Shahla J. Modir, MD

Dr. Modir was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois and moved to California for undergraduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley. After graduation, she attended Naropa University’s Buddhist study-abroad program in Kathmandu, Nepal for 5 months. While traveling and studying Buddhism in Nepal and India, she became interested in Tibetan medicine and Ayurveda. When she returned to California, Dr. Modir continued her dharma practice and readings. After a few months, she left to attend medical school at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Upon completion of medical school, Dr. Modir started Psychiatry residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. During her third and fourth years of residency, she began training in acupuncture and Ayurvedic medicine. In addition, she created a Vipassana meditation class and an acupuncture clinic for dual diagnosis patients at Harbor-UCLA. Upon finishing residency, Dr. Modir received a fellowship at UCLA Medical Center in Addiction Psychiatry. In addition, she has trained at California College of Ayurveda, continues to teach mindfulness meditation to dual diagnosis patients, and is studying the mechanism and efficacy of acupuncture for methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms.