Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne trained as a colorectal and pelvic floor surgeon in the UK, until a research fellowship exposed her to a gap in care she couldn't unsee, and a difficult inflection point at the end of her surgical training sent her looking for a different way to practice medicine.Today she's London-based, Functional Medicine Doctor & Executive Medical Director at PHC (Personalised Health Clinics), a UK metabolic health service, and a graduate of the Certified longevitydocs.™ (CLD) program, the physician-only longevity medicine training she credits with pulling her scattered clinical knowledge into one coherent model. At the 2026 Cannes Summit & Awards, we sat down with her to talk about the path in between and her Journey to Medicine.
Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne Functional Medicine Doctor & Executive Medical Director, PHC (Personalised Health Clinics) · Certified longevitydocs.™ Graduate · London, UK
Q: Take us back to the beginning. What first pulled you into medicine?
My mom gives this fantastic story of being 8 or 9 years old, and she just said I always wanted to be a studier and to help people. I think medicine is that incredible opportunity to do both. Both my parents are doctors, and they always strongly supported my journey into medicine without forcing the issue, but also very clearly identified when I was beginning to struggle within the structures I was working with in the UK.
As I entered medical school, all I wanted to do was to be a surgeon, and I completed my surgical training. I did a period of research as a fellowship towards a PhD during my surgical training, and that was when I first encountered the huge gap that women faced in healthcare, because I was looking specifically at control of the large bowel. That really meant, in clinical terms, helping women who had suffered with fecal incontinence for many years. That was when I discovered there was a huge underserving of these women. I was a young surgeon, I didn't really think much more of it, but I remember clocking that. And then I completed my surgical training.
When I entered the end of that time, looking at my colleagues and my mentors who were also coming to the end of theris, I felt a very difficult moment, I realized it was a do or die point, a real inflection point in my training, and with a lot of support and a lot of counseling, I decided to leave.
My parents supported me in that decision, because they could see how difficult it was for me. It was not easy. I had my wilderness years, as I describe it. I had my children while I was recalibrating, and all women who've had children, and I think even women who have not had children, have these points in their career where they really have to reformat. I describe them as iOS updates.
I had my first update then, and just had to look around me and pivot, and I set up my first esthetics clinic as an opportunity to really financially grow at that point. But I very quickly discovered a group of women who were like me, who were tired, a bit broken, perimenopausal, balancing all the things, and needed support with lots of things. I put together this process of Skin Fit, Mind Fit, Body Fit, which then evolved over time as I added to my training. I'm a portfolio doctor, really, with multiple services I've collated to be of the highest service to the women who come to me, so that we're offering this wraparound service. They're not having to shop around, they're not having to go to different providers either; it was me delivering that service, or a trusted group of clinicians and practitioners who would do that for them under my umbrella. Covid happened, and Human Health evolved out of that. And essentially now I've stepped out of that role to be the Functional Medicine Doctor and Executive Medical Director for PHC, where I've taken a lot of my learnings to help this incredible space.
Q: When did longevity medicine first land on your radar?
Like many people, both in the general public space and in the medical space, I'd been hearing this word for a while, and I think that was probably first about four years ago. I met David Luu and joined longevitydocs.™ and at that point I was very much on the outside just looking in, curious, watching this space and looking up to these incredible peers and mentors who have gone before us for the last 20 odd years.
I think, much like functional medicine, you've got this incredible group of pioneers who are carving out a space, but what is the actual point of difference? I think about people like Dr. Yurth, who talks about sitting at the level of the cell, and my own passion for the mitochondria has grown over many years, because women fail to understand that connection between their cellular health and why they're exhausted at 4pm. They've been on the go, they've woken up, they've not eaten; that is not fasting, by the way. They're not fueling their bodies in the best possible way, and then they hit lunchtime, they grab a sandwich, they're eating at their desk, and suddenly they're crashing and burning.
