About ExtendingME
We Help Empower Providers
To make informed decisions when personalizing healthcare in order for patients
to live a healthier and longer life.
About ExtendingME
We are a comprehensive genetics laboratory specializing in longevity support. Our core services include nutrigenetics testing, metabolic biomarker analysis, and advanced epigenetic follow-up testing to measure progress over time. Our mission is to extend life through precision diagnostics and personalized wellness solutions, empowering practitioners to deliver cutting-edge, life-enhancing care.
We go beyond genetic data by providing ongoing support through quarterly reports, tailored supplementation and nutritional insights, lifestyle guidance, suggested labs to consider and educational resources that help both practitioners and patients make informed health decisions. Each test includes educational videos and personalized guidance on supplements, food, and lifestyle changes, all aimed at optimizing longevity based on individual results.
Whether you're a Functional Medicine provider, clinical physician, nutritionist, or anti-aging specialist, ExtendingME equips you with the tools needed to promote long-term wellness and healthy aging for your patients. Together, we can extend life and enhance quality of life with precision, education, and innovation.
What does "Lifetime Genetics Mean"? A provider can elect to forward quarterly results to each patient that purchases our Lifetime Genetics & Epigenetics Panel. Each report will be accompanied by customizable educational videos to assist providers and patients in interpreting the results. Additionally, the reports will provide custom solutions for supplements, food, and lifestyle improvements.
"ExtendingME was founded to help people extend their lifespan and enhance their overall well-being."
How it Can Benefit
You and Your Practice
By incorporating ExtendingME’s advanced genetic testing services into your practice, you can significantly enhance patient outcomes and satisfaction. Our comprehensive reports and educational resources enable you to offer personalized, data-driven health insights that empower your patients to take proactive steps towards longevity and well-being. This not only strengthens the doctor-patient relationship but also positions you as a forward-thinking provider at the forefront of anti-aging personalized medicine. Additionally, the streamlined, all-in-one service model frees up valuable time, allowing you to focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks.
Lifetime Insights
ExtendingME aims to provide ongoing insights and support. This approach ensures that your patients receive continuous value and guidance over time, rather than just a one-time interaction.
Empowered Patients
Provide patients with the information they need to make informed decisions throughout their healthcare journey. This guidance helps them navigate their options and feel confident in their choices.
Exceptional Service
We work directly with you to determine the best offering for your practice, and select from our wide variety of customization options. With our easy to use provider portal, you can easily manage all of your testing in one place.
Our Purpose
And Core Values
At the heart of everything we do is POISE, our company’s core values:
Positivity
We bring an optimistic and collaborative energy to everything we do.
Outcomes Based
We focus on meaningful, measurable improvements in patient health.
Innovative
We’re constantly evolving to offer the most advanced, effective solutions.
Solutions Driven
We simplify complexity and turn insights into action.
Exceptional Service
We treat your practice like it’s our own, every time.
At ExtendingME, our purpose is to deliver natural health insights that help providers extend patients' lifespan and enhance their overall well-being.
The ExtendingME Team
James Jacobson, PhD
Laboratory Director
With over 25 years of experience in Molecular Diagnostics Testing, Dr. Jacobson brings deep expertise in assay validation, clinical research, and regulatory compliance. He has contributed to numerous clinical trials and publications and remains actively engaged in CLIA and COLA regulatory processes.
Dr. Kelly Halderman
Nutrigenomic Guru
Dr. Halderman is an expert in integrative and precision health, specializing in functional medicine, nutrigenomics, and nutraceuticals. She earned her MD in 2007, completed a family practice internship in 2009, and holds a Traditional Naturopathy Medical Degree and a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition. A board-certified clinical nutritionist, she is also certified in MethylGenetic Nutrition and Functional Neurology. She serves as President of the A.A. of Nutraceutical Formulators, co-authored Phase 2.5 Detox and The Thyroid Debacle and has research published in Aging. As a Nutrigenetic Clinical Advisor at ExtendingMe, she empowers individuals with advanced health strategies.
Bobby Garcia
VP of Sales
With over 20 years of successful sales experience as a distinguished sales leader in them healthcare industry, Bobby has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and a remarkable track record of driving revenue growth and exceeding corporate sales objectives. Throughout his career, he has excelled in building and nurturing strong client relationships, hiring and developing successful sales teams, and negotiating nationwide contracts.
Stephen Veach
CIO
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Stephen has been working the reference laboratory for over 20 years.
From HL7 Interfaces, to ecommerce custom coding, Stephen has built over 20 custom platforms.
Inga Dolinski
Laboratory Manager
Inga Dolinski is a Northern Michigan native now in Texas. Starting with a passion for science in animal husbandry, she became the #1 Flemish Giant Youth Rabbit Breeder in North America, leading to her recruitment by Cornell University for genetic sampling. A top scholarship recipient, she studied at Wayne State University, gaining lab experience on the medical campus and working on the COVID front lines.
Michael Willoughby
Strategic Advisor
A seasoned veteran in the laboratory industry. With over 20 years of experience in both traditional laboratory services and personalized diagnostics, Michael serves as ExtendingME’s Strategic Advisor. Currently, Mr. Willoughby is the President of Fagron Genomics US and plans to leverage strengths of both companies to provide best in class services to personalized practitioners.
Dr. Shanthi Lakshmi
Research & Development Director
Dr. Shanthi Lakshmi is a distinguished professional with a wealth of experience and expertise in precision medicine, nutrigenetics, and nutrigenomics. Driven by a personal quest to understand genetic roots, her studies in Human Genetics at Ramachandra University, Chennai, led her to identify Fragile X Syndrome as the underlying cause affecting her family. With a Ph.D. in Physiology from MUM, Iowa, USA, her research delves into the intricate relationship between genetic expression and lifestyle factors, particularly focusing on the impact of diet and lifestyle modifications on telomerase gene expression and telomere length in the African American hypertensive population.
