Registration

Note: This conference is for healthcare professionals only. Spots are limited. If you are a patient or caretaker, please encourage your healthcare provider to attend.

Agenda

Social - Networking Evening Event

Vector-borne Illness Fundamentals
Course Agenda – September 8, 2026

Agenda subject to change

7:00 – 8:00 AM Registration & Breakfast

8:00 – 8:30 AM Welcome from Jennifer Russell, Founder & Executive Director, Illinois Lyme Association (non-CME)

8:30 – 9:00 AM Introduction to Vector-Borne Illness Fundamentals - Dr. Casey Kelley

9:00 – 10:00 AM Pathophysiology of Lyme/Persistent Chronic Lyme (including treatment) - Dr. Casey Kelley

10:00 – 10:20 AM Break & Exhibitor Viewing

10:20 AM – 12:05 PM Introduction of Co-Infections - Bartonella, Babesia, and Alpha-gal - Jacki Meinhardt, DNP

12:05 – 12:35 PM Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, Rickettsial Infections, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - Jacki Meinhardt, DNP

12:35 – 1:45 PM Lunch & Sponsor Presentation (non-CME) in Exhibitor Room

1:45 – 2:45 PM Psychiatric Manifestations of Tick-Borne Diseases - Chris Winfrey, MD

2:45 – 3:30 PM Pediatric Lyme - Christine Saba, MD, PharmD

3:30 – 3:50 PM Break & Exhibitor Viewing

3:50 – 5:20 PM Case Presentations and Questions - All Speakers Participate

5:20 - 5:30 PM Invitation to Social/Networking Event, Richard Warner, PhD, Board President, Illinois Lyme Association

Networking event

5:30 – 6:00 PM Exhibitor Viewing & Transition

6:00 – 8:30 PM Networking Reception (hors d'oeuvres served) - Special Guest Speakers - Brandon Jutras, PhD, microbiologist-immunologist, Northwestern University and Susan Visser, DrPH, MS, policy director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

7:00 - 7:20 Networking sponsor presentation

Please join us for a social/networking event Tuesday evening. The networking reception provides an opportunity for attendees to connect with fellow clinicians, share experiences, and build relationships that support collaboration and improved patient care. Exhibitors will also be present to share resources and engage with attendees.

Sponsorship information
Exhibitor booth details

Conference Speakers

Chris Winfrey, MD

Dr. Chris Winfrey is a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of New Image Wellness, where he integrates traditional psychiatry with metabolic, mitochondrial, and functional approaches to treat complex neuropsychiatric conditions, including traumatic brain injury, cognitive impairment, PANDAS, autism, mold-related illness, and refractory depression. His work emphasizes the role of immune function, environmental exposures, and metabolic health in shaping brain function and mental well-being. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Winfrey provides forensic psychiatric services and has presented nationally on topics spanning cultural psychiatry and the intersection of faith and mental health. He serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and has advanced training in psychoanalysis, functional and environmental medicine, and neuroimmune conditions, reflecting his commitment to a comprehensive, evolving approach to brain health.

Christine Saba, MD, PharmD

Dr. Christine L. Saba is board certified in pediatrics and serves as an assistant clinical professor at George Washington Medical School and Georgetown University Medical Center. She graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1992 and did her internship and residency at Georgetown. Dr. Saba has been in solo practice since 2000, creating Saba Integrative Medicine in 2014 to focus on patients with chronic conditions or undiagnosed symptoms that require multimodal care. Her focus includes treatment of tickborne illness and the sequela related to those infections. Before medical school, Dr. Saba received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer Southern School of Pharmacy. Serving as the first senior clinical pharmacist in Johns Hopkins Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, she developed research protocols for analyzing various pediatric medications. She also enhanced her research skills as a medical manager of cardiovascular protocols at Squibb Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Saba is particularly interested in enhancing patients’ quality of life and thus incorporates many treatment modalities, including homeopathy and herbs. She is certified to practice acupuncture, with training in the Japanese model.

Casey Kelley, MD

Dr. Casey Kelley is a board-certified family practice physician and a diplomat of the American Board of Integrative Medicine. She received her MD from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her residency in family medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. A founding member of the Academy of Integrative Health, she is also a member of ILADS and IFM and has completed the ILADS Physician Training Program. She is currently in private practice in Chicago. She is an instructor of family medicine at Northwestern University of Feinberg School of Medicine and lectures nationally about Lyme disease.

Accommodations

Conference Venue

I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center
The conference will be held at the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center.

  • 1900 South First Street Champaign, Illinois, 61820

  • Front desk: 1-217-203-0463

  • Website: I-Hotel Reservations

 

Additional Nearby Hotels

Hilton Garden Inn Champaign/ Urbana

The Hilton Garden is .9 miles from the I-Hotel

Holiday Inn by IHG Champaign

The Holiday Inn by IHG is .7 miles from the I-Hotel Conference Center

  • 101 Trade Center Drive Champaign, IL, 61820 United States

  • Reservations: 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329)

  • Front desk: 1-217-398-3400

  • Email: info@holidayinncu.com

  • Website: Holiday Inn

Airport Information

  • University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI): This regional airport is the closest one to the I Hotel and the main one in the area. It is a few miles south of the city.

  • Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): This airport is approximately 2.5 hours (150 miles) from the I Hotel.

  • ‍Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW): This airport is approximately 2.25 hours (129 miles) from the I Hotel.

  • Indianapolis International Airport (IND): This airport is approximately 2 hours (125 miles) from the I Hotel.