This year's speakers include:

Joseph Acquah, LAc, OMD, MS, Diplomate NCCAOM
Osher Center for Integrative Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Joseph Acquah is a nationally recognized diplomate in acupuncture (NCCAOM). He is the former clinical director and internship coordinator for the California Acupuncture College. He began practicing acupuncture in 1981 and has taught at several colleges of traditional Chinese medicine, most recently, the New England School of Acupuncture. Dr. Acquah has a master's degree in clinical psychology and is a senior student of the third generation Taiji Master; Tung Kai Ying.

Frances L. Brisbane, PhD
Dean, School of Social Welfare
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY
Dr. Frances L. Brisbane is professor and dean at the School of Social Welfare, State University of New York at Stony Brook. She is also dean of the Black Alcoholism and Addictions Institute and the National Black Alcoholism and Addictions Council in Washington, D.C. She is co-founder of Counseling and Treating People of Colour: An International Perspective, a conference that discusses health, mental health, substance abuse, AIDS, violence, and education across cultural lines. Dr. Brisbane is also the creator of the 100% Drug Free Clubs, which operates internationally as a model primary prevention program. She has also developed a model training program, Overcoming Compassion Fatigue, for professionals in human services who deal with challenging social-service problems ranging from abandonment to end-of-life issues.

Xiaoding Cao, MD, PhD
Director
Insitute of Acupuncture Research
Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
Shanghai, China
Dr. Cao is a professor and director of the Institute of Acupuncture Research, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University (formerly Shanghai Medical University). She is also director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine at Shanghai Medical College and a member of the WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Traditional Medicine. Dr. Cao has been studying the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia and acupuncture treatment since 1964. Her extensive body of work has explored the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia; the mechanism of acupuncture combined with some drugs; improving the immune function through acupuncture; as well as the effects of acupuncture on conditions like cerebral ischemia and epileptic seizures. She has published more than 170 papers and been invited to speak at various international congresses more than 70 times. In 1997, Dr. Cao was invited by the National Institutes of Health to attend the Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture and present a lecture on “The Protective Effect of Acupuncture on Immunosuppression.”

Decheng Chen PhD, OMD, LAc, MD (China)
New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Mineola, NY
Dr. Chen is a professor at the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a New York State and Florida licensed acupuncturist. He has a PhD in acupuncture and graduated from Nanjing University of TCM, China in 1997. For three years, he studied with Qiu Maoliang, one of the greatest living authorities in this discipline. In Beijing, Dr. Chen worked as a doctor and professor at the Acupuncture Institute of China Academy of TCM. He has had more than 20 years of clinical and teaching experience in China, Russia, Egypt, Dubai, U.A.E. and the U.S. He has published eleven books (see the author's publishing list-author's bibliography), including The Chinese Single Point Acupuncture and Moxibustion and The Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Cosmetic and Anti-aging, etc. two VCD (see the author's publishing list-author's discography), The Single Point of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Simplified Review for National Examinations in Acupuncture and Clean Needle Technique, and over 70 articles on chinese Medicine.

Effie Poy Yew Chow, PhD, RN, LAc
President, East-West Academy of Healing Arts
Member, White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy
San Francisco, CA
Dr. Chow has been working to integrate traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine for more than thirty years. In 1973, she founded San Francisco's East West Academy of Healing Arts. In 1988, the Qigong Institute was established within EWAHA to promote research and clinical work in medical Qigong. Dr. Chow received her formal training in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, and the United States. She is an internationally recognized Qigong master. Active in the fields of alternative and ethno-medicines, she is an appointed member of the White House Commission for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. Dr. Chow is the co-author, with Charles T. McGee, MD, of Miracle Healing From China: QIGONG.