Kristen Farris
Operations Director
Teagan Settle
Laboratory Scientist
Teagan Settle is a board-certified medical laboratory scientist with expertise in clinical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and blood banking. She plays a critical role in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of lab data used in ExtendingME’s advanced panels. A graduate of Texas State University, Teagan oversees daily operations of laboratory equipment and upholds rigorous standards, bringing a high level of precision to every result and helping providers deliver personalized, reliable care to their patients.
Katie Hartley APRN, FNP-C
With more than 11 years of clinical experience—8 years as a registered nurse and 3 years as a nurse practitioner—Katie is committed to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care. In her role as a nurse practitioner, she has specialized in functional medicine, helping patients improve their overall health and wellbeing by identifying and treating the root causes of illness.
Her extensive background in both acute and chronic care nursing provides a strong clinical foundation, while her functional medicine experience allows her to take a holistic and personalized approach to healing. She is passionate about empowering individuals to take an active role in their health through evidence-based practices, lifestyle optimization, nutrition, and preventive strategies.
She strives to create a supportive, collaborative environment where patients feel heard, valued, and equipped with the tools they need to achieve long-term wellness.
Lyn Baxter
Marketing Director
A creative marketing strategist with deep expertise in digital design, brand development, and content-driven campaigns, Lyn Baxter brings over a decade of experience across B2B, entertainment, and ecommerce industries. She applies a bold, design-forward approach to website development, social media, email marketing, and promotional branding. Lyn combines aesthetics, technical skill, and strategic thinking to deliver designs that engage and drive results. With a sharp eye for innovation and authenticity, she blends hands-on creative execution with data-informed strategy to boost visibility and build lasting brand impact.
The Advisory Board
Mark Tager
Business Advisor
Mark J. Tager, MD is one of the country’s leading healthcare communicators. He is currently Chief Enhancement Officer (CEO) of ChangeWell, Inc., (changewell.com) a San Diego organization that is at the forefront of healthcare transformation. He started his career as Director of Health Promotion for Kaiser Permanente in Oregon where he developed community-based wellness strategies for population health.
Dr. Robert Lufkin, MD
Medical Advisor
Dr. Lufkin is a physician, bestselling author, and medical professor at UCLA and USC, specializing in health, longevity, and consciousness. After reversing his own chronic disease, he is committed to helping others transform their health through evidence-based lifestyle changes. His book, Lies I Taught in Medical School, has reframed how we understand metabolic health and longevity. With over 200 scientific papers, 14 books, and a global following of 400,000, he is a thought leader in the field. He also holds numerous patents, including the widely used “Lufkin Needle.”
Wendy M. Smith, DSc, MHA
Healthcare Executive | Strategic Advisor | Employee Benefits Consultant
Wendy M. Smith is a nationally recognized healthcare executive and strategic advisor with experience leading transformative changes across the healthcare continuum. Wendy served as CEO for national health plans serving Managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Commercial and Dual Eligible populations, she also led hospital-based health plans, clinically integrated networks, all with a focus toward value-based and wholistic care. She has served as the subject matter expert on innovation and value to the largest self-insured employers globally with her work as National Practice Leader at Aon Health Solutions.
A proven catalyst for transformation, Wendy is currently working with Health Systems, Health Plans, and Provider organizations taking downside risk to reinsure and develop capital solutions structures for financial success. She a go-to expert to mitigate volatility, protect margins, and future-proof their business models.
Wendy holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a master’s in healthcare administration from Texas State University, and a bachelor’s in biology from Southwestern University.
Suzanne K. Gazda, M.D.
Neurology
Throughout her extensive medical career, Dr. Suzanne Gazda has uniquely combined a dedication to outstanding care with an authentic commitment to patients as people first.
Renowned by peers and patients alike, Dr. Gazda offers a lifetime of experiences and that can best be summed up as truly extraordinary. From her first days of study at the University of Texas in Austin receiving her degree in Pharmacy then her medical school training at the Health Science Center in San Antonio Texas to the founding of the Neurology Institute of San Antonio (NISA), she draws upon her specialized efforts in autoimmune mediated neurological disease including multiple sclerosis, clinical research and over 3 decades of experience with, a heart centered deeply caring approach. Dr. Gazda has the most diverse professional – and personal – perspective on neurological disorders which as of 2021, now, includes the evaluation and treatment of Long COVID and Post Vaccine Injury with an expertise focused on neurological injuries.
Throughout her career has served as principal investigator in over 200 clinical research studies focused on Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, neuropathic pain, headache and epilepsy. Dr Gazda is well published as well.
Always thinking globally with compassion and commitment, she has taken her skills to distant locales, studying neurological disorders in places where access to care and research is limited. Her work with Hope for Humans in Uganda from 2011-2017 has made a profound impact on the lives of so many children and families with far-reaching implications for appropriate treatments for even the most complex neurological disorders.
Dr. Gazda was appointed in April 2020 by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the State’s
14-member Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome Advisory Council. The council
will advise the commission and the legislature on research, diagnosis, treatment, and education
related to pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and related disorders
(PANS/PANDAS).
Dr Gazda serves as a medical advisor to React 19
And is a Senior Fellow with the Independent Medical Alliance
She is a very proud mom of 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren.
You can read more about her work at
https://www.suzannegazdamd.com
Book a demo today and discover the power of precision testing for your patients.
