About
N. Donato, MD, PhD is a board-certified family physician practicing in Ridgefield, CT. She has held American Board of Family Medicine certification since completing her residency in 2018. Her path to medicine began in 2006, when she entered the Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology PhD program at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She joined the Medical Scientist Training Program there in 2008. Her doctoral research examined immune responses to Salmonella infection in a mouse model of Typhoid, earning her the UMN Foundation J Jacob Kaplan Award for most meritorious graduate paper in Gastroenterology. She earned her PhD in 2013 and her MD in 2015.
Dr. Donato completed her residency at the North Memorial/University of Minnesota Family Medicine Residency Program in Minneapolis, training in pediatrics, adult medicine, high-risk prenatal and obstetrical care, chronic disease management, mental health, sports medicine, and underserved medicine. Her peers and faculty nominated her for the Gold Humanism Honor Society, and she received the Resident Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019. She went on to practice full-spectrum family medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, a county hospital-owned multispecialty community clinic, where she delivered prenatal care, attended births, and managed complex chronic conditions. She also pursued integrative medicine training through the UMN-TC Center for Spirituality and Healing, studying Ayurveda Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and Reiki. Dr. Donato moved to Ridgefield, CT in October 2021 and launched her DPC practice in January 2025. She brings curiosity, cultural sensitivity, and a deep-dive scientific approach to every patient relationship.
Education & Training
Medical School
University of Minnesota Medical School, MD (2015); PhD in Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology (2013)
Residency
Family Medicine, North Memorial/University of Minnesota Family Medicine Residency Program, Minneapolis, MN (2015-2018)
Additional Training
Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) at UMN-TC; Integrative Medicine coursework through UMN-TC Center for Spirituality and Healing (Ayurveda Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, Reiki, Integrative Medicine in Hawaii)
Certifications
Conditions Treated
Who is Dr. Donato right for?
Dr. Donato works well with patients who want a thorough, relationship-driven approach to primary care. Adults managing chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, or thyroid disorders benefit from her investigative clinical style. Families with children will find her residency training in pediatrics and her experience with well-child care valuable. Women seeking comprehensive care, including well-woman exams, menstrual health, contraception counseling, and cancer screenings, fit naturally into her practice. Patients navigating anxiety or depression also find strong support in her whole-person philosophy.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Donato treats a broad range of conditions across all ages. Her clinical focus includes hypertension, diabetes, asthma, thyroid disorders, anxiety, depression, and infectious disease. She also manages women's health concerns such as menstrual disorders, menopause, and cervical health, and sees children for well-child care and acute illness.
Yes. Dr. Donato holds board certification from the American Board of Family Medicine. She has practiced as a certified family physician since completing her residency in 2018.
Dr. Donato earned her PhD and MD at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She completed her Family Medicine residency at the North Memorial/University of Minnesota Family Medicine Residency Program in Minneapolis, MN, from 2015 to 2018.
Dr. Donato holds a PhD in Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology in addition to her MD. Her doctoral research on immune responses to infection earned a prestigious university award. That scientific foundation shapes how she investigates her patients' health concerns and informs her approach to chronic and infectious disease.
Yes. Dr. Donato completed coursework in Ayurveda Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and Reiki through the UMN-TC Center for Spirituality and Healing. She weaves those perspectives into individualized care plans alongside evidence-based medicine.
Yes. Dr. Donato sees patients of all ages, including infants and children. Her residency training included pediatrics and well-child care, and she offers well-child visits, vaccines, and sports physicals at Just Health Family Medicine.
Dr. Donato treats anxiety and depression as part of her full-spectrum family medicine practice. She considers mental health within the broader context of each patient's overall wellbeing, consistent with her whole-person philosophy of mind, body, spirit, and immune health.
Dr. Donato offers well-woman exams with Pap smears, cervical cancer screening, STI screening, contraception counseling, and menstrual and menopause symptom management. She also collaborates with OB/Gyn and gynecology specialists when patients need additional specialty care.
Yes. Dr. Donato received the UMN Foundation J Jacob Kaplan Award for her graduate research in Gastroenterology. During residency, her colleagues and faculty nominated her for the Gold Humanism Honor Society, and she received the Resident Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019.
Doctor profile last updated April 11, 2026