What if chronic disease isn't a single problem—but a breakdown across multiple biological networks?
In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the IFM conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Kristine Burke about the rapid transformation of functional medicine and its growing integration into mainstream healthcare systems.
They explore why inflammatory markers like CRP took decades to enter standard practice, and how this reflects a broader challenge in translating research into real-world medicine.
Dr. Burke shares her journey from conventional family medicine into functional medicine after seeing patients experience major cardiovascular events despite guideline-based care. This led her to focus on residual risk, root causes, and systems biology.
The conversation also covers emerging biomarkers such as SII, SIRI, and suPAR, which may help detect systemic chronic inflammation and disease risk earlier than traditional approaches.
A major theme is the shift toward network-based care—where clinicians collaborate through shared systems, multidisciplinary teams, and structured data to improve outcomes in complex chronic disease.
The episode closes with reflections on global growth in functional medicine, the urgency of early intervention in cognitive decline ("time is brain"), and the expanding role of clinical collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare.
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About the Guest:
Dr. Kristine Burke is a physician trained in conventional family medicine who transitioned into functional medicine after recognizing the limitations of guideline-based approaches in managing chronic disease.
She specializes in cardiovascular health, complex chronic illness, and cognitive decline, with a strong focus on systems biology and root-cause medicine.
Dr. Burke has contributed to the development and clinical application of functional medicine frameworks, including lifestyle-based interventions, metabolic and inflammatory risk assessment, and multi-system clinical reasoning.
She is also involved in TrueNeuro, a collaborative initiative focused on reversing and preventing cognitive decline through early intervention and systems-based care models.
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