Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association

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Keynote & invited speakers

Confirmed Keynote & Invited Speakers

KEYNOTE Prof Alan Bensoussan (NICM, UWS CompleMed, New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Debra Betts (New Zealand)
KEYNOTE Prof Kelvin Chan (UWS, USyd, New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Stephen Janz (Queensland)
KEYNOTE David Legge (New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Richard Li (New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Will MacLean (New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Robin Marchment (Victoria)
KEYNOTE Paddy McBride (NZRA President, New Zealand)
KEYNOTE Paul Movsessian (New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Prof Charlie Xue (Chinese Medicine Board of Australia Chair, Victoria)
KEYNOTE A/Prof Christopher Zaslawski (UTS, New South Wales)
KEYNOTE Dr Zhen Zheng (AJACM EIC; RMIT, Victoria)

INVITED Prof Jon Adams (UTS, New South Wales)
INVITED Greg Bantick (Queensland)
INVITED Tino D'Angelo (SSNT, Victoria)
INVITED Dr Peter Ferrigno (Victoria)
INVITED David Hartman (AIAS, Queensland)
INVITED Waveny Holland (AACMA State Committee Chair, Queensland)
INVITED Hoc Ku Huynh OAM (AACMA Membership Officer, New South Wales)
INVITED Dr Xin Liu (UQ, Queensland)
INVITED Jiang Man (Endeavour, Queensland)
INVITED John McDonald (Griffith, Endeavour, Queensland)
INVITED Chris McKeon (Mater Hospital, Queensland)
INVITED Clare Pyers (Victoria)
INVITED Dr Karin Ried (University of Adelaide, South Australia)
INVITED Jeff Shearer (Ethical Practice, Queensland)
INVITED Walter Simpson (AACMA Past-President, Queensland)
INVITED A/Prof Caroline Smith (UWS CompleMed, New South Wales)
INVITED Dr Mark Strudwick (Queensland)
INVITED John Thompson (Queensland)
INVITED Dr Nicholas Vardaxis (Endeavour, Victoria)
INVITED A/Prof Hong Xu (VU, Victoria)
INVITED Yifan Yang (SITCM. New South Wales)

Download a complete list of AACMAC Brisbane 2012 presentations

KEYNOTE Prof Alan Bensoussan (NICM, UWS CompleMed, New South Wales)

Professor Alan Bensoussan is Director of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine and Foundation Director of the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney. He is an active researcher with a background of over 25 years in clinical practice in Chinese medicine. Alan Bensoussan is a member of the National Medicines Policy Committee and Chairs the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration's Advisory Committee for Complementary Medicines. He has published two books including a review of acupuncture research (1990) and a major government report on the practice of traditional Chinese medicine in Australia (1996), which was influential in the Council of Australian Governments decision to introduce national registration of Chinese medicine practitioners in Australia in 2012.

Alan's oral presentation will be on Economic impact of complementary medicine interventions.

KEYNOTE Debra Betts (New Zealand)

NZRN, BHSc (Acupuncture) - With a background in nursing Debra graduated with a Diploma in Acupuncture from the London College of Acupuncture in 1989. Returning to New Zealand in 1991 she established a private practice specialising in pregnancy and women's health care. As a lecturer at the New Zealand School of Acupuncture she began teaching acupuncture courses to midwives in 1997. This led to her website on using acupressure for pain relief in childbirth and the publication of articles on the use of acupuncture in obstetric practice. Her book "The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth" was published through The Journal of Chinese Medicine in 2006, with a German translation following in 2009. She has since worked with the Journal of Chinese Medicine to present a DVD on the use of acupressure for pain relief in labour for the general public. She currently lectures internationally on the use of obstetric acupuncture, acts as a supervisor for the New Zealand School of Acupuncture at a hospital antenatal acupuncture clinic and is undertaking PhD research through the University of Western Sydney examining the effect of acupuncture on threatened miscarriage. She resides in Wellington New Zealand with her family.

