About
Woodson C. Merrell, MD earned his undergraduate degree cum laude from Amherst College in 1971 and his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1976. He completed his residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Roosevelt Hospital, now Mt. Sinai West, finishing in 1979. Early in his career he pursued clinical fellowships in Tropical Medicine at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania and in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Academies of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing and Shanghai. He currently holds academic appointments as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and as Associate Attending Physician at Mt. Sinai West Medical Center.
From 1998 to 2015, Dr. Merrell served as Founding Executive Director of the Beth Israel Center for Health and Healing, the nation's largest academic clinical center for Integrative Medicine, where 24 practitioners logged 70,000 patient visits per year. He holds a NY State Physician Acupuncture Certificate and has integrated acupuncture into his clinical work for 30 years. He chairs the annual Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York City and helped found the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, which grew from 5 to 80 member medical schools. He served on the board of the Institute of Functional Medicine alongside leading figures in the field. A Charter Fellow of the American College of Acupuncture, he studied Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine with Ted Kaptchuk, OMD and Jeffrey Yuen, LAc, and trained in mind-body medicine with Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, Bernie Siegel, MD, and others. He has authored three books: The Detox Prescription (Rodale, 2013), Power Up/The Source (Free Press, 2009), and The Arginine Solution (Grand Central Publishing, 1999). National media including Time Magazine, The New Yorker, NPR, and CBS News have regularly sought his perspective on health and medicine. His clinical passions include longevity medicine, peptide therapy, detoxification, genomics, epigenetics, the microbiome, and metabolomics. He grew up in Northern California, where homeopathy served as a first-line treatment in his household, and he studied and taught yoga and meditation before entering medical school to explore the synthesis between Western science and Asian healing traditions.
Education & Training
Undergraduate
Amherst College, BA (cum laude), 1971
Medical School
Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, MD, 1976
Residency
Primary Care Internal Medicine, Roosevelt Hospital (now Mt. Sinai West), 1976-1979
Fellowship
Tropical Medicine, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Traditional Chinese Medicine, Academies of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing and Shanghai
Additional Training
NY State Physician Acupuncture Certificate; Charter Fellow, American College of Acupuncture; Academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Medicine, Icahn Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; Associate Attending Physician, Mt. Sinai West Medical Center
Conditions Treated
Who is Dr. Merrell right for?
Dr. Merrell is a strong fit for adults who want a clinician rooted in both conventional and integrative medicine. Patients dealing with chronic or complex conditions benefit from his root-cause diagnostic approach. Those interested in longevity, detoxification, or metabolic optimization find his advanced testing capabilities particularly valuable. He also serves patients seeking acupuncture, herbal medicine, or mind-body support alongside standard internal medicine care.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Merrell treats the full range of conditions a general internist encounters, including neurologic, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal concerns. He places particular focus on preventive care, early intervention, and identifying root causes. His clinical interests also include longevity medicine, hormonal health, and metabolic conditions.
Dr. Merrell specializes in Internal Medicine, Functional Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. He trained at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed his residency at Roosevelt Hospital, now Mt. Sinai West.
Dr. Merrell integrates acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional science, and mind-body stress reduction into his clinical practice. He has practiced acupuncture for 30 years and holds a NY State Physician Acupuncture Certificate. He studied herbal medicine with leading practitioners and trained in mind-body medicine with Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD and Bernie Siegel, MD.
Dr. Merrell uses genomics, epigenetics, metabolomics, microbiome analysis, hormonal evaluation, immune testing, and nutritional assessments alongside conventional laboratory testing and imaging. These tools help him identify underlying causes and build individualized care plans.
Dr. Merrell holds appointments as Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and as Associate Attending Physician at Mt. Sinai West Medical Center. He served as Founding Executive Director of the Beth Israel Center for Health and Healing from 1998 to 2015. He also helped found the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine.
Dr. Merrell has authored three books: The Detox Prescription (Rodale, 2013), Power Up/The Source (Free Press, 2009), and The Arginine Solution (Grand Central Publishing, 1999). National outlets including Time Magazine, The New Yorker, NPR, and CBS News have regularly sought his perspective on health and medicine.
Dr. Merrell prioritizes early intervention and root-cause identification over symptom management. He uses advanced diagnostics including genomics and metabolomics to build a detailed picture of each patient's health. He pairs these tools with integrative therapies to support long-term wellness.
Yes, Dr. Merrell offers telemedicine through the Spruce app. Members can also reach him directly via a dedicated cellphone for urgent questions and communication between visits.
Doctor profile last updated March 21, 2026