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dоTERRA Scientists


Dr. David Hill, DC

Founding Executive

For many years, Dr. David Hill has utilized the benefits of essential oils in modern health practices as a physician. He is well-known throughout the world as an expert in essential oils and integrative medicine. Dr. Hill partners with physicians, scientists, and hospitals around the world, defining and establishing the medical integration and use of essential oils in modern health practices for individual use.

He guides advances in essential oil science through a number of top university and research affiliations, providing more in-depth understanding for essential oils and their use. He is a frequent guest on many radio and televisions shows and has authored a number of books and other publications. Dr. Hill’s greatest joy is found in educating and empowering others and his family to take control of their own health.


Nicole Stevens, PhD

Director of Clinical Research

Nicole Stevens has conducted essential oil research for over 20 years. She’s worked in quality control laboratories in the nutraceutical industry, as well as academic research laboratories at the University of Utah and the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Cancer Research Institute. Alongside research, she’s taught courses in chemistry and biochemistry at Brigham Young University–Idaho and UNLV. 

Nicole has been researching doTERRA essential oils since the company was formed in 2008. Currently, she serves as director of clinical research. Her main research revolves around essential oil biochemistry related to human application, among other aspects of essential oil science actively being pursued by the Clinical Research team. 

Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in technical writing and a master’s in botany—both from Brigham Young University. She completed her doctorate in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. Nicole holds a certified principal investigator (CPI) accreditation with the Association of Clinical Research Professionals and a certified clinical research professional (CCRP) endorsement with the Society of Clinical Research Associates. She’s also a certified phlebotomy technician (CPT) with IV specialization, a certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA), and a certified electrocardiography technician (CET). 


Alex DaBell, MS

Director, Nutraceuticals and Innovation

For over 15 years, Alex DaBell has worked with colleagues around the world to develop and design high-quality nutritional products. He enjoys learning about new discoveries in nutrition and brainstorming how those discoveries might make their way into new or existing doTERRA products. 

Alex has a master’s degree in physiology and developmental biology and a bachelor’s in biology, both from Brigham Young University, Provo. Alex is pursuing a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, studying metabolic regulation, biochemistry, nutritional epigenetics, and various aspects of essential oil chemistry on health and wellness. 

Alex, his wife, Lisa, and their four children enjoy going outdoors, playing boardgames, practicing the violin and piano, and trying new recipes. 


Thao Le, BS

Managing Scientist, Personal Care and Household Products

Thao has demonstrated her love of science over two decades of working on personal care and household products. Prior to joining doTERRA, she’s helped create world-class products for Arbonne®, Nu Skin®, Neways®, Dr. Perricone, Pfizer, ProCyte, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and many more at Sorenco Laboratories.

Her key insights into cosmetic formulations started with her analytical chemist experience at Weider Global Nutrition, where she worked for eight years. She’s passionate about making the best products using the safest, most innovative ingredients. The satisfaction of consumers and Wellness Advocates after trying her products drives her to make more great products.

Thao earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Utah.


Damian Rodriguez, DHSc, MS

Health and Exercise Scientist

Dr. Damian Rodriguez has spent most of his life researching nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle behaviors associated with human performance and optimal wellness. Prior to joining doTERRA, Dr. Rodriguez worked in public health and as a strength and conditioning coach and nutritionist for collegiate and professional athletes.

During his time at doTERRA, Dr. Rodriguez has helped write many essential oil scientific studies, served as scientific editor for other publications, and represented the company as a healthy lifestyle expert. Currently, he’s focusing his efforts on metabolic health and is excited to help doTERRA expand its influence as a global leader in the wellness industry.

Dr. Rodriguez has a doctorate degree in health sciences from A.T. Still University, where he focused his research on obesity. His dissertation examined national trends in obesity and metabolic comorbidities. He also earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology, with an emphasis on athletic performance, a bachelor’s in nutritional science, and numerous professional certifications in exercise and nutrition.


Prabodh Satyal, PhD

Head of Essential Oil Science

Dr. Prabodh Satyal of Nepal is the head of essential oil science at doTERRA. He’s studied the chemical compositions of more than 50,000 essential oils from various parts of the world, published more than 100 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and served as an essential oil expert for nearly 17 years. He’s also been invited to several renowned conferences as a guest speaker.