Debra's oral presentation will be on Current practice amongst acupuncturists treating threatened miscarriage in Australia and New Zealand.
Her workshop topic is Acupuncture in early pregnancy: moving beyond fertility protocols.

KEYNOTE Prof Kelvin Chan (UWS, USyd, New South Wales)

Kelvin Chan, PhD DSc FCP FIBiol FRPharmS FRSM, is the Joint Chair Professor in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Faculty of Pharmacy, the University of Sydney, and Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, University of Western Sydney. He, trained in the UK, has taught and researched Clinical Pharmacology in both orthodox and TCM medicine and pharmacy disciplines in the UK, UAE and Hong Kong. He has established evidence-based research in laboratory and practice towards integration TCM into healthcare.

Kelvin's oral presentation will be on Interaction between traditional Chinese medicines and pharmaceutical drugs.

KEYNOTE Stephen Janz (Queensland)

Stephen Janz is the clinic director of a multidisciplinary natural health centre in Brisbane. Stephen has been a full-time Chinese medicine practitioner for over 20 years and has a broad range of clinical interests. Stephen is a former president of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association, the inaugural chair of the National Academic Standards Committee for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is the practitioner member for Queensland appointed to the first Chinese Medicine Board of Australia. Stephen was awarded best paper for clinical practice at WFAS 2004 and best overall paper at AACMAC 2010 for his paper on plantar fasciitis and AACMAC 2011 for his presentation on 'dry needling - issues and risks'.

Stephen's oral paper is Acupuncture by another name: dry needling in Australia - past, present and future.

KEYNOTE Richard Li (New South Wales)

Richard will deliver the keynote presentation on behalf of AACMA.

KEYNOTE David Legge (New South Wales)

David Legge is an acupuncturist and osteopath, specialising in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorder for more than thirty years. During this time he has taught widely and has published two popular texts - Close to the Bone and Jingjin. He lives and works on the Central Coast of NSW.

David's oral paper will be on Using multiple models in diagnosis and treatment of painful conditions with acupuncture.
His workshop presentation is Using multiple models when treating neck pain.

KEYNOTE Will MacLean (New South Wales)

Will graduated from the Sydney College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1987, trained in China at the Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital and completed a Master of Chinese Medicine degree from the University of Technology (Sydney) in 2004. He has practised acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for 23 years. He also has a background in marine biology and genetics from the Unversity of Sydney. In addition to practice, Will teaches in Australia and internationally, and is the principal author of several textbooks in the field of clinical Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

Will's oral presentation will be on Innovation in Chinese medicine - the necessity to adapt classical concepts of pathology to fit the requirements of modern clinical practice.
Will's two worksops will be on Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (Ginseng & Zizyphus Combination) and the Heart Kidney axis and its relationship to inflammation and the endocrine system, in particular disorder of the thyroid and Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Combination) and a novel model for chronic inflammatory disorders.

KEYNOTE Robin Marchment (Victoria)

Robin Marchment's achievements are not only many but are varied over many areas of life. Before entering into Chinese Medicine, Marchment had completed an honours degree in languages, became Australia's first female blackbelt in Taekwondo and was appointed its High Performance Manager for the Sydney Olympics. Marchment then completed a degree in acupuncture and an Advanced Diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine and was the dux of her graduating year. She also returned to Monash to complete a Diploma in Languages (Chinese). In the course of her studies, she travelled twice to China to undertake internships in paediatrics and gynaecology. She is the author of several articles in international journals and author of three major texts books, including co-authoring Shang Han Lun Explained. Her clinical focus is gynaecology and obstetrics, and she has presented seminars in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as authoring the text book "Gynaecology Revisited". Currently she is a lecturer at RMIT University, and with her co-author Dr Greta Young, is working on the clinical applications of Wen Bing formulas in the treatment of both febrile and non-febrile disease encountered in the modern clinic. In addition to her academic work, Marchment runs a private clinic and her experience in women's health often finds her in attendance at childbirth. Marchment holds a 6th Dan in taekwondo, speaks Korean and Chinese and has four children.

