Northeast College Announces Winter 2026 Ceremony Keynote Speaker Dr. Sylvia H. Regalla
Northeast College of Health Sciences will mark a major milestone at its Winter 2026 Commencement ceremony, celebrating graduates entering the healthcare workforce and the first-ever graduating classes from the College’s new Associate in Applied Science programs in radiologic technology and diagnostic medical sonography alongside its Doctor of Chiropractic graduates. To commemorate the occasion, the College has invited physician, educator and Northeast alumna Dr. Sylvia H. Regalla (M.S. ’08) to deliver the Commencement keynote address.
Regalla shares a deep connection with Northeast College. In addition to serving as an adjunct professor of nutrition, she earned her master’s degree in applied clinical nutrition from Northeast during the program’s early formative years. Her presence at commencement is especially meaningful as the College celebrates graduates across multiple healthcare disciplines.
“As our graduates step forward as the next generation of healthcare professionals, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Sylvia H. Regalla as our keynote speaker,” said Northeast College President Dr. Michael Mestan Her work reminds us that excellence in care is not just about treating illness but about helping people build health. For more than two decades, Dr. Regalla has been a leader in functional and integrative medicine, and her approach reflects the future of healthcare while exemplifying the core principles of a Northeast education: prevention, whole-person care and collaboration across disciplines.”
Leading the Way in Functional and Integrative Medicine
A native of Buffalo, New York, Regalla earned both her Bachelor of Arts in biology and her Doctor of Medicine from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She completed her training in internal medicine and has practiced medicine in the Buffalo community for more than 25 years.
Regalla has specialized in functional medicine, nutritional medicine and nutrigenomics, fields that examine the underlying causes of chronic disease and the complex interactions among a patient’s history, physiology and lifestyle. Her work integrates traditional internal medicine with prevention-focused strategies centered on nutrition, lifestyle medicine and advanced diagnostic approaches.
A founding diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, Regalla has been recognized internationally for her contributions to integrative and preventive healthcare. She remains active in professional organizations including the Medical Society of the State of New York, the American College of Physicians and the New York Academy of Sciences, and in addition to her role at Northeast, extends her commitment to education through adjunct roles at Maryland University of Integrative Health and Notre Dame of Maryland University.
Also a leader in advancing the medical profession, Regalla previously served as president of the University at Buffalo Medical Alumni Association and currently serves as an emeritus member of its governing board. She is the co-founder of the UB DoctHERS Network at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, an initiative dedicated to advancing women in medicine and scientific research.
Winter 2026 Commencement: A Northeast College Milestone
As Northeast College celebrates its Winter 2026 graduates, Regalla’s career in clinical care, education and innovative approaches to health exemplifies the values the College instills in its students: a commitment to excellence, collaboration across healthcare disciplines and a focus on improving community health and well-being. The ceremony will honor its newest doctors of and its first radiologic technology and diagnostic medical sonography program graduates, marking a key step in preparing skilled professionals for the growing demands of 21st-century healthcare.