Dr. Satyal has a special interest in essential oil adulteration detection using marker-based and chemometric analyses, creating the only known mass spectral library of synthetic markers. He’s currently developing the first fully automated adulteration analysis software for GCMS, which will identify the purity percentage, origin, and mixed sources in essential oils. Dr. Satyal is passionate about collaborating with academics, medical professionals, and growers to improve the standard of essential oil research and applications globally.

Dr. Satyal earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in essential oil research from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.


Noura Ahmed, PhD

Director of Scientific Affairs

Dr. Noura Ahmed is a member of the Essential Oil Science team and director of scientific affairs for doTERRA. Her focus is on natural product drug discovery (medicinal chemistry).

She received her bachelor’s of science degree with honors in biological sciences (botany) and master’s degree in phytochemistry, both from Suez Canal University, Egypt. In 2015, Dr. Ahmed was awarded a PhD in biotechnology science and engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Pharmacology in the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Dr. Ahmed’s research is focused on natural products, drug discovery, essential oils, and chemical ecology. She’s published over 70 research articles in peer-reviewed journals on the composition and bioactivity of essential oils from wild plants, drug discovery from nonvolatile plant components, drug discovery using nanotechnology, and lipid analysis using LC-MS/MS. She’s currently working on establishing a network of long-term collaborations and strategic partnerships with academia, the healthcare sector, and other research institutions to build a comprehensive biological activity database for doTERRA single essential oils and proprietary blends.


Michael Scott, MS

Director of Quality Control and Analytical Services

Michael Scott began his career in 1992 as a quality control microbiologist for Abbott Laboratories. He quickly entered supervisory positions, encompassing the entire facility, and later became a quality engineer to assist with the spinoff of Abbott’s Hospital products division into Hospira, which was later acquired by Pfizer.

After 12 years, Michael was lured away by a biotech startup called LabNow, which was ultimately unsuccessful; however, he had many successful experiences as a quality executive at prestigious companies like Tissue Genesis, Charles River Laboratories, Integra® Lifesciences, and Charlotte’s Web prior to joining doTERRA in March 2021.

Michael has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas in Austin and a master’s in quality systems management from the National Graduate School of Business in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Michael is also a 3,000-hour instrument–rated private pilot and lifelong athlete who’s earned multiple championships in road and track cycling, as well as Brazilian jiujitsu. His free time is spent hiking, backpacking, hunting, and flyfishing, usually with his three dogs in tow.


Colleen Kelly, BS, MS

Technical Development Scientist

Colleen Kelly has 10 years of pharmaceutical and oncological experience, working in quality control, analytical development, and new product introduction. She started working at doTERRA in November 2020 as a senior chemist. She was heavily involved in bringing the quality control lab in Cork, Ireland, live for release testing.

Since then, Colleen’s new product introduction and validation expertise have led to her becoming an invaluable member of the newly developed Validation team. Colleen works across the US and Ireland, developing unique fit-for-purpose quality control methods to ensure the safety and purity of doTERRA products.

She has a first-class honors degree in pharmaceutical science with drug development, a master certification in biopharmaceutical processing, and a green belt in Lean Six Sigma (continuous improvement). Growing up in a small coastal town in western Ireland, Colleen has always loved the sea, nature, and all the science they create. She also loves sports—particularly Gaelic football, horseback riding, sea swimming, and surfing.


Pritee Pradhan, MS

Microbiology Product Suitability Supervisor

Pritee Pradhan grew up in Thamel, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. She received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Idaho State University in 2009 and completed her master’s in environmental science and management two years later. Pritee joined doTERRA in 2015 as a microbiologist, later becoming microbiology laboratory supervisor. Currently, she’s the microbiology product suitability supervisor.

Because of the antimicrobial properties of doTERRA essential oils, Pritee conducts product suitability tests to determine which products inhibit microbial growth. She also develops proper testing methods to detect any possible contamination that could be present in doTERRA products.

Pritee has two children she loves to spend time with. They especially enjoy water-based activities, whether it’s a splash pad, swimming pool, or nearby creek. Pritee thanks her parents, Pradeep and Bhama, for all their love and support, as well as her professors Dr. Timothy Magnuson and Dr. Chikashi Sato for helping her get where she is today.


Isaac Frisbie

Quality Control Microbiology Lab Manager

Isaac Frisbie has over 15 years of experience in a variety of microbiological disciplines. He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from Western Illinois University, with an emphasis in microbiology. Afterward, he started his research and development career in a clinical setting. Since then, he’s contributed his expertise in a number of positions and fields, such as industrial and drug microbiology and microbiology testing, working with third party clients like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Colgate.