Robin's oral presentation will be on Classics in the clinic.
Her workshop presentation is Clinical flexibility in formula application.

KEYNOTE Paddy McBride (NZRA President, New Zealand)

Paddy McBride has been a practitioner since graduating from the Acupuncture Colleges Australia (Sydney) in 1989. She went on to undertake post graduate studies at UTS before returning to New Zealand in 2002. In addition to running a busy clinic in Nelson, New Zealand, Paddy has been the President of the New Zealand Register of Acupuncturists (NZRA) since 2007 and Vice President of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) since 2009.

Paddy's oral presentation will be on Chinese medicine the New Zealand way.

KEYNOTE Paul Movsessian (New South Wales)

Paul Movsessian is President of the Australasian Branch of the Toyohari Association, representing a classical model of meridian therapy from the tradition of blind acupuncturists of Japan. He is widely regarded in Australia as both practitioner and teacher of Dr Manaka's polarity protocols, Japanese acumoxa therapy and the Toyohari Keiraku Chiryo. He conducts regular seminars and workshops around Australia and overseas whilst maintaining a busy practice in the Blue Mountains. He was awarded Overall Best Paper at AACMAC Melbourne 2009 and Adelaide 2010.

Paul's oral presentation will be on Infertility and the San Jiao: a meridian therapy approach.
His worksop will be Palpation as a diagnostic method.

KEYNOTE Prof Charlie Xue (Chinese Medicine Board of Australia Chair, Victoria)

Professor Charlie Xue is Head, School of Health Sciences at RMIT University. In July 2011, he was appointed Inaugural Chair of the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council. At RMIT, Professor Xue is also Director, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Program at the Health Innovations Research Institute; Director, World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine; and Member, WHO Expert Advisory Panel for Traditional Medicine, Geneva. Between 1995 and 2010, Professor Xue was Head of Chinese Medicine at RMIT University. He graduated from Guangzhou University/College of Chinese Medicine (1987), China with a Bachelor of Medicine degree and subsequently completed his PhD at RMIT University. Professor Xue's research has been supported by over AU$8 million grants including six project grants from the Australian Government's National Health & Medical Research Council. He has contributed over 140 publications and has been frequently invited as keynote speakers for numerous national and international conferences. Prof Xue has contributed to approximately 200 media interviews on issues related to complementary medicine education, research, regulation and practice.

Charlie's oral presentation will be on Chinese medicine national registration: an update.

KEYNOTE A/Prof Christopher Zaslawski (UTS, New South Wales)

Associate Professor Chris Zaslawski is currently Director of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has been practising acupuncture for 31 years and is also a physiotherapist. He has been a short term consultant for the World Health Organisation for a number of acupuncture related projects in the areas of education, research and clinical practice guidelines. Chris is an active researcher in the areas of acupuncture and pain, acupuncture clinical research design and human research ethics. He is also deputy editor of the Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Australia's only peer reviewed journal on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. More recently he has also been involved in the development of international standards for TCM within the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) and is the chair of the national Mirror Committee for Traditional Chinese Medicine for Standards Australia.

Chris's oral presentation will be on Standards for Chinese medicine: do we need them?

KEYNOTE Dr Zhen Zheng (AJACM EIC; RMIT, Victoria)

Zhen is a senior lecturer at the Discipline of Chinese Medicine, School of Health Sciences, RMIT University. She specialises in acupuncture clinical research in pain management and neurophysiology of acupuncture analgesia. She has been Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine since its inception in 2006.

Zhen's oral presentation will be on The Journal and AACMA: the past, present and future of the Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
She will also present an oral paper on Patients' and acupuncturists' view of acupuncture: implications for designs of clinical trials.