"That connection between cellular health and longevity medicine is where it clicked for me." Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne
But it's also, I think, thriving medicine. One of my programs is called Thrive, because women have, somewhere along the way, forgotten that life is not just for existing. Having been that woman who's worn all the hats, I think it's important for women to know there is life after the perimenopause, but there's also life at all the metabolic inflection points: PCOS, endometriosis, pregnancy. These are all critical points where the mitochondria are under attack, but we can support it. That, to me, is what longevity is about, how to thrive.
Q: For physicians watching who feel that pull but haven't taken the leap, what would you tell them?
Do it. It's the best possible medicine you will ever have practiced. It's a question we've all been talking about at this Congress: what is medicine actually for? It was not to operate more. It was not to prescribe more. It was not to navigate systems and bureaucracy better. It was to truly connect with that human, and to really help them, and to go back to what my mum always reminds me of: it was to take the best of our academic and scientific excellence and bring it to the clinical room.
Q: What's one thing you loved about the certification?
Definitely, just number one, knowing that there's this huge, vast capacity of knowledge, with the capacity to learn more, but also just collating it. I was going through it, going, oh yeah, I know that, I know that, but then actually I don't know that. And suddenly pulling it together and having a really coherent model to deliver things. A lot of my programs already ticked some of those boxes, but there was a whole load of more information and scope to improve what I'm doing.
Q: Is there one thing that would help you practice most fully?
Number one, for us to be fully present as clinicians with our patients is what's going to drive our practice and enhance it. So anything that helps with that, whether it's administrative tasks or knowledge and access to community, and knowing that morally and ethically we are doing the right thing. I think we find that within the longevitydocs.™ group. But also, for me leading a clinic, it's actually having other clinicians that I can pull into our system. We're looking to recruit; we need more people who are trained up, because I can't do this alone, and we can't change global health alone. It is definitely a we program, not an AI program.
Mentioned PHC (Personalised Health Clinics) · Skin Fit, Mind Fit, Body Fit · Thrive Program · Human Health · British College of Functional Medicine · Dr. David Luu · Dr. Elizabeth Yurth · Perimenopause · Mitochondrial Health · Certified longevitydocs.™ (CLD)
From a surgical training that nearly broke her to a wraparound metabolic health practice for women across the UK, Dr. Gooneratne's story is a reminder that the path into longevity medicine rarely runs in a straight line. It's exactly the kind of story this community exists to make possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About longevitydocs
What is longevitydocs.™?
longevitydocs.™ is the world’s leading vetted physician network, offering physician-only access to evidence, peers, and practical growth. Our community is designed for physicians committed to advancing evidence-based longevity care. We unite the best specialties across functional medicine, cardiology, hormone health, and regenerative medicine, bringing together leaders from private practice, academia, and health systems. Our members come from institutions including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Mount Sinai, and Atria, alongside physicians from Next Health, SHA Wellness, Fountain Life, Harvard, and Stanford.
Who qualifies for longevitydocs.™ membership?
Licensed physicians across longevity, functional, integrative, and preventive medicine, as well as related specialties such as cardiology, hormone health, and regenerative medicine, whether in private practice, academia, health systems, or concierge care.
What does longevitydocs.™ membership offer?
Outcomes that matter to busy physicians. Protocols you can defend: evidence-based approaches and case reviews you can apply in clinic. Peers you can trust: curated groups by specialty and market for honest consults and referrals. Time back: short, focused learning, an on-demand library, and vetted vendor shortlists. Practice growth: visibility at events, premium directory placement (Club), and partner access.
How does longevitydocs membership work?
longevitydocs membership offers two levels, Club and Explorer, with short, high-signal touchpoints that fit a physician’s schedule, plus deeper dives. Learn monthly, act weekly: live education webinars every month with replays you can watch on your time. Collaborate privately: ongoing, physician-only conversation on your mobile and curated cohort groups. Implement faster: frameworks, protocol packs, and vendor feedback you can use in clinic. Stay connected to the field: event invitations, chapter dinners, and small-group Masterminds.
What are the benefits of longevitydocs membership?
Education & Library: monthly live webinars plus all-time access to the on-demand library (Club) of past Masterminds and webinars. Private Community: physician-only ongoing discussion, curated cohorts (Club), and protocol deep dives. Expert Access: monthly calls with experts (Club) for case reviews and Q&A. Events: invitations to key gatherings, with Club including 20% event access across the calendar (Masterminds, chapter dinners, and virtual). Marketplace: early access to vetted partners and due-diligence briefs (Club), with limited sponsor categories to protect quality. Credibility & Visibility: a standard directory listing (Free) and premium placement (Club), with opportunities for media and features tied to events.
Explorer, Free: dedicated mobile app, monthly free education webinar invitations, the newsletter, select event invitation, and eligibility to apply for cohorts and advanced offerings. Best for staying connected and evaluating fit.
Club, $5,000/year: everything in Explorer, plus 20% event access across the year, the exclusive content library, monthly expert calls, premium directory placement and referral pathways, and a discount on the Longevity Certification. Best for physicians ready to implement faster and grow with a trusted peer network.
What is the Certified longevitydocs (CLD) program?
The Certified longevitydocs™ (CLD) program is the world’s first credential built exclusively for longevity medicine. It combines a physician-only curriculum, a peer community, and Hippo, an AI learning assistant, to help you launch, grow, and lead your longevity medicine practice.
How do I apply to join longevitydocs?
Physicians can apply for membership directly on the longevitydocs website. Applications are reviewed to keep the community vetted and physician-only, and approved members get access to the peer network, educational programming, and events like the Skin, Bone & Muscle Mastermind.
From Colorectal Surgery to Women's Metabolic Health: Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne's CLD Story
EDUCATION • JOURNEY TO MEDICINE
From Colorectal Surgery to Women's Metabolic Health: Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne's CLD Story
Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne spent years as a pelvic floor and colorectal surgeon in the UK before an inflection point sent her into what she calls her "wilderness years." Today she's Functional Medicine Doctor & Executive Medical Director at PHC (Personalised Health Clinics) in London, building a metabolic health practice for women, and a Certified longevitydocs.™ CLD graduate.
Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne trained as a colorectal and pelvic floor surgeon in the UK, until a research fellowship exposed her to a gap in care she couldn't unsee, and a difficult inflection point at the end of her surgical training sent her looking for a different way to practice medicine.Today she's London-based, Functional Medicine Doctor & Executive Medical Director at PHC (Personalised Health Clinics), a UK metabolic health service, and a graduate of the Certified longevitydocs.™ (CLD) program, the physician-only longevity medicine training she credits with pulling her scattered clinical knowledge into one coherent model. At the 2026 Cannes Summit & Awards, we sat down with her to talk about the path in between and her Journey to Medicine.
Dr. Mayoni Gooneratne Functional Medicine Doctor & Executive Medical Director, PHC (Personalised Health Clinics) · Certified longevitydocs.™ Graduate · London, UKQ: Take us back to the beginning. What first pulled you into medicine?
My mom gives this fantastic story of being 8 or 9 years old, and she just said I always wanted to be a studier and to help people. I think medicine is that incredible opportunity to do both. Both my parents are doctors, and they always strongly supported my journey into medicine without forcing the issue, but also very clearly identified when I was beginning to struggle within the structures I was working with in the UK.
As I entered medical school, all I wanted to do was to be a surgeon, and I completed my surgical training. I did a period of research as a fellowship towards a PhD during my surgical training, and that was when I first encountered the huge gap that women faced in healthcare, because I was looking specifically at control of the large bowel. That really meant, in clinical terms, helping women who had suffered with fecal incontinence for many years. That was when I discovered there was a huge underserving of these women. I was a young surgeon, I didn't really think much more of it, but I remember clocking that. And then I completed my surgical training.
When I entered the end of that time, looking at my colleagues and my mentors who were also coming to the end of theris, I felt a very difficult moment, I realized it was a do or die point, a real inflection point in my training, and with a lot of support and a lot of counseling, I decided to leave.
