Section 22 (A)(5) of the Illinois Medical Practice Act. Respondent also violated Section 22 (A) (31) to the extent that this Act requires a licensee to establish and maintain records of patient care and treatment in a professional manner.”
  • According to meeting minutes of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, a case related to Hagmeyer was discussed in 2021 and 2022. Hagmeyer’s Illinois license appears to have been made “permanent inactive” around 2023. His Illinois license expired in 2023.

Evelyn “Lyn” Hanshew, MD

Steven Jeffrey Harris, MD

Jeff Harris, MD of Malibu, CA

Sabine Hazan, MD

Henry Heimlich, MD

Ahvie Herskowitz, MD and Anatara Medicine

Andrew Heyman, MD

Martin Charles Hinz, MD

Karima Hirani, MD

John Gregory Hoffmann, MD

Ronald Hoffman, MD

Kent Holtorf, MD

Usha Honeyman (a naturopath and chiropractor)

Richard Horowitz, MD

Lisa Hosbein, MD

Jeanne Hubbach, MD

Lisa Jamila Hunt, DO

  • Osteopathic Medical Board of California: Lisa Hunt, DO discipline, 2015

Daniel Jaller, MD

Joseph Jemsek, MD

David Jockers (a chiropractor)

Alfred Raymond Johnson, DO

Robert B. Johnson (a dentist)

Kurt E. Johnson, MD

Charles Ray Jones, MD

Daniel Kalb, MD

Dietrich Klinghardt, MD

Andreas Kogelnik, MD

Brent Korn, DO

Harriet Kotsoris, MD

Trang Lam-Quan (a nurse practitioner)

Beth Lambert

Robert LaCava, MD, Suzanne LaCava, RN, and The LaCava Center

Michael Ledtke, MD

Hyun Joon Lee, MD

John Lentz, MD

Warren Levin, MD

  • ILADS member, employee of National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA)
  • Connecticut Department of Health: Warren Levin discipline, 2010
  • National Council Against Health Fraud: Warren Levin is a “Doc from Hell”, 1992

Edward Levitan, MD

Allan J. Lindsley (a chiropractor) and Nature’s Pharmacy, LLC

John Lieurance (a chiropractor and naturopath), GlutaGenic, and Advanced Rejuvenation

Henry Hudson Lindner, MD

Mark E Logan, MD

Bobbi Lutack (a naturopath)

Paul Lynn, MD

Emily Maiella (a naturopath) and Windhorse Naturopathic Clinic

Alain Mass, MD

  • A subordinate’s lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and disturbing behavior

Kenneth Matsumura, MD

Carolyn Matzinger, MD

James Peter Matthews, MD

Mark McClure (a dentist) of National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA)

Hope McIntyre, MD

Mila McManus, MD

Maureen McShane, MD

Steven Meress, MD and Fox Valley Wellness Center

Deborah Metzger, MD

Alfred Miller, MD

Lawrence Ian Miller, DO

David Minkoff, MD

Isaac Melamed, MD

Asher Milgrom, PhD, Alice Pien, MD, and American Medical Aesthetics (AMA Skincare)

Hamid Moayad, DO

Thomas Moorcroft, DO

Garrison Morin, MD

Ira Harrison Moore, MD

Francis William Mueller, MD

Joseph Natole, MD

Susan Neuber (a nurse practitioner)

James Neuenschwander, MD and Patricia Neuenschwander (a nurse practitioner)

James Anthony Novak, MD

  • Medical Board of California: James Novak 2023 discipline and 2024 license surrender

Amy Offutt, MD

Bohdan “Dan” Olesnicky, MD

Cheryl Ortel, MD

Parimal (Pari) Patel (a physician assistant)

Bruce Patterson, MD, Ram Yogendra, MD, IncellDx, HealthBioAI, Chronic COVID Treatment Center

William Pawluk, MD

Jessica Peatross, MD

Patricia Petit, DO

Stephen Robert Pfeifer, MD

Jeffery Scott Pfeiffer, MD and Vero Clinics

Douglas J. Phillips (a dentist) and the “Laser Detox” scam

Steven Phillips, MD

Jeffrey Piccirillo, DO

Christopher Pichay, DO

John C. Pittman, MD and Carrie Yerkes (a physician assistant)

Daniel Pompa (a chiropractor who stole from orphans)

Santo Dino Prato and Envita

Joseph Py, DO

Bill Rawls, MD and Vital Plan

Dr. Matthias Rath, Dr. Aleksandra Niedzwiecki, and the Dr. Rath Health Foundation

Bernard Raxlen, MD

Hannah Rhee, MD

Bruce Rind, MD

Scott Eric Rollins, MD, Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado, AdvantAge Integrative Medicine

Dana Rosdahl (a nurse practitioner)

Mary Pat Rosman, DO

Marty Ross, MD

Robert Rowen, MD, Terri Su, MD, and RowenSu Clinic

Carol Ann Ryser, MD and Diana Smith Gordon (nurse practitioner who opened the Olathe LAD Clinic)

