Nicholas DiReda, Ph.D. · Cornell

Autoimmunity is not one problem. Stop treating it like one.

If you have been handed a diagnosis and a prescription and told to manage it from here, I have been where you are. I went from playing Division I golf to walking with a cane, with an Ankylosing Spondylitis diagnosis and a specialist path that ended in lifelong management. I broke the problem into three systems, worked them in order, and published the result.

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BackgroundPh.D., Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Cornell UniversityDoctoral research applying thermodynamics to human biologyCertified Functional Medicine Health ConsultantNutritionist / Certified Nutrition Coach

If this sounds familiar

You've done the work, and you still feel terrible.

Most people who end up here have already spent years and a lot of money on this. Here's what that usually looks like.

You can't take your wife out to dinner without wondering what it's going to cost you tomorrow.
Getting down on the floor with your kids takes planning, and getting back up takes more.
You sleep eight hours and wake up feeling like you got hit by a truck.
Your labs keep coming back “normal” while you clearly aren't.
You've cut out half the grocery store and still can't say which food is the problem.
Appointments last twelve minutes and end with a prescription and no explanation.

The approach

Three systems, not one problem

The body is a thermodynamic system, and the useful move is to stop treating it as one indivisible problem. I break it into three systems that each influence the others, then work on them in an order that lets you tell what actually helped.

Select a system to see what it governs

Neuro-endocrine function

The system that sets the terms for everything else. How you handle stress, how efficiently you make energy, and whether your day is timed to your biology.

Stress management
Metabolic efficiency
Circadian rhythm support
Exercise strategy

Educational content from a Ph.D. researcher, not a physician. Not medical advice.

Published research

I did not just try this. I documented it.

Clinical remission

of spondyloarthritis one year on, documented with post-treatment MRI and symptomatic follow-up.

The case report documents my own diagnosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis with radiographic bilateral sacroiliitis, and the approach that followed: mitigating mold exposure, addressing gut dysbiosis, and restoring mitochondrial function, rather than escalating TNF-α inhibitors or IL-17 blockers.

From my medical record

“HLA B27 positive Sacroiliitis: This has nearly completely resolved radiologically, without any associated symptoms, and without pharmacologic intervention.”

My orthopaedic follow-up note, after comparing my CT imaging with scans from 2021.

It is a single case report, mine, and not a controlled trial, and it does not establish that the same approach will work for anyone else. It is why I teach the method rather than sell an outcome.

Clinical remission of spondyloarthritis achieved through reducing pathogen burden and restoring redox homeostasis: A case report and literature review

Nicholas DiReda, Ph.D.^a

^aDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University

Abstract

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) encompasses a spectrum of auto-inflammatory diseases primarily affecting the pelvis and spine, with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) being the most common subtype characterized by chronic sacroiliac joint inflammation (sacroiliitis). This paper evaluates current therapeutic approaches for AS, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) inhibitors and interleukin-17 (IL-17) blockers, and introduces an alternative strategy focusing on reducing pathogen burden and restoring redox homeostasis.

Preprint submitted to The Journal of ImmunologyApril 25, 2024

Two ways in

Where you start depends on where you are

Not everyone needs the same thing. If you'd rather not guess which one fits, the 30-second questionnaire will tell you.

Self-paced

The Autoimmune Code

The three systems, worked in order, at your own pace. The foundation that everything else sits on.

5 modules, 20 lessons, taken in order
Worksheets, trackers and lab-question scripts
Community and weekly calls included

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1:1

Work with me directly

Your history, your labs, your specific dead ends. We build a sequenced plan for your case, not a general one.

Records reviewed before we meet
Written protocol you keep
From $250

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Not sure which one?

Five questions, thirty seconds, and a straight answer at the end.

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Before you ask

Straight answers

Are you a medical doctor?

No. My Ph.D. is in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Cornell, where my doctoral work applied thermodynamics to both mechanical systems and human biology. I'm a Certified Functional Medicine Health Consultant, nutritionist, and CrossFit Level-2 trainer. I don't diagnose conditions, order treatment, or manage medication. That's your physician's job, and this material is designed to make those appointments more productive, not to replace them.

Will this cure my autoimmune condition?

No, and be skeptical of anyone who says otherwise. What I can offer is a structured way to understand what drives inflammation across three interacting systems, so you stop guessing. I reached clinical remission in my own case of Ankylosing Spondylitis and published it as a case report. That's one case, mine, and it isn't a promise about yours.

What's the actual framework?

Three systems: neuro-endocrine function, the intestinal-immune axis, and detox pathways. Each one influences the others, which is why single-variable fixes so often stall. The course works through them in order, because sequence is most of the difficulty.

Do I need the course before booking a consult?

No. If your case is complex or long-running, start with the consult, which is usually the faster path. If you're early and mostly need a foundation, the course covers far more ground per dollar.

Is there a community?

Yes. Members get access to a private community where I host weekly group calls and answer questions, so you're not working through the material alone. It's included with membership.

Find out where to start.

Five questions. You’ll get a straight recommendation, including “don’t buy anything yet,” if that’s the honest answer.

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20 lessons across 5 modules
14-day refund on the course, no questions
No diagnosis, no prescriptions, no cure claims

Not ready? Take the free checklist.

The twelve inputs I inventory first, with the questions to ask about each.