Stephen Cowan, MD, FAAP
The Center for Health and Healing of Northern Westchester
Mt. Kisco, NY
Dr. Cowan, is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 15 years of clinical experience working with children. He has a subspecialty in Developmental Pediatrics and is certified in Medical Acupuncture. He is a founding member of the Holistic Pediatric Association, a member of the Autism Research Institute's Defeat Autism Now (DAN) practitioners, and the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. His journey in caring for children with chronic disorders has led him to study Chinese medicine. He has lectured internationally on the management of pediatric developmental disorders based on the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. He has a private practice in general pediatrcis in Croton, N.Y. and offers consultations at the Center for Health and Healing in Mt. Kisco, N.Y in the holistic diagnosis and treatment of a range of pediatric problems such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Migraine, Tourette's syndrome, Asthma, and Allergies. Understanding the child as an inter-related part of family and environment is the central focus of his practice. This approach respects the inseparability of mind, body and spirit and promotes a deeper understanding and compassion for what it means to be a healthy child.

David L. Felten, MD, PhD
Medical Director
Beaumont Research Institute
William Beaumont Hospitals
Royal Oak, MI
Dr. David L. Felten is a neuroscientist who has helped to establish the field of psychoneuroimmunology and provide some of the mechanistic foundations for the physiological understanding of complementary and integrative medicine. He is the founding executive director of the Susan Samueli Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. Dr. Felten is a recipient of the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship and two 10-year MERIT awards from two separate institutes (Aging and Mental Health) at the National Institutes of Health. He is co-editor of the definitive scholarly text in this field, Psychoneuroimmunology, and was a co-founder and editor of the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity. He is currently dean of the School of Graduate Medical Education at Seton Hall University.

Heiner Fruehauf, PhD, LAc
Heiner Fruehauf, PhD, LAc
Professor and Dean, Department of Classical Chinese Medicine
National College of Naturopathic Medicine
Portland, OR
Heiner Fruehauf has researched East Asian civilizations and Chinese medicine for 27 years. He studied comparative literature, philosophy, sinology, and medicine at universities in Germany, China, Japan, and the United States, and received a Ph.D. from the Dept. of East Asian Languages and Civilization at the University of Chicago. During a five year sojourn in China, he studied Chinese medicine both within the institutionalized TCM model (Chengdu University of TCM), as well as the traditional lineage system that continues to function outside PRC government schools. He has published widely in the fields of Chinese and Japanese culture, with a specific focus on the traditional aspects of Chinese medicine. He currently directs the Classical Chinese Medicine Program at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, and leads annual study tours on classical Chinese medicine and qigong into the mountains of Southwest China.

Mitchell L. Gaynor, MD
Conference Co-Chair
Founder and President, Gaynor Integrative Oncology
Clinical Assistant Professor Weill Medical College, Cornell University
New York, NY
Dr. Gaynor is a board-certified oncologist, hematologist and internist. He is a senior medical oncology consultant at The Strang Cancer Prevention Center, as well as assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Weill-Medical College of Cornell University. He also is the former medical director and director of medical oncology at the Weill-Cornell Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Gaynor is a leading oncologist who has pioneered new strategies for both the treatment and prevention of cancer. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and four books: Healing Essence: A Cancer Doctor's Practical Program for Hope and Recovery (Kodansha), Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program (Kensington Publishing Corporation), The Healing Power of Sound: Recovery from Life-Threatening Illness Using Sound, Voice and Music (Shambhala), and most recently, Nurture Nature/Nurture Health: Your Health and the Environment. His work has been featured in Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, Healthy Living, Vegetarian Times, and many other publications. He has also been a featured guest on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Edge with Paula Zahn, Discovery Health, CNN, and Fox News.

Lonny S. Jarrett, MS, MAc, FNCAAOM
Stockbridge, MA
Lonny S. Jarrett is author of the texts Nourishing Destiny: The Inner Tradition of Chinese Medicine and The Clinical Practice of Chinese Medicine. He has practiced Chinese medicine since 1985. He is interested in the role Chinese medicine can play in promoting the evolution of consciousness.

Hong Jin, MD, LAc
Dean of Faculty
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
Portland, OR
Dr. Jin specializes in women's health and frequently works in collaboration with medical doctors in treating women's health issues. She received her medical degree from Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, People's Republic of China, in 1985. After graduating, she taught acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Nanjing International Acupuncture Training Center, World Health Organization Collaborative Center on Traditional Medicine for six years. Since 1992, she has been teaching and lecturing in the United States on acupuncture and Chinese medicine. She joined Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) as a professor and clinic supervisor in 1993. She is currently the dean of faculty at OCOM, and has her faculty practice in the College's clinic in addition to teaching. In addition, she serves as a co-investigator for two research projects related to women's health issues that are funded by NIH.

Lixing Lao, MD, PhD, LAc
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Director of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research
Center for Integrative Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Dr. Lao is an associate professor of the Center for Integrative Medicine (CIM), University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), School of Medicine. Dr. Lao graduated from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1983 after 5 years training in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Western Medicine. He completed his PhD in physiology at the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1992. Dr. Lao has practiced acupuncture and Chinese medicine for more than 20 years. He has been actively involved in patient care, teaching and research. He is currently the Director of Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Program in CIM. He was recently appointed as a guest professor at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. As a principal investigator or co-investigator, Dr. Lao has been awarded grants from the NIH and the US Department of Defense to conduct research on acupuncture and alternative medicine. He has been invited to present at numerous national and international conferences/symposia including the seminal NIH Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture in 1997 and White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy in 2001. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board on the Journal of Alternative Therapies, the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He is also board co-chair of the Society for Acupuncture Research, and a board member of PDQ Cancer CAM Editorial Board, National Cancer Institute, NIH. Dr. Lao has a laboratory to conduct basic science study on an inflammation induced hyperalgesia animal models to explore the mechanism of anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammation effect of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Xiu-Min Li, MD
Organizing Committee Chair
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Allergy & Immunobiology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, NY
Dr. Li is associate research professor of pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. She obtained her MD in China in 1983 from Henan School of Chinese Medicine. She earned a master's degree in medicine specializing in clinical pediatric-immunology research in integrative Western and traditional Chinese medicine from the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has also served on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Asthma and Allergy Center.

Shin Lin, PhD,
Professor of Cell Biology, Physiology, & Biomedical Engineering
Director, International Alliance on Mind/Body Signaling and Energy Research
University of California at Irvine
Irvine, CA
Dr. Lin has trained with a dozen international experts in different schools of Kung Fu and Qigong, including Wing Chun, White Crane, Tai Shing Pek Kwar, Shaolin, Wudang, and Tai Chi. He holds the highest degree black sash from the Chinese Martial Arts Training Center (Taipei), and 9th degree gold sash at the Wing Chun Academy of Maryland (Baltimore). After receiving his Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from UCLA and his postdoctoral training in Biochemistry and Biophysics at U.C. San Francisco, he served as Chairman of Biophysics at the Johns Hopkins University, and Dean of the School of Biological Sciences, and Associate Vice Chancellor at University of California, Irvine. Dr. Lin is currently Professor of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where he is also the Founding Director of the International Alliance of Mind/Body Signaling and Energy Research. Hon. Dr. Lin leads pioneering research on physiological changes associated with Oriental Mind/Body practices and therapies and acupuncture. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and an Associate Editor of the new eJournal of Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine.

Nan Lu, OMD
Founding Director and President, Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation
New York, NY
Dr. Nan Lu is founding director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation and its sister organization, the American Taoist Healing Center. He is a classically trained doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and a New York State-licensed acupuncturist. Dr. Lu holds a doctorate in traditional Chinese medicine from Hubei College of TCM, Hubei, China, and a master of science degree from City University of New York. He has served as an advisor to the Rosenthal Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine at Columbia University and is an executive board member of the Center for Culturally Competent Education and Training, School of Social Welfare, SUNY at Stony Brook. He is an internationally recognized Taiji expert and the best-selling author of three books on traditional Chinese medicine published by HarperCollins: A Woman's Guide to Healing from Breast Cancer; A Woman's Guide to a Trouble-Free Menopause, and A Natural Guide to Weight Loss That Lasts.

