Meet
Dr. Brian Bakke
PhD, MS, CNS
Root Cause Migraine Clinician
Metabolic Science | Nutritional Genetics | Hormone Health
14 Years Clinical Experience
Founder of MEND Migraine
Dr. Brian Bakke is a clinician and researcher with over 25 years of experience in migraine science, nutritional genomics and biochemistry. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry, an MS in Human Nutrition from Columbia University, and is a Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS).
After completing post-doctoral research in chemotherapy development and his early career as a Senior Scientist with BASF and Syngenta, Dr. Bakke shifted his focus to nutrition-centered approaches for chronic conditions with a focus on migraine. In 2012, he joined the nation’s first online migraine-focused medical practice as Chief Science Officer, overseeing clinical development across all 50 states and internationally.
He led teams of physicians and dietitians in designing personalized nutrition and hormone-based protocols for women and teens affected by migraines. In 2018, Dr. Bakke launched MEND Migraine to deliver root-cause, personalized support to women and teens with migraine. His mission is to help people move beyond surviving migraine to living beyond it.
Credentials
& Expertise
PhD, Biochemistry MS, Human Nutrition — Columbia University
Board Certified Nutrition Specialist (BCNS)
Chief Science Officer — First fully online migraine clinic in the U.S. (2012–2017)
Senior Scientist — BASF & Syngenta
Post-Doctoral Research — Methylation Based Chemotherapeutics
Current Focus — Migraine recovery, nutritional genetics, epigenetics, and hormone-based protocols for women seeking lasting relief from chronic migraine
Our Migraine Journey
We’re so glad you’ve found your way here. What we offer through the MEND Migraine Program isn’t just built on science. It’s born out of personal experience.
We’re a husband and wife, both scientists by training, who walked through the darkness of chronic migraine together. Heather, a neuroscientist, had managed occasional migraines for much of her life. But during her mid-30s, everything changed. What were once every few weeks, manageable attacks spiraled into relentless, multi-day migraines that left her isolated in her room at home and barely functioning at work. Medication after medication failed and worse, one ill-suited combination landed her in the ER, nearly costing her her life.
As her health collapsed, so did our trust in the traditional healthcare system.
Specialists were out of options, focused narrowly on symptoms, and never stopped to ask why her condition was progressing. Like so many women, Heather was dismissed, misdiagnosed, and told she needed to manage her stress more effectively. But we knew better. Drawing on our backgrounds in neuroscience, biochemistry and nutrition, we created a personalized, root-cause approach to healing. Piece by piece, we rebuilt her health, addressing the hormonal shifts, neurological inflammation, metabolic imbalances, genetics and nutrient gaps that were driving her symptoms.
It wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t easy, but it worked. Over time, Heather regained her strength, her independence, and her life. That journey changed everything for us. I returned to school for a Master’s in Nutrition from Columbia, and became a Board Certified Clinician. Together, we’ve spent the last thirteen years helping other women who feel lost in the same system that failed us, women who know something deeper is going on and are ready for answers and real progress.
The MEND Migraine Method is the result of that journey. It’s our life’s work, blending scientific precision with personal compassion and designed specifically for women with migraine. If you’ve been dismissed, over-medicated, or told you “just have to live with it,” know this: there is another way. And we’re here to walk that path with you.