International Complementary & Integrative Medicine Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program – 2nd Cohort
Fellows
Daniel F. Gallego-Pérez, MD, DrPH
Daniel F. Gallego-Pérez, MD, DrPH, is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Program on Integrative Medicine, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a visiting fellow of the Australian Research Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney. His research focuses on strengthening Primary Health Care and Health Systems, evidence and information synthesis and dissemination, and Therapeutic Pluralism (Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Health and Medicine).
After graduating from medical school, he served as a primary care physician and public health practitioner in a protracted refugee setting in Ghana, West Africa, for almost half a decade.
After returning to Colombia, his native country, he designed and implemented a pilot project to develop complementary medicine services in public hospitals in Bogota between 2009 and 2013.
He has been a consultant for the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), first at the Nicaragua Country Office, later at PAHO headquarters in Washington DC, and the PAHO/WHO’s Latin American and the Caribbean Center for Health Sciences Information in São Paulo, Brazil.
He co-founded the TCIM Americas Network and the Virtual Health Library on TCIM.
He is the immediate past chair of the Integrative, Complementary, and Traditional Health Practices (ICTHP) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA)
Daniel’s Publications (ORCID): 0000-0002-0975-4349
Marcelo Demarzo, M.D., Ph.D.
Marcelo Demarzo, M.D., Ph.D. is a Family doctor (GP) specialized in Mindfulness and Health Promotion with focus in Self-Care in Chronic Conditions.
Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) of the Department of Preventive Medicine - Escola Paulista de Medicina - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP).
Vice-Coordinator of the Master and Doctorate Program in Population Health at UNIFESP (Stricto Sensu Post-Graduation).
Full advisor at the Doctorate level of the Graduate Program in Organization Administration.
Graduated from FMRP-USP (Ribeirão Preto Medical School - University of Sao Paulo) in 2000, PhD in Pathology at USP in 2005, and Post-Doctor in Mindfulness and Mental Health at the University of Zaragoza, Spain in 2012-2013
| Specialist in Family and Community Medicine, and in Sports Medicine and Exercise | Senior Fellow of the International Primary Care Research Leadership Program (Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford) since 2012 | Senior Fellow of the International Complementary & Integrative Medicine Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program (Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM)) since 2020 |
He has experience in Preventive Medicine, with emphasis on Health Behaviour and Wellbeing, Self-Care, Mindfulness, Implementation Science, Mental Health, Longevity, Primary Health Care (PHC), Health Technology Innovation | Coordinator of the “Mente Aberta” (Open Mind) - the Brazilian Center for Mindfulness and Health Promotion (https://mindfulness.unifesp.br/) | Honorary member of the Advisory Board Committee of the ACCESS MBCT (https://www.accessmbct.com/) | Holder of the CNPq Scientific Performance Special Grant |
Father of 3 sons, 17, 11 and 7 year-old.
Marcelo’s Publications (ORCID): https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7447-1839
Esther van der Werf, MSc, PhD, Dip IACH
Esther van der Werf, MSc, PhD, Dip IACH, is a Senior Epidemiologist/Clinical Research Lead at the Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI), London, United Kingdom. Esther holds an honorary Senior Lectureship (Associate Professor) in Primary Care Infection at the Bristol Medical School of the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and is a visiting Research fellow of the Australian Research Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney. She is a qualified classical homeopath, trained in homeopathy at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy (Professor George Vithoulkas, Greece).
Her research has a strong focus on antimicrobial stewardship and integrative medicine, specifically on the reduction of inappropriate use of antibiotics by studying complementary prevention - and treatment strategies.The evaluation of Complementary (CM) prevention and treatment strategies is central to her research and as a principal investigator or co-applicant, she has designed, secured funding for, led and implemented a variety of (international) projects (Clinical trials and Systematic Reviews).