Patricia Salvato, MD

Eva Sapi, PhD

Serafino Sauro, MD and Solvera Health

  • Serafino Sauro was fired from his residency for disruptive behaviors and other repeated professional concerns.
  • The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation accused Sauro of lacking good moral character and alleged that his violations would constitute grounds for disciplinary action under the Illinois Medical Practice Act, particularly the rules against Dishonorable, Unethical or Unprofessional Conduct. The IDFPR and Sauro reached an agreement in which he would be disciplined and placed on probation.
  • Sauro filed a harassing lawsuit against his residency director, the University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois.
  • When Sauro lost his bogus lawsuit, he filed a nonsensical appeal, which he also lost.
  • Sauro and his employer Solvera Health have funded the dangerous pseudoscience group “Illinois Lyme Association.” They also promoted the quack group ILADS and the fictional “chronic Lyme” diagnosis.

Ginger Savely (nurse practitioner)

Christine Schaffner (naturopath)

James Louis Schaller, MD

  • Schaller is another “Lyme literate” felon.
  • Schaller pled “no contest” in 2011 to Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill, was found guilty, and placed on four years probation.
  • By unanimous vote, the Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline considered Schaller’s crime and found him guilty of unprofessional conduct. Schaller appealed the Board’s decision. A judge found Schaller’s arguments did not have merit and affirmed the disciplinary action.
  • Naples News coverage (mirror)

T.R. Shanthaveerappa, M.D.

Amy Scher

Lisa Schnick, DO

Frank Anthony Shallenberger, MD

Ritchie Shoemaker, MD

James Shortt, MD

Geeta Shroff/Nutech MediWorld

Dean Silver, MD

Mark Sivieri, MD

James Skeen, MD

Patricia Slusher (a naturopath)

Stephen L. Smith, MD

Michael Souza, DO

Amy Renee Sparks, MD

Marvin Rick Sponaugle, MD

Warren J. Starnes and the Skilling Institute

  • Lawsuit alleges that claims that the “Photon Genius” could treat multiple sclerosis and Lyme disease, “were deceptive, fraudulent, false, misrepresentations” and “By reason of the Photon Genius not being fit for the purpose of treating multiple sclerosis and Lyme disease when sold, the Photon Genius directly caused or directly contributed to cause or aggravate grievous, serious, permanent and progressive injuries and damages to plaintiff Mia Kelly’s person.”

Dale Stemple, MD

David Wayne Stewart, MD, Anne M. Stewart, MD, and Loudoun Holistic Health Partners

Aszani Stoddard (a nurse practitioner)

Wilbert Calvin Streeter, DO

Steven Streit, MD

Kenneth Stoller, MD

Raphael Stricker, MD

Julia Sudylo, RN

Dustin Sulak, DO

Malathy Sundaram, MD

Murray Susser, MD

Thomas Szulc, MD, Casper Szulc, and the New York Center for Innovative Medicine

Lauren Tessier (a naturopath)

Paul Thomas, MD

Ajeeb John Titus, MD

Keri Topouzian, DO

John Roy Toth, MD

Charles Christopher Turnpaugh and Turnpaugh Health and Wellness Center

Neelam Taneja Uppal, MD

  • Florida Board of Medicine: Neelam Taneja Uppal license revocation, 2023-10-25
  • Note: Numerous other disciplinary actions are not posted here, and criminal charges are pending as of 2024-04-30

Anju Usman, MD

Penelope (Penni) Vachon (a nurse practitioner)

Alan Vinitsky, MD

Marilyn Walkey, MD

Jamie Winter Walraven, MD, Linda Leigh Faulkner (a nurse practitioner), and Ageless Wellness Center

Jo Ann Whitaker, MD and the Bowen Research & Training Institute

Richard Wilkinson, MD

Ronald Wilson, MD

Douglas Wine (a chiropractor) and Lyme Laser Centers

David C. Wright, MD

Jeffrey Wulfman, MD

Therese Yang, MD

David Younger, MD

Robert John Zajac, MD

James Ziobron, DO (also a chiropractor)

Leila Zackrison, MD

🇦🇺 Australia

Dr. Tania Ash

Jennie Burke and Australian Biologics

Dr. Peter Dobie

  • Health Care Complaints Commission: Press release on Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct and Professional Misconduct
  • New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal: Stage 1 decision
  • New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal: Stage 2 decision

Dr. Almayne du Preez

Dr. Gregory Emerson

Dr. Sandeep Gupta

Dr. Geoffrey Kemp

Dr. Andrew Mark Ladhams

Dr. Nijole Lloyd

Dr. Peter Mayne

Dr. Adam Jeremy Nuttall

🇨🇦 Canada

LymeScience: Canadian resources | tagged content

Jennifer Margaret Armstrong, MD

Dr. Jo Ann “Jody” Bowle-Evans

Dr. Simon Colla

Dr. David Conroy

Dr. Bruce Osmond Hoffman

Dr. Amir Khadir

Jozef Krop, MD

Sal Meli (a naturopath) and his companies Chronic Lyme Treatments and Apex Botanicals

Ernie Murakami, MD

🇫🇷 France

Dr. Marc Arer

Dr. Marc Bransten

Dr. Raphaël Cario

  • Raphaël Cario reportedly received a four-month suspension for “providing care that does not comply with current scientific data”, “improperly prescribing Lyme disease screening tests” and “failing to adapt treatment to the results of biological tests”.
  • Europe 1: Maladie de Lyme : pourquoi des médecins sont-ils poursuivis ? (Lyme disease: why are doctors being prosecuted?), 2017-04-05

Dr. Béatrice Milbert

Dr. Christian Perronne

Dr. Philippe Raymond

Viviane Schaller (pharmacist), Bernard Christophe (unlicensed pharmacist), and Tic Tox

Dr. Corinne Skorupka

Dr. Paul Trouillas

🇩🇪 Germany

Dr. Armin Schwarzbach of ArminLabs, formerly of BCA Clinic Borreliose-Centrum-Augsburg)

Dr. Ingo Woitzel

Klinik St. Georg (St. George Hospital) and Friedrich Douwes

🇮🇪 Ireland

Irish Medical Societies: Consensus statement

John Lambert, MD (aka Jack Lambert)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Dr. Julian Kenyon

Dr. Jean Monro and Breakspear Medical

Dr. Sarah Myhill

Dr. Michael Wetzler

Netherlands

Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij: discussion of Geert Kingma, Alexander Korbee, Theodoor Scheepers in: Wageningen-hoogleraar Huub Savelkoul opnieuw in de fout (Wageningen professor Huub Savelkoul at fault again), 2016-05-11

Dr. Katharina Deutsch

  • ILADS member
  • A patient reportedly accused Deutsch of inappropriate behavior, that an incorrect or late diagnosis was made, that the doctor prescribed the wrong medication, that the file was manipulated and that professional secrecy was violated. Deutsch was found guilty of violating standards of professional conduct for the inappropriate behavior, but the other accusations were dismissed.
  • Seks, erotiek en alternatieve geneeswijzen (Sex, eroticism and alternative medicine), 2015-10-29

Dr. Henk Fransen

Dr. Geert Kingma

Alexander Korbee, MD

Kaj de Vries

Edwin Wiersma

Rogier Zwijsen

Rest of Europe and Asia

Dr. Eric Beeth

Barbaros Çetin

Leona Gilbert, Kunal Garg, and Tezted

Dr. Rolf Luneng

Dr. Kenneth Sandström

  • ILADS member Kenneth Sandström’s medical license was reportedly revoked by the National Board of Health and Welfare (HSAN) in Sweden, but we do not have copies of legal actions.

The Original Rogues Gallery includes:

  • John Roy Toth
  • Robert Bradford
  • Brigitte Byrd
  • Geoffrey Gubb
  • Joseph G. Jemsek
  • Charles Ray Jones
  • Carl Haese
  • Carol Ryser
  • JoAnne Whitaker
  • Bruce K. Fong
  • Robert Bransfield
  • Jozef Krop
  • Joseph Burrascano
  • Totada R. Shanthaveerappa
  • Gregory Hoffmann
  • Charlene DeMarco
  • Harriet Kotsoris
  • James Shortt
  • Virginia R. Savely aka Ginger Savely
  • Anthony Lionetti
  • Bernard Raxlen
  • Perry Orens
  • Richard Horowitz
  • William Cowden
  • Joseph Natole
  • Phil Watsky
  • Nicholas Bachynsky
  • John D. Bleiweiss
  • Dietrich Klinghardt
  • Raphael B. Stricker

Trevor Marshall, Amy Proal, and the “Marshall Protocol” cult

COVID-specific

Mary Talley Bowden

Ryan Neil Cole

Simone Gold, MD

Stella Immanuel, MD

Defunct entities

Biopulse

Pharmasan Labs, Neuroscience, Inc, and Gottfried Kellermann

QMedRx

UVLrx

See also:

Science-Based Medicine: Chronic Lyme posts

Quackwatch: Index of Lyme-related government actions

Quackwatch: Lyme Disease: Questionable Diagnosis and Treatment

LymeScience: More victims of chronic Lyme quackery

LymeScience: Documented harms of chronic Lyme quackery

Encyclopedia of American Loons

LymeScience: Government actions for herbs and supplements

Journalism on bad doctors

KGW: ‘Sick Medicine’ documentary

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA TODAY and MedPage Today: 7 takeaways from our year-long investigation into the country’s broken medical license system

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: State Medical Boards

KXAN: Senator: Texas Medical Board not doing ‘vital job’ protecting patients from harm

Public Citizen: Reports in 2011 and 2023