About Us

About Dr. Dorothy Contiguglia-Akcan, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Founder & Functional Medicine Physician, GiltHealth

Dr. Dorothy Contiguglia-Akcan is a U.S.-trained, board-certified Family and Functional Medicine physician dedicated to helping patients restore balance and vitality through a personalized, whole-person approach to health.

With a deep commitment to listening, collaboration, and individualized care, Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan partners with each patient to uncover the underlying causes of illness and to design a plan that supports lasting wellness, rather than simply managing symptoms. Her approach prioritizes understanding the whole person—their story, environment, lifestyle, and goals—so that treatment becomes a shared journey toward optimal health.

After more than a decade of clinical, academic, and research experience in the United States, Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan founded GiltHealth in Malta to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care that bridges evidence-based conventional medicine with root cause-focused functional healthcare. Her practice centers on gut health, hormone optimization, metabolic balance, and preventive care, combining advanced diagnostics with personalized nutrition, lifestyle strategies, and targeted therapeutic interventions.

Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan holds both an MD and MPH from Tulane University and completed her Family Medicine Residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and an active member of The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).

Before founding GiltHealth, she served as faculty at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and Robert Stempel College of Public Health, where she taught future physicians and public health professionals while conducting translational research in regenerative medicine and global health.

At GiltHealth, Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan provides both in-person and virtual consultations, empowering individuals to take an active role in their health. Her care model blends science with empathy, delivering integrative, preventive, and patient-centered medicine designed around each person’s unique biochemistry, lifestyle, and vision for wellbeing.

Some of Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan’s Career Highlights:

2007: Masters of Science in Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine

2011: Masters of Public Health, Tulane University School of Public Health

2011: Medical Degree, Tulane University School of Medicine

2014: Boarded in the specialty of Family Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine

2016 – 2021: Assistant Professor, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

2016 – 2025: Adjunct Professor, FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work Academy for International Disaster Preparedness

2019: Fellow of American Academy of Family Medicine

2020: Research grant awarded under Harvard PI,  Forging Translational Glycobiologists: Intermeshing Glycoscience Training and Clinical Education

2024: Licensed by Medical Council Malta

The name GiltHealth reflects both a personal connection and a guiding philosophy. Inspired by the Gilthead Seabream, found in Malta’s waters and a favorite of Dr. Contiguglia-Akcan and her son, the name also draws from the word “gilt,” meaning “covered in gold.” Just as gilding transforms and enhances what lies beneath, GiltHealth represents the art of bringing out the body’s innate strength, balance, and brilliance through science, compassion, and personalized care. Rooted in Malta and designed to grow globally, GiltHealth embodies a commitment to helping individuals achieve not just better health, but a life refined, elevated, and luminous in every sense.