After obtaining her Phd at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands in 2002, she subsequently worked as an epidemiologist at the University of Medical Centre Utrecht and University of Applied Sciences Leiden in the Netherlands. In 2015 Esther joined the Centre of Academic Primary Care of the University of Bristol, UK, to continue her research on Integrative Medicine and infectious diseases. From August 2018 until August 2019, she initiated and led the research group on Integrative Medicine at the School of Medicine of Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by 2 years of leading the Integrative Medicine research department of the Louis Bolk Institute in The Netherlands. Esther co-founded the worldwide research network on Integrative Medicine and Antimicrobial resistance.
Esther’s Publications (ORCID): https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5330-5735
Eleanor Oyston CT(ASC), Dip RM, Bowen Therapist
Eleanor Oyston CT(ASC), Dip RM, Bowen Therapist, TCM Beijing, Radiation Safety Officer JCSMR, Conflict Resolution and Mediation Counsellor, Cancer Counsellor, Oncology Massage Therapist and Teacher.
Author of ‘Touching Cancer, My Journey of Self-Discovery with Oncology Massage’, Visiting Research Fellow of the Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology, Sydney.
After 20 years in medical technology diagnosing cancer, then ten as technical manager of a developmental neuroscience research lab at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Eleanor attained a Dip Remedial Massage and studied Bowen Therapy.
Over the past 20+ years she had published her opinions on Oncology Massage and Integrative Oncology in massage journals and health magazines. She established Oncology Massage training in hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne, presented at international conferences in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Barcelona Spain, The Netherlands and the USA at the Society for Oncology Massage summits.
For nine years Eleanor facilitated retreats for people with cancer at the Quest for Life Centre, Bundanoon NSW.
For the past 24 years Eleanor has run a clinical practice in the Canberra region specialising in oncology massage and scar management, neurodegenerative disorders and pain relief. In 2015 Eleanor approached Western Sydney University, NICM. Prof Caroline Smith and Dr Jennifer Hunter embraced Eleanor’s ideas and together they undertook a major research project, mapping CM services for cancer patients around Australia.
In 2017, Eleanor established Oncology Massage Global (OMG). OMG is an international consultancy based on Eleanor’s experience, designed to inform the development of oncology massage in hospitals and general practice clinics.
Bowen Therapy, based on the science of fascia, allowed Eleanor to expand her understanding of the benefits of Oncology Massage. Eleanor developed gentle fascial techniques to release scar tissue and support hydration in seriously ill, acute care hospital patients, women in childbirth, clients with neurodegenerative disease, those suffering with pain and the long-term effects of cancer treatment.
In March 2020 Eleanor was selected to join the ARCCIM Leadership Team with Prof Jon Adams at UTS. BTFA funding supports this research project. Her Fellowship is ongoing.
Linda Zhong, MD., Ph.D
Linda Zhong, MD., Ph.D is currently Associate Professor and Director of Chinese Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Equipped with Bachelor in Chinese Medicine, Master of Doctor (MD) in integrative and Chinese Medicine in Shanghai University of TCM, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chinese Medicine clinical research at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), Dr. Zhong has worked in Chinese Medicine education, research, and service for more than 20 years.
She started to work in Department of Medicine, Shanghai University of TCM Affiliated Long Hua Hospital and later became a lecturer in Chinese Internal Medicine.
After graduated from HKU, she served as Clinical Centre Manager in School of Chinese Medicine and in charge of the daily operation and service. Besides, she was also responsible for drafting Chinese Medicine and integrated medicine service proposals for new clinical centre in Chinese Medicine. She has designed and conducted more than 50 clinical studies with broad scope of diseases and interventions and successfully applied different levels of grants from government. Totally, she has obtained 19 clinical research projects as Principle Investigator and edited 10 books of Chinese Medicine and Integrated Medicine.