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INVITED Prof Jon Adams (UTS, New South Wales)

Jon Adams is Professor of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney where he leads a team of nine complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers. Jon currently holds a prestigious NHMRC Career Development Fellowship and is Executive Director of the international Network of Researchers in the Public Health of CAM (NORPHCAM). Jon is a Senior Fellow of the International Brisbane Initiative, Department of Primary Health Care, University of Oxford and Associate Editor for Complementary Therapies in Medicine, Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, BMC CAM and European Journal of Integrative Medicine. Jon has been researching CAM for over 10 years attracting in excess of AUD$5.5 million in external funding (NHMRC, ARC) since 2008 and he has produced over 145 peer reviewed academic publications since 2000. Jon has edited 6 international CAM research books including Editor-in-Chief of the first International Reader in Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (Palgrave MacMillan 2012).

Jon's oral presentation is on Advancing a public health research agenda for Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: reports from the field.

INVITED Greg Bantick (Queensland)

Greg Bantick, received his early education in Chinese medicine in Australia. He was instrumental in developing one of the early training programs in Brisbane, Australia, while maintaining an active private practice with an emphasis on mood disorders and women’s health. He arranged trips by several leading Chinese and Japanese scholar practitioners to Australia. At various times he undertook further training in China, Japan, England and the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego. He served in curriculum advisory roles and as a senior faculty member and clinical supervisor in San Diego for over 15 years. He served as Academic Dean and Clinical Director of the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, before his return to Australia. As well as long time involvement in education, Greg has maintained a private practice for over 30 years.

Greg's oral presentaiton wil be on
His workshop will be on Health preservation and enhancement with traditional Chinese medicine.

INVITED Tino D'Angelo (SSNT, Victoria)

Tino D’Angelo is an Acupuncturist, Herbalist and Musculoskeletal Therapist. He initially gained an advanced diploma of Acupuncture at ACNM, achieved two bachelor degrees in Acupuncture and Musculoskeletal Therapy respectively, and finally went on to complete a master of Chinese Herbal Medicine at RMIT. Tino has been teaching for the past 12 years and is now the Program Manager of the Chinese Medicine department at the Southern School of Natural Therapies. He has many interests within the field of Chinese medicine, and is especially committed to the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.

Tino's oral presentation will be on Acupuncture and dry needling: the similarities and differences.

INVITED Dr Peter Ferrigno (Victoria)

Peter's oral presentation will be on Cultivating qi, cultivating self.

INVITED David Hartman (AIAS, Queensland)

David Hartmann is an Acupuncturist having graduated from the Australian College of Natural Medicine (now Endeavour) in 1996. He owns and operates his own clinic in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is also 'Head of the TCM Department' at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences (AIAS). At present his major focus is writing a 'Bachelor of Acupuncture' degree for AIAS in line with Australian industry standards and in anticipation of the industries 'National Registration' in July 2012. During his 11 years at AIAS, David has taught every TCM subject and has rewritten all 21 TCM workbooks for the 'Advanced Diploma of Acupuncture'. During these rewrites, David has researched a wide variety of topics of which a small selection have been presented at AACMAC over the years. David has also written the textbook, Acupoint Dictionary 2e, which was internationally published by Elsevier (March 2009). This is the first book in a series of clinically relevant texts for both students and practicing therapists. He also recently completed a 'Masters of Acupuncture' with his PhD candidature pending.

David's oral presentation will lbe on How to treat the San Jiao (Triple Energiser) organ using the Ren Mai as principle channel.

INVITED Waveny Holland (AACMA State Committee Chair, Queensland)

Waveny Holland runs a busy, general practice in the northern suburbs of Brisbane and is the current chair of the AACMA Qld State Committee. She studied at ACNM Brisbane campus initially gaining an advanced diploma acupuncture and then successfully completed a BHSc acupuncture. In 2005 she graduated with a MTCM as part of the very first intake of students who undertook the masters courses offered by UWS. Waveny presented at AACMAC Perth and was an invited speaker at the National Conference on Ageing at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where she presented a paper titled Ageing: a Chinese Medicine perspective.

Waveny's oral presentation will be on Panic rising!