Les Moore, ND, LAc
Director, The Springs, Clifton Springs Hospital
Clifton Springs, New York
Dr. Moore is a naturopath and licensed acupuncturist serves as the Director of Integrated Health at Clifton Springs Hospital and Spa in Clifton Springs, New York. He also serves as the president of the American Society of Cancer and Oriental Medicine, and is a board director of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Dr. Moore graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon with a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine. He also completed a Master of Art in Applied Theology and a Graduate Certificate in Interfaith Pastoral and Spiritual Care from Marylhurst University in Marylhurst, Oregon. He previously practiced at Sands Cancer Center, FF Thompson Hospital and served as the Medical Director of the Finger Lakes Center for Natural Health. Dr. Moore is an assistant professor of Pharmacognosy and Botanical Medicine at New York Chiropractic College in the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Programs. He has authored two books: Classical Formulas in the Western Herbal Tradition and Healing in the Christian Spiritual Tradition. He lectures and consults internationally on Naturopathy, Chinese Medicine, and the establishment of Integrative Medicine programs within a hospital setting.

Yongli Ni, MD, MPH
International Traditional Chinese Medicine Center, Washington, DC
President, TCM Exchange Association
Washington, DC
Dr. Yongli Ni is the founder of the International Traditional Chinese Medicine Exchange Association and TCM Center in Washington, D.C. She graduated from Beijing Capital Medical University and earned her master of public health degree from the School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Ni has practiced Western and Chinese medicine, and trained in medical research methodology and management in Chian. For the past 10 years, she has practiced TCM in Washington D.C., and focues her research on developing a theory for comparing Eastern and Western medical systems.

Abdul Alim Muhammad, MD
Abundant Life Clinic, Washington, DC
Dr. Muhammed received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. In 1986, he founded the Abundant Life Clinic, a center for alternative and complementary care. As founder and medical director, Dr. Muhammad oversees the Abundant Life clinical programs, which include yoga therapy, acupuncture, massage, chelation, homeopathy, whole food nutrition and herbal medicine, offered in conjunction with standard western allopathy. It stands today, as a prime example of integrated medicine that many feel is the medicine of the future. Dr Muhammad has specialized in the treatment of HIV disease for the last 17 years and is well known for successful treatment of obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, viral infections of all sorts, cardio-vascular disorders, as well as psychological and addictive disorders. He has conducted major research in HIV related areas in conjunction with NIH and other important medical institutions. Since, 1992 Dr Muhammad has served as the Minister of Health and Human Services for the Nation of Islam. He has served as a National Spokesman for the Honorable Louis Farrakhan since 1988. Dr Muhammad has served on the Health Advisory Board of the District of Columbia, and as Chairman of the Citizens’ Committee for a New DC General Hospital. He has recently been appointed by former Surgeon General Dr David Satcher to the National Advisory Commission on Human Sexual Health at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Ellen Schaplowsky
Conference Director
Vice President, Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation
New York, NY
Ms. Schaplowsky is vice president of TCM World Foundation, executive editor of TCM World, and co-author, with Dr. Nan Lu, of three books on TCM published by HarperCollins. She is also executive vice president and director of training at Ruder Finn, Inc., NYC's largest public relations firm, where she founded the Marketing for the Environment Group, and for 13 years ran America's largest cleanup and recycling program with more than one million volunteers annually. She is a founding member of the Sustainable Development Initiative at Columbia Business School, has served as a columnist for Earth Times, and has lectured extensively on environmental communications issues.

Xiao Tian Shen, MD, LAc, MPH
Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin, Texas
Austin, TX
Dr. Shen earned his first degree in traditional Chinese medicine from Chengdu TCM University and his second degree in public health at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Besides teaching acupuncture and herbal medicine at two colleges in China, he is also a doctor of TCM at the Teaching Hospital of CCECK, a contributor to professional journals and a participant in several research projects. He is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in both China and the U.S. and currently serves as the dean of clinic training at the Academy of Oriental Medicine, Austin, Texas.