Her research focuses mainly on integrative medicine and globalization of Chinese Medicine. She is also a Visiting Professor of Integrative Medicine Centre, the University of Toronto, and Visiting Fellow of Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, the University of Technology Sydney. She serves as the Vice President of Hong Kong Association for Integration of Chinese-Western Medicine. In 2020, she was awarded a Qi Huang Young Scholar by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in recognition of her excellence in clinical practice and studies of Chinese medicine.
Linda’s Publications (ORCID): https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-3877-1914
Lisa J. Taylor-Swanson, PhD, MAcOM, LAc
Lisa J. Taylor-Swanson, PhD, MAcOM, LAc, is a Nursing Scientist and Licensed Acupuncturist.
An Assistant Professor at the University of Utah, Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson is a native of Salt Lake City and completed an Honors BS in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies at University of Utah.
She relocated to the Pacific Northwest and completed a Master’s degree in Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine - SIEAM) and a PhD in Nursing Science (University of Washington).
Dr. Taylor-Swanson has provided acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in private practice for over 21 years with an emphasis on women’s health.
Most recently, Dr. Taylor-Swanson transitioned from full-time private practice to a full-time, tenure-line academic position at Utah.
Dr. Taylor-Swanson previously taught at University of Washington and served as Academic Dean at SIEAM.
Dr. Taylor-Swanson leads national and international collaborations on the topics of interoceptive awareness, menopause, and pain with colleagues in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, and serves on the Board of Directors of Society of Acupuncture Research and as an Associate Editor of Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.
Lisa’s Publications (ORCID): https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9116-6369
Niki Munk, PhD, LMT
Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, is Interim Chair and Tenured Associate Professor of Health Sciences in Indiana University’s School of Health and Human Sciences at IUPUI, Founding Steering Board Co-Chair for the Indiana Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health, co-investigator on the US VA TOMCATT study, and excited to continue her affiliation from Cohort 1 to Cohort 2 in the ARCCIM CIM Research & Capacity Building Program.
A licensed massage therapist since 2002, Niki has provided therapeutic massage for hundreds of people with acute and chronic pain conditions across the lifespan and health spectrum.
Prior to beginning her gerontological doctoral pursuits in 2006, Niki worked as Program Director and a lead instructor for the Lexington Healing Arts Academy in Lexington, Kentucky. Discouraged by accessibility barriers to massage therapy faced by much of the population, she chose research and academia as a means to help bridge the accessibility gap, reasoning that stronger evidence for the field will lead to increased routine 3rd party coverage for massage treatment.
After completing her doctorate in gerontology from the University of Kentucky in 2011, Niki has developed a robust research career focused on real-world massage therapy for chronic pain and associated factors including emotional well-being, trigger point self-care, and accessibility challenges to massage.
Niki is very active in service to her profession as a Massage Therapy Foundation Trustee since 2017 with efforts focused on improving research literacy, access, and engagement for massage clinicians and developing the massage field into a sustainable and viable career while also improving treatment accessibility and utilization for all people.
Niki’s Proquest Page which includes access to her GoogleScholar Profile and Publications: https://scholars.proquest.com/gallery/indiana/profiles/99C40978AC1BA52B54E74F6C3CFC9CF5
Kathrin Schmieder, PhD
Kathrin Schmieder, PhD did a Master of Photojournalism at Leipzig University in Germany. She completed her doctoral thesis in Media and Communication Studies at the Institute of Social Research at Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia (2015), and has worked as a curator in Germany and Australia. She also completed a Diploma in Remedial Massage Therapy at the Melbourne Institute of Massage and Myotherapy (2019).
In 2015, Kathrin founded unwind & recharge, a small business focusing on trauma-informed massage therapy for women. Additionally, she joined Kundalini House, a well-established multidisciplinary complementary health clinic in Melbourne.
Kathrin’s therapeutic approach is based on the concept of person-centered care. Part of her practice is the combination of mindful touch, breath work, and meditation.