Since 2021, Isaac has worked as the quality control microbiology lab manager at doTERRA. He ensures microbiological testing is performed according to regulations in preparation for product releases. He also oversees microbiology lab personnel, guaranteeing standard operating procedures are followed and regulatory requirements are met.

Isaac enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, playing games, and binging Netflix shows with his wife.


Siheng Li, PhD

Senior Scientist

Dr. Siheng Li is a senior scientist in the Department of Quality Control at doTERRA. He’s an analytical science expert in the food and nutraceutical industry. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Houston. Siheng has more than 10 years of experience in the chemical analysis of small molecules in complex sample matrices.

Siheng started his career at Covance Laboratories, working on the analytical method development of chemical contaminants in food. He later joined Eurofins Scientific, providing technical support to its botanical and nutraceutical analytical testing.

At doTERRA, Siheng currently focuses on developing and validating fit-for-purpose analytical methods to support internal quality control testing. He’s greatly passionate about developing reliable analytical methods for botanical ingredients and products.


Ambika Poudel

Lead Analytical Chemist

Ambika Poudel serves as a lead analytical chemist for the Essential Oils Science team. Ambika has been fascinated by aromatic medicinal plants since her chemistry graduate studies at Tribhuvan University in Nepal. She’s published more than a dozen research articles in international peer-reviewed journals.

Ambika has a special interest in chromatographic techniques for authenticating essential oils. For the last five years, she’s played a lead role in Source to You® report production for all doTERRA single essential oils.

Ambika enjoys watching movies, playing with her son, and traveling to new places.


Radim Knob

Method Development Scientist

Before joining doTERRA, Radim Knob of the Czech Republic received a PhD in analytical chemistry. He’s had research stays in Australia, Germany, and Italy and worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Brigham Young University, Provo. He’s also authored and coauthored 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Radim’s areas of expertise and research include chromatographic and electrophoretic method development for testing physiologically active or environmentally relevant compounds. He also specializes in the development and characterization of novel stationary phases for analytical separations.

As a method development scientist, Radim supports quality control by providing new analytical methods for product testing. Radim is also a member of the RIFM Natural Complex Substances Core Team.


Cécile Bascoul, MS, PhD

Director of Product Safety

Dr. Cécile Bascoul has over 15 years of experience in clinical and preclinical research; academic quality and toxicology; and the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical industries.

Prior to joining doTERRA, Cécile managed preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials for new topical analgesics at a small pharmaceutical company in Houston, Texas. Her past work also includes various research positions at Pierre Fabre Dermocosmétique, Laboratoires Boiron, and CNRS in France, along with AstraZeneca, Obsidian Research, and Q-Chip in the UK.

Cécile grew up in France and received her master’s degree in biotechnology from Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Luminy. During her PhD and postdoctoral work at the UK School of Biosciences at Cardiff University, Cécile studied the effects of targeted dietary supplements on degenerative diseases.

As director of product safety at doTERRA, Cécile’s research is focused on essential oil safety and toxicology, specific constituents, potential contaminants, and natural complex substance ingredients for cosmetic and nutritional use. Cécile establishes long-term relationships with research groups and institutions, focusing on these safety and toxicology interests. She enjoys mentoring junior scientists, helping others achieve their life goals, and working with bright, diverse, and dedicated teams. She’s passionate about lifelong learning, continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality, safe products for customers.

Cécile loves flowers and believes strongly in giving back. As such, she volunteers as a wildflower guide and for other events.


Megan Laryea-Akrong

Quality Control Chemistry Lab Manager

Megan Laryea-Akrong has over 15 years of quality control experience, including 10 years as an analytical chemist. She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the University of Utah. Most of her professional experience has been in botanical and dietary supplements.

Since 2019, Megan has been the quality control chemistry lab manager at doTERRA. She oversees all quality control chemistry testing—including raw materials, in-process blends, and finished products—so specifications are met in a safe, timely manner. She coordinates with other departments to review and approve identity, purity, strength, potency, and composition of raw materials and finished products.

Megan enjoys being with her family outdoors, particularly at their favorite vacation spot: Lake Powell, where they can hike, swim, eat, play, and enjoy water sports.


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