INVITED Hoc Ku Huynh OAM (AACMA Membership Officer, New South Wales)

Hoc Ku Huynh is an Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Practitioner with more than 33 years experience. He is the Director and former Secretary of AACMA, and Director of the Australian TCM Practitioner Accreditation Board Ltd. Hoc Ku attended the inaugural founding of World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society (WFAS) in Beijing in 1987 and is the former executive member of WFAS. In 2003 he attended the inaugural founding of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS) and is now the executive member of the presidium of WFCMS. Hoc Ku was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 1999 for his leadership in charity organisations in NSW and building relations in TCM both locally and internationally. Hoc Ku is currently an Honorary Clinical Associate/Clinical Supervisor for the University of Technology Sydney, University of Western Sydney and RMIT in Victoria. In 2011 his paper was awarded the best clinical paper in AACMAC 2011 Perth.

Hoc Ku's workshop presentation will be on The treatment of 'computer syndrome' with TCM.

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INVITED Dr Xin Liu (UQ, Queensland)

Dr Liu is a Senior Research Fellow at The University of Queensland School of Medicine, team leader of a large National Cardiovascular Diseases and Depression Strategic Research Project jointly funded by the National Heart Foundation and Beyondblue. Dr Liu has been active in the field of alternative and complementary medicine, especially in mind-body medicine, for more than 30 years. He is a practice-based scientist and his research interest is in evaluating the efficacy and implementation of cost-effective treatments. In recent years, Dr Liu has been working at the forefront of mind-body medicine intervention in chronic disease and has made important contributions to public health. He is the designer of the evidence-based Tai Chi and Qigong intervention programs for diabetes, depression and obesity control. His research findings have been widely published in internationally prestigious academic journals, such as the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, British Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. He is frequently invited to present his work at scientific conferences. In recognition of his contribution to public health, he has been interviewed and profiled nationally and internationally.

Liu Xin's workshop presentation will be on An evidence-based Tai Chi and Qigong program for diabetes and obesity control.

INVITED Jiang Man (Endeavour, Queensland)

Jiang Man, graduated from Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1982 and has been awarded a visiting profession position at the university. She has been an active practitioner of Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs both in China & Australia for 30 years. She arrived in Australia in 1988, as a guest lecturer and facilitator of student exchanges between the Guangxi and Australian College of Natural Medicine (now Endeavour College). From 1988 to the present, she has acted as a lecturer and clinic supervisor at the College. During this time she has also been a practitioner of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine which she utilises in her own private clinic located at the Brisbane Campus of The Endeavour College. Her current interests are in the fields of Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs for the treatment of common illnesses.

Jiang's workshop presentation will be on Slow Twisting Needle Insertion Technique: pioneered by guangxi college, nanning and complex needle techniques Shao Shan Huo Tou Tian Liang (Burning Mountain Fire, Cooling Heavenly Window).

INVITED John McDonald (Griffith, Endeavour, Queensland)

John McDonald commenced acupuncture studies in 1971, acupuncture practice in 1975 and acupuncture teaching in 1977. Since then John has held teaching, administrative and consultative positions in several colleges and universities in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast and currently lectures at the Endeavour College of Natural Health, Brisbane and Gold Coast campuses. In April 2007, John graduated from the University of Western Sydney with a Master of Acupuncture with Distinction, and a Dean's Medal. John is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Griffith University where he is currently enrolled in the School of Medicine undertaking a PhD research project on the effects of acupuncture on mucosal immunity in allergic rhinitis. This NHMRC funded project is headed by Prof Allan Cripps, the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Health) of Griffith University and the team includes two professors and three associate professors from Griffith, UWS, RMIT and Stanford Universities. The study is due to be completed by the end of 2012. John has lectured around the world including London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brazil, New Zealand and around Australia. John is the co-author of Zang Fu Syndromes and the author of Acupuncture Point Dynamics as well as over 30 journal and popular magazine articles. John is a Fellow of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association and was appointed as the foundation President of the Australian Council for Chinese Medicine Education (ACCME). John currently practices at his Southport clinic on the Gold Coast.

John's oral presentation will be on Future directions for acupuncture research.

INVITED Chris McKeon (Mater Hospital, Queensland)

Chris McKeon has been in private practice since graduating in 2003 with an Adv Dip Acupuncture from AIAