Annette J. D'Armata, NMS

photo by Lourdes Perez©2006

Bio

Annette Josephine D'Armata is a 3rd year medical student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona. In addition to her program of study, she has worked as a neuroanatomy teaching assistant and gross anatomy lab assistant. She is currently working on a research proposal involving electroencephalographic mapping of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder before and after treatment with high dose inositol.

D'Armata is an honors student who has served on numerous student committees and as member of various student groups on campus. She holds the position of representative for Puerto Rico for the Naturopathic Public Awareness Campaign (NPAC). D'Armata served for a year on the board of Imhotep Circle, a community service organization, and holds current student memberships in the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), Arizona Public Health Association (AzPHA) , National Health Care for the Homeless Council and Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA). She is a founding student member of Naturopathic Physicians Board of Aesthetic Medicine (NPBAM)

D'Armata brings to integrated medicine her unique experiences with a variety of people. A composer, activist, and caseworker, she has dedicated many years to music and human rights, traveling and learning about the human condition.

After earning her B.A. on full academic scholarship from University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas and graduating magna cum laude, she received an additional scholarship to study for a semester in Mexico, allowing her to study Mexican sociology and to become fluent in Spanish. D'Armata volunteered during college at Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) in Houston to translate and take depositions from torture victims seeking political asylum in the U.S. It was an experience that affected her profoundly - one that etched on her consciousness the importance of defending human dignity and autonomy. Just out of college, she followed her heart into the field of social work, where she was given a job as a caseworker and advocate for adults with Down Syndrome, autism, mental illness and other challenges.

In 1992, she left her job to become part of a creative team with touring performer, Lourdes Perez. Over the next 15 years she composed for and produced 6 compact discs, collaborated on scores for theater, dance and film, and taught songwriting, improvisation and record production in workshops and residencies. Working in her own community during those years, D'Armata collaborated with nearly every local, non-profit organization to develop cultural and educational events, including festivals, children's programs & recordings, concerts and speaking engagements.

Using music to raise awareness of social injustice, D'Armata continued to work with non-governmental organizations on various human rights campaigns. In 1996, she was asked to travel as part of a delegation to 5 rebel zones in Chiapas, Mexico to learn firsthand about the Indigenous uprising and participated in a project to support artisans of traditional Chiapan textiles. In 1997, she participated in the successful grassroots campaign to keep the low-income Texas town of Sierra Blanca from being used as a nuclear waste site. A couple of years later, she led 2 delegations to Vieques, Puerto Rico to raise awareness of the health effects of U.S. Navy weapons testing on the island. D'Armata also traveled to Palestine/Israel as part of a 5 woman delegation to learn firsthand about the conflict from Israelis and Palestinians and to create an opportunity for artistic exchange with isolated Palestinian artisans. In 2001, the readership of the Austin Chronicle voted D'Armata and her partner Lourdes Perez into the Best of Austin annual awards with the unique title:

"Best Proof That Art And Politics Can Work Together:

TIE: Lourdes Perez; Annette D'Armata "Where to begin? Singer-songwriter Lourdes Perez has astounded audiences with her commanding voice and socially conscious lyrics since 1992. Today, she is loved and respected as a major force in world music. The fado, cante jondo, morna, and nueva trova are a few of the musical traditions she weaves to create music which touches the soul and ignites the heart. Whether performing for Zapatista indigenous communities or in East Austin Community Centers, Perez -- along with longtime partner Annette D'Armata -- demonstrate that art and politics are not mutually exclusive activities, but a vital way of bringing beauty and truth to the world."

Her goal is to work as a naturopathic physician in integrated global relief efforts, particularly in communities with limited access to medical care for financial or political reasons.

Quick Links

About Naturopathic Physicians
Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
Neuronerds on MySpace

For complete CV, email: annettedarmata@yahoo.com