Bernie Siegel, MD
Bernie Siegel is one of the foremost physicians, authors, motivational speakers and advocates for individuals facing the challenges of a chronic illness. He and his wife, Bobbie, have introduced the concept of individual and group therapy based on “carefrontation,” a loving, safe, therapeutic confrontation enabling everyone to understand his or her healing potential. His approach is one of compassion, caring and love coupled with a wonderful sense of humor. His message of hope and love is extended to everyone open to seeking a whole person approach for living life fully each day. He is also the founder of Exceptional Cancer Patients (Ecap), which is based on his philosophy of creating awareness for using one’s healing potential to overcome the challenges of difficult times. EcaP (www.ecap-online.org) is his official Web site. Bernie attended Colgate University and Cornell University Medical College, and holds membership in two scholastic honor societies, Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. His surgical training was at Yale New Haven Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He is a retired pediatric and general surgeon. Today, Bernie lectures extensively around the world, sharing his message of “Peace, Love and Healing.”

Xiao Tian Shen, MD, LAc, MPH
Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin, Texas
Austin, TX
Xiao Tian Shen L.Ac, MD (China), MPH, earned his first degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Chengdu TCM University and his second degree in Public Health at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Aside from teaching acupuncture and herbal medicine at two colleges in China, he is also a doctor of TCM at the Teaching Hospital of CCECK, a contributor of professional journals and a participant of several research projects. He's a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in both China and the U.S. and he currently serves as the Dean of Clinic Training at the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin, Texas.

Michael Taromina, Esq.
Mr. Taromina has an extensive background representing practitioners, institutions, organizations, and students in the acupuncture and oriental medicine field. He is a member of the Review and Disciplinary Committee for NCCAOM and has served as counsel to alternative health-care providers in disciplinary proceedings, licensing hearings, and a variety of civil and criminal matters and appeals. He has also designed and taught programs in health law, ethics, professional liability and practice management while serving on the faculty at several institutions, including; Touro College, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, New York College of Health Professions, Eastern School of Acupuncture and Felician College. Mr. Taromina earned a bachelor of arts from Fordham University and his juris doctor from the City University of New York Law School.

Hai He Tian, AP, PhD, MD (China)
Professor, Chinese Acupuncture and Herbs Center
Largo, FL
Dr. Tian began his medical and acupuncture training in 1982. He studied with Dr. Dong Jian Hua, one of the most famous TCM doctors in China, for 11 years and received his BS, MS, and PhD from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology. After several years practicing at the TCM University Hospital in Beijing, he moved to Tampa bay, Florida where he has been teaching and practicing since 1997. Dr. Tian has served as an AAOM board member, as well as Academic Dean, Clinical Director, and Chairperson of the doctoral-developing program of a Chinese medicine school. He has authored and co-authored over 60 papers and 40 books and lectures frequently at the local and national level. He is currently president of the American Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and director of the Chinese Acupuncture and Herbs Center in Florida.  

Xi-Hua Xu, PhD
Yunnan University
Yunnan, China
Professor Xi-Hua Xu is a well-known scholar, researcher and lecturer on Qigong and its roots in Taoist philosophy and practice. From 1967 to 1994, he served as a professor in the Chinese history department at Yunnan University. There he developed a specialty in Taoism and its effect on longevity, human consciousness and extra sensory perception (ESP). Professor Xu has worked in cooperation with the prestigious Chinese Qigong Association, a government body dedicated to qualifying Qigong experts and promoting this ancient self-healing energy system. Under its auspices, he conducted widespread seminars from 1988-1990 on Taoism and healing. He is considered a specialist in heart disease, diabetes and problems of organ system functions. Because of his outstanding work in natural healing therapies, Professor Xu has served as a medical advisor to officials at the highest levels of the Beijing government.

Ruan-Jin Zhao, OMD, PhD
President, The Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Inc.
Member, H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
Sarasota, FL
Dr. Zhao was born in Henan Province, China. He has been engaged in practicing, teaching, and researching traditional Chinese medicine with a focus on hepatic disease, viral disease and cancer for more than twenty-five years. After graduating from Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1984, he studied with the renowned professor Du Zhou Liu at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, where he earned his master's degree in medical science. Under the tutelage of Professor Ben Chang En, he began studying cellular biology and in 1990 earned his PhD in Chinese medicine and cellular biology. After teaching cellular biology at Beijing University of TCM & P, he immigrated to the United States and has been practicing traditional Chinese medicine in Sarasota, Florida where he is the president of the Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Inc. and a member of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Building Bridges of Integration for Traditional Chinese Medicine
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