Hi,
I’m Sandra Ishkanes

Molecular Biologist and Functional Medicine Menopause Specialist.

BSc · MA · DipION · ANP member

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As a committed scientist with a degree in molecular biology, a masters degree in social anthropology, and years in clinical practice, the health solutions I deliver are backed by science and grounded in nature, for a truly holistic approach to women’s health.

Over the last 10 years I have helped hundreds of women to optimise their peri/menopausal health by activating their natural healing response.

As a functional medicine practitioner I work like a health detective. Symptoms are my clues, and the mysteries I solve are the complex health issues of peri/menopausal hormonal imbalances.

I go beyond medical dogma that only focuses on symptoms. I identify the individual root causes that lead to unbalanced hormones and so support women in resolving their gynaecological conditions. I believe in the unending ability of our bodies to heal themselves, and I have an understanding of the science of how to make that happen.

Like other women I have faced infertility, fibroids, and adenomyosis, and I healed them all without hormones, surgery or medication, and now I’m rocking my menopause .

I help women reimagine their relationship with their bodies, cycles and hormones, empowering them to take control of their health and their lives.

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AWARDS

BSc Molecular Biology
Kings College, University of London
MA Social Anthopology
SOAS, University of London
DipION Nutritional Therapy Diploma, training in Functional Medicine, Institute for Optimum Nutrition, London
Metabolic Balance Coach

I am proud of my

Assessment of all aspects of your life that can influence a positive outcome
Rigorous application of cutting edge medical science to nutrition, lifestyle and stress
Highly personalised approach
Tailored plan of action – because everyone is different
Relaxed and unhurried setting

speaking, press and media

I am available for podcast interviews, expert commentary, panel discussions, and media features on menopause, perimenopause, women’s health, and the wider context in which these experiences unfold.

My work is especially suited to conversations that want to go beyond simplified menopause narratives and explore the deeper patterns that shape symptoms, resilience, and health during this transition.

I bring to these conversations a background in molecular biology, social anthropology, functional medicine, and over a decade of clinical work with women in perimenopause and menopause. My particular strength is translating complex ideas into language that is clear, thoughtful, and genuinely useful.

Perimenopause and menopause beyond the simple hormone story
The metabolic, neurological, and stress-related dimensions of menopause
Symptoms that do not fit the standard explanation
Functional medicine and whole-body approaches to women’s health
Nutrition, sleep, inflammation, and resilience in midlife
How culture shapes the menopause experience

Media enquiries, speaking invitations, or expert commentary

Sandra Ishkanes

Functional Medicine Menopause Specialist

Email: mailto:sandra@sandraishkanes.co.uk
Call: 07817664873
Location: Brighton, UK

Area of expertise: HRT-free peri-menopausal and menopausal health

Credentials: BSc Molecular Biology, Kings College, University of London; MA Social Anthropology, SOAS, University of London; DipION Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine

Years of experience: 10+

Unique viewpoint: Menopause is a life stage with a built-in evolutionary design that extends women’s healthspan and life span. Symptoms result from a maladaptation to modern life.

PRESS

LATEST · 19 MAY 2026

Everyday Fatigue Makes You Feel Like You’re Running on Empty — 5 Expert-Backed Tips To Tackle Nagging Exhaustion

Expert commentary alongside Dr Jenna Macciochi, Dr Raj Arora and Dr Anna Persaud on why women feel exhausted despite doing ‘all the right things’.

READ THE ARTICLE

“Sometimes the most powerful cortisol intervention isn’t a supplement, it’s a boundary.”

— sandra ishkanes, quoted in marie claire

How to take control of menopausal aches and pains	The Telegraph	APRIL 21, 2023
It took me 2 years to get diagnosed as menopausal because I’m in my 30s. And I’m nonbinary, so doctors were even more dismissive.	Inc	March 23, 2023
Something inside me clicked, like an engine shifting into higher gear.	Meno Positivity	March 13, 2023
Metabolism reset: is it really possible to give your metabolic health a reboot?	Stylist	February 28, 2023

Podcast interview

In this interview, I talk about my path from genetic engineering into functional medicine and women’s health, and the questions that shaped the work I do today.

I am interviewed by Pivot Mentor @Clarissa Bromelle

Instagram live

In this conversation, I discuss the wider biological drivers of menopausal symptoms and how to think beyond one-size-fits-all menopause support.

Please fast forward to 8.46 minutes if you want to jump to the moment when I start speaking, it took me that long to join the live!

I am interviewed by Honor, @Magical Midlife Membership @honestlywithhonor

I am Writing a Book

MenoMorphosis

The greatest story never told

This won’t be another book about coping with menopause. It will be about rewriting our story — about understanding why symptoms happen and how to resolve them. About shifting from coping with decline into your innate transformative experience.

MenoMorphosis traces how our metabolic pathways transform, exposes the myths that keep women stuck in a deficiency story, and reclaims menopause as the profound physical, emotional and spiritual transition it was always meant to be. It’s an invitation to see menopause differently – and to understand your body in a way that finally makes sense.

Instead of reducing menopause to a single “deficient” hormone, I explore it as a series of intelligent biological shifts which, when properly supported, can restore clarity, strength and confidence. Drawing on cutting‑edge science and my clinical work with hundreds of women, I show what is truly changing in your body, why so many popular approaches fall short, and how to work with this transition without a life‑long dependency on HRT.

If you’ve ever felt there has to be more to menopause than you’ve been told, this book is for you.

Get Better Now

I now understand and can control the flushes! And on top of this I have shifted 16lbs and feel better than ever.
I couldn’t believe how Sandra resolved my vaginal dryness so quickly and easily.
Menopausal symptoms can be resolved, there are many roads. I am eternally grateful as now I know how to take care of my health.
I have lost 2 stone, and haven’t had a migraine for 11 weeks! That has not happened since I was 15.
Sandra provided a detailed health review, testing and a healthy eating guide. I found it inspiring to work with her, I felt better almost within a week and 4 weeks later all my symptoms almost gone!
I’d recommend it to any woman – not as a diet, but as a way of rethinking how your body works, and how to fuel it properly.
Within just a week I was feeling much healthier, clearer headed, and energised.
I was amazed at how quickly my weight started dropping and soon my migraines all but disappeared.

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The deficiency is not in you. It’s in the medical model.

Mainstream medicine is still working with a 1950s framework — one that treats oestrogen deficiency as the root cause of everything you’re feeling, which is why HRT makes sense for them. But there is one powerful dissenting voice.

Dr Nanette Santoro is a menopause scientist elected to the US National Academy of Medicine and chair at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. As lead investigator on the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), she has followed more than 3,000 women aged 42–54 since the mid-1990s to understand the menopause transition and its consequences on women’s health. She has concluded that:

“

Women need a sophisticated understanding of the root cause of symptoms and health risks – otherwise they will forever be stuck with an oversimplified model that blames low oestrogen for everything.

—Dr Nanette Santoro, lead investigator SWAN

In the last decade, the science of menopause has moved significantly. We now understand that symptoms are driven by far more than oestrogen decline — by metabolic shifts, nervous system load, inflammation, and the conditions in which this transition has to happen. Dr Santoro is clear: symptoms cluster together — hot flushes, brain fog, low mood, and broken sleep don’t arrive randomly. They share root causes. Which means they can be addressed at the root. My practice is built on that research.

If you’ve been told your symptoms are just low oestrogen — or that HRT is your only option — there is another way. It doesn’t matter where you are with HRT. The work is the same: your biology, your root causes, your protocol.

The discovery call is free, 30 minutes, and no obligation. Let’s have that conversation.

From my Substack

I write regularly about menopause, symptoms, biology, and the wider story women are so often not told. Some of the articles will be part of my book. If you want to go deeper into the thinking behind my work, you can start here.

Book a discovery call and in 30 minutes you can:

Understand the root causes behind your specific symptoms
Learn whether functional medicine is right for your situation
Get a clear picture of what testing and treatment could look like
Ask any questions — no commitment, no pressure
Leave with actionable clarity, regardless of next steps

book a discovery call

30 minutes · Free · No obligation

Not ready to book? Follow my thinking on Substack

As featured in

Sandra Ishkanes Natural Menopause Specialist based in Brighton, serving clients worldwide via Online Consultations
BSc Molecular Biology (King’s College London) | DipION | Functional Medicine Practitioner
Registered member, Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP) – the UK professional body for accredited naturopathic and functional medicine practitioners. ANP members hold accredited qualifications, carry professional indemnity insurance, and follow a strict code of ethics.

© 2026 Sandra Ishkanes · sandraishkanes.co.uk

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The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Sandra Ishkanes is a Functional Medicine Practitioner and Molecular Biologist, not a medical doctor. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before making any changes to your diet, lifestyle, or supplement regimen—especially if you are currently taking prescription medication or HRT. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.