My parents supported me in that decision, because they could see how difficult it was for me. It was not easy. I had my wilderness years, as I describe it. I had my children while I was recalibrating, and all women who've had children, and I think even women who have not had children, have these points in their career where they really have to reformat. I describe them as iOS updates.
I had my first update then, and just had to look around me and pivot, and I set up my first esthetics clinic as an opportunity to really financially grow at that point. But I very quickly discovered a group of women who were like me, who were tired, a bit broken, perimenopausal, balancing all the things, and needed support with lots of things. I put together this process of Skin Fit, Mind Fit, Body Fit, which then evolved over time as I added to my training. I'm a portfolio doctor, really, with multiple services I've collated to be of the highest service to the women who come to me, so that we're offering this wraparound service. They're not having to shop around, they're not having to go to different providers either; it was me delivering that service, or a trusted group of clinicians and practitioners who would do that for them under my umbrella. Covid happened, and Human Health evolved out of that. And essentially now I've stepped out of that role to be the Functional Medicine Doctor and Executive Medical Director for PHC, where I've taken a lot of my learnings to help this incredible space.
Q: When did longevity medicine first land on your radar?
Like many people, both in the general public space and in the medical space, I'd been hearing this word for a while, and I think that was probably first about four years ago. I met David Luu and joined longevitydocs.™ and at that point I was very much on the outside just looking in, curious, watching this space and looking up to these incredible peers and mentors who have gone before us for the last 20 odd years.
I think, much like functional medicine, you've got this incredible group of pioneers who are carving out a space, but what is the actual point of difference? I think about people like Dr. Yurth, who talks about sitting at the level of the cell, and my own passion for the mitochondria has grown over many years, because women fail to understand that connection between their cellular health and why they're exhausted at 4pm. They've been on the go, they've woken up, they've not eaten; that is not fasting, by the way. They're not fueling their bodies in the best possible way, and then they hit lunchtime, they grab a sandwich, they're eating at their desk, and suddenly they're crashing and burning.
But it's also, I think, thriving medicine. One of my programs is called Thrive, because women have, somewhere along the way, forgotten that life is not just for existing. Having been that woman who's worn all the hats, I think it's important for women to know there is life after the perimenopause, but there's also life at all the metabolic inflection points: PCOS, endometriosis, pregnancy. These are all critical points where the mitochondria are under attack, but we can support it. That, to me, is what longevity is about, how to thrive.
Q: For physicians watching who feel that pull but haven't taken the leap, what would you tell them?
Do it. It's the best possible medicine you will ever have practiced. It's a question we've all been talking about at this Congress: what is medicine actually for? It was not to operate more. It was not to prescribe more. It was not to navigate systems and bureaucracy better. It was to truly connect with that human, and to really help them, and to go back to what my mum always reminds me of: it was to take the best of our academic and scientific excellence and bring it to the clinical room.
Q: What's one thing you loved about the certification?
Definitely, just number one, knowing that there's this huge, vast capacity of knowledge, with the capacity to learn more, but also just collating it. I was going through it, going, oh yeah, I know that, I know that, but then actually I don't know that. And suddenly pulling it together and having a really coherent model to deliver things. A lot of my programs already ticked some of those boxes, but there was a whole load of more information and scope to improve what I'm doing.
Q: Is there one thing that would help you practice most fully?
Number one, for us to be fully present as clinicians with our patients is what's going to drive our practice and enhance it. So anything that helps with that, whether it's administrative tasks or knowledge and access to community, and knowing that morally and ethically we are doing the right thing. I think we find that within the longevitydocs.™ group. But also, for me leading a clinic, it's actually having other clinicians that I can pull into our system. We're looking to recruit; we need more people who are trained up, because I can't do this alone, and we can't change global health alone. It is definitely a we program, not an AI program.
