Lupus
A long-term autoimmune disease that can affect many parts of the body, alongside your rheumatologist.
Autoimmune functional medicine
by telehealth
Find the Why...
Feel Like You Again
Personalized, physician-led functional medicine that looks beyond symptoms to identify potential root causes of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions to support long-term well-being.
For patients in Florida and Texas
Why patients choose Avicenna
Physician-Led Care
Advanced Testing
Personalized Plans
Avicenna by the numbers
25
years practicing medicine: Dr. Ahmed, since 2001
2
states served by telehealth: Florida and Texas
*Last updated October 2026
Services
What we help with
When your immune system is out of balance, everything can feel harder. We look for the factors that may be driving your symptoms and build a plan around them, alongside the care you already receive.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
The most common cause of an underactive thyroid, alongside your thyroid doctor.
Rheumatoid arthritis
An autoimmune disease that mainly affects the joints, alongside your rheumatologist.
Psoriasis
Scaly, inflamed patches of skin from an overactive immune system, alongside your dermatologist.
Gut health
SIBO, IBS, reflux and gut barrier concerns.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, alongside your gastroenterologist.
Metabolic and hormonal health
Insulin resistance, fatty liver and PCOS.
Post-viral and fatigue
Long COVID, chronic fatigue and POTS.
Functional testing
Advanced testing chosen for your situation.
THE AVICENNA METHOD™
Three steps: Discover. Investigate. Personalize.
Our three-step approach looks for what may be driving your symptoms, so we can create a plan designed for your unique biology and goals. Here's what each step actually looks like.
Step 1:Discover
We listen first.
We take the time to understand your full story — symptoms, history, lifestyle, and goals — to uncover patterns and root causes that may have been missed.
What happens at your first visit
It starts with a free 30-minute discovery call. If we’re a good fit, your first full visit covers:
- 60-minute intake with an Avicenna team member
- Full symptom & history timeline
- Review of prior labs and records
Step 2:Investigate
We look deeper.
Advanced testing and clinical evaluation help us look for underlying drivers of inflammation and immune dysfunction, including gut health, hormones, metabolism, and more.
Tests we may order
Testing is chosen for your situation, not ordered as a generic panel. Depending on your needs, it may include:
- Targeted functional lab panels
- Microbiome & gut barrier testing
- Metabolic & immune markers
Step 3:Personalize
We create your plan.
We design a personalized plan that addresses possible root causes and supports your health — nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, and targeted therapies tailored to you.
What your plan includes
Your care team walks you through the plan, which includes:
- Written plan tied to your results
- Nutrition & lifestyle guidance
- Ongoing adjustments as you progress
Root Cause Focused•Evidence Informed•Whole-Person Care•Ongoing Support
Ongoing Support
Your care doesn’t stop once your plan is written. Health changes over time, and your plan changes with it.
- Follow-up visits to review how you’re doing
- Changes to your plan as your health changes
- Health coaching to help you put the plan into practice between visits
See what to expect at your first visit, or the conditions we help with.
How This Differs From Conventional Care
Conventional care is essential. We simply ask different questions.
THE USUAL PATH
Conventional Care
Symptoms are treated one at a time, often by separate specialists
Normal labs often mean the search for answers stops
10-15 minute visits built around prescriptions
OUR APPROACH
WHAT WE DO
The Avicenna Method
Your full picture is reviewed by one coordinated care team looking for shared root causes
Functional testing can look at markers that standard panels don't include
Extended visits built around a personalized plan
Book an appointment
Ready to find the why?
Start with a free 30-minute discovery call. We’ll talk about your symptoms and history, and tell you honestly whether we can help.
- Board-certified nephrologist
- Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer
- MD, University of Florida
- Practicing since 2001
About
Meet Dr. Fawad Ahmed
After more than 20 years in practice, I kept seeing the same link between lifestyle choices, toxins, gut health, and autoimmune and metabolic conditions, so we built Avicenna to take the time to look for it.
Dr. Ahmed has practiced medicine since 2001. He earned his medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine, trained in internal medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident, and completed his nephrology fellowship at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Over two decades of practice, he kept noticing that autoimmune and metabolic conditions, which he calls the “AIM conditions”, often travel with lifestyle choices, toxic exposures, and poor gut health. That observation led him and his wife, Sonia Mirza, APRN, to found Avicenna Functional Medicine: a virtual practice that looks for the factors behind chronic symptoms instead of only managing them.
Together they develop the practice’s care protocols. His guiding belief is simple: “The road to better health starts in the kitchen, not the pharmacy.” Dr. Ahmed is licensed in Florida (see his license record); Texas patients are cared for by Sonia Mirza, APRN.
Physician-founded
Founded by a board-certified physician and a board-certified nurse practitioner, who develop the care protocols together.
One team, start to finish
Licensed clinicians make the medical decisions; a health coach helps you put the plan into practice.
Focused
Autoimmune, gut and related inflammatory conditions are what we work on every day.
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