Sydney Ross Singer is a medical anthropologist and co-director of the Institute for the Study of Culturogenic Disease. He received a BS in Biology from University of Utah, after which he attended the PhD program in Biochemistry at Duke University. He then transferred to Duke's Anthropology Department, where he received his MA degree. He later attended the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston as an MD/PhD student, with PhD studies in medical humanities. In addition to being a highly sought-after speaker, Syd is also the author of several groundbreaking books on lifestyle-related health problems.

Soma Grismaijer was trained as an environmental planner, with an AA degree in behavioral science and a BA in environmental studies and planning. She and Syd are co-directors of the Institute for the Study of Culturogenic Disease. They are also co-directors of the Good Shepherd Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to human, animal, and environmental health. Their other projects include protecting wildlife from the use of poisons and finding a cause and cure for pet eye disease.

Currently, Syd and Soma reside on a rainforest preserve and frog sanctuary on the Big Island of Hawaii.