Mentioned PHC (Personalised Health Clinics) · Skin Fit, Mind Fit, Body Fit · Thrive Program · Human Health · British College of Functional Medicine · Dr. David Luu · Dr. Elizabeth Yurth · Perimenopause · Mitochondrial Health · Certified longevitydocs.™ (CLD)
From a surgical training that nearly broke her to a wraparound metabolic health practice for women across the UK, Dr. Gooneratne's story is a reminder that the path into longevity medicine rarely runs in a straight line. It's exactly the kind of story this community exists to make possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About longevitydocs
What is longevitydocs.™?
longevitydocs.™ is the world’s leading vetted physician network, offering physician-only access to evidence, peers, and practical growth. Our community is designed for physicians committed to advancing evidence-based longevity care. We unite the best specialties across functional medicine, cardiology, hormone health, and regenerative medicine, bringing together leaders from private practice, academia, and health systems. Our members come from institutions including Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Mount Sinai, and Atria, alongside physicians from Next Health, SHA Wellness, Fountain Life, Harvard, and Stanford.
Who qualifies for longevitydocs.™ membership?
Licensed physicians across longevity, functional, integrative, and preventive medicine, as well as related specialties such as cardiology, hormone health, and regenerative medicine, whether in private practice, academia, health systems, or concierge care.
What does longevitydocs.™ membership offer?
Outcomes that matter to busy physicians. Protocols you can defend: evidence-based approaches and case reviews you can apply in clinic. Peers you can trust: curated groups by specialty and market for honest consults and referrals. Time back: short, focused learning, an on-demand library, and vetted vendor shortlists. Practice growth: visibility at events, premium directory placement (Club), and partner access.
How does longevitydocs membership work?
longevitydocs membership offers two levels, Club and Explorer, with short, high-signal touchpoints that fit a physician’s schedule, plus deeper dives. Learn monthly, act weekly: live education webinars every month with replays you can watch on your time. Collaborate privately: ongoing, physician-only conversation on your mobile and curated cohort groups. Implement faster: frameworks, protocol packs, and vendor feedback you can use in clinic. Stay connected to the field: event invitations, chapter dinners, and small-group Masterminds.
What are the benefits of longevitydocs membership?
Education & Library: monthly live webinars plus all-time access to the on-demand library (Club) of past Masterminds and webinars. Private Community: physician-only ongoing discussion, curated cohorts (Club), and protocol deep dives. Expert Access: monthly calls with experts (Club) for case reviews and Q&A. Events: invitations to key gatherings, with Club including 20% event access across the calendar (Masterminds, chapter dinners, and virtual). Marketplace: early access to vetted partners and due-diligence briefs (Club), with limited sponsor categories to protect quality. Credibility & Visibility: a standard directory listing (Free) and premium placement (Club), with opportunities for media and features tied to events.
Explorer, Free: dedicated mobile app, monthly free education webinar invitations, the newsletter, select event invitation, and eligibility to apply for cohorts and advanced offerings. Best for staying connected and evaluating fit.
Club, $5,000/year: everything in Explorer, plus 20% event access across the year, the exclusive content library, monthly expert calls, premium directory placement and referral pathways, and a discount on the Longevity Certification. Best for physicians ready to implement faster and grow with a trusted peer network.
What is the Certified longevitydocs (CLD) program?
The Certified longevitydocs™ (CLD) program is the world’s first credential built exclusively for longevity medicine. It combines a physician-only curriculum, a peer community, and Hippo, an AI learning assistant, to help you launch, grow, and lead your longevity medicine practice.
How do I apply to join longevitydocs?
Physicians can apply for membership directly on the longevitydocs website. Applications are reviewed to keep the community vetted and physician-only, and approved members get access to the peer network, educational programming, and events like the Skin, Bone & Muscle Mastermind.
This article is published exclusively for licensed healthcare professionals. It is not intended for consumers or patients.
All content is for continuing medical education and professional information purposes. It reflects the personal experience and views of the physician interviewed and does not constitute medical advice, clinical recommendations, or treatment guidance for any individual patient.
This Q&A has been lightly edited for length and clarity from a recorded interview conducted at a longevitydocs.™ event.
By reading, you confirm you are a licensed healthcare professional and will apply this information within your clinical judgment, professional obligations, and applicable regulations.