Her research background informs how she supports women in her evidence-informed practice. She acknowledges that some aspects of massage therapy haven’t been fully understood and believes that massage therapists should play an active part in the research and aim to become more research literate.
Kathrin’s vision is to see a shift in how the beneficial aspects of massage therapy are valued and integrated into the healthcare system and are made more accessible to those who need them.
She successfully applied for the ARCCIM Leadership program at UTS in 2020 to contribute to this vision. As part of this program, Kathrin explores the visual representation of massage therapy to promote positive change regarding how massage therapy is perceived and to encourage a more inclusive conversation about health and health modalities—a conversation from her point of view needed to tackle the multiple challenges of healthcare in Australia.
Wenbo Peng BMed, MMed, PhD (Public Health)
Dr Wenbo Peng, BMed, MMed, PhD (Public Health) is a medically trained Senior Research Fellow in Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney.
Her research skills include systematic review, complex large-scale data analyses (including data linkage), epidemiologic study design, program evaluation, and practice-based research networks implementation.
Dr Peng is currently leading two data linkage projects focusing on the health and economic impacts of a healthy lifestyle on heart disease prevention and diabetes care.
Her main research interests involve public health/health services research for cardiovascular diseases & diabetes and women's health.
Wenbo’s Publications (ORCID): https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9747-246
Barbara Beacham, Bowen Therapist
Barbara Beacham holds a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of South Australian in Adelaide, and a Masters of Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
She is currently a sponsored Fellow of the University of Technology/ARCCIM International Complementary & Integrative Medicine Research Leadership and Capacity Building Program.
In 2014 she qualified as a Nationally Accredited Therapist in SmartBowen.
Since 2014 Barbara has run her busy complementary therapy practice - PURE BALANCE Bowen Therapy. Prior to commencing her business, Barbara worked as an academic in the field of General Practice and Aboriginal health systems and services research and evaluation. This included working with the Australian Government Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) initiative, a capacity building initiative for Australian General Practitioners. Her research skills and interests include collaborative research, qualitative research design, analysis and report writing and research knowledge translation and uptake. Her evaluation skills and interests include Realistic Evaluation techniques.
Barbara is a member of The Bowen Therapist's Federation of Australia (BTFA) and is active in the continuing education space for that Association. As a Bowen Therapist and UTS/ARCCIM Fellow Barbara continues to actively pursue her interest in research and evaluation, as this relates to research capacity building activity for the Bowen Therapy profession and developing knowledge about Bowen Therapy and its safety and efficacy.
Carolina Oi Lam Ung, BPharm, MHSc, PhD
Carolina Oi Lam Ung, BPharm, MHSc, PhD, is currently an assistant professor and the Program Director (Global Affairs) in the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences at University of Macau, and an assistant professor at the Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau.
She is also an Honorary Research Fellow in the Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia, and a visiting fellow at the School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Health Science (Health Informatics) at The University of Sydney and obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at University of Macau.
Carolina‘s research work mainly falls within the following 4 areas: (1) regulatory science in medical and pharmaceutical products, (2) evidence base about traditional, complementary and integrative medicine, (3) community health and chronic disease management and (4) social and administrative pharmacy. At present, she has published more than 90 scientific papers (https://sklqrcm.um.edu.mo/carolina-oi-lam-ung/) in international peer-reviewed journals with an H-index of 16 (Scopus) and 21 (Google scholar). She holds multiple editorial positions for peer-reviewed international SCI/SSCI journals including Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Frontiers in Public Health, Chinese Medicine, BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, etc.
Carolina is a registered pharmacist in Australia and Macao. She is also a consultant pharmacist at Kiang Wu Hospital, one of the major hospitals in Macao. She had previously worked as a pharmacist in the clinical setting in Australia as well as for the drug regulatory agency in Macao collectively for nearly 20 years. She is also the founding member and the Secretary General for the Pharmaceutical Society of Macau since 2009, and a founding member of the Macao Society for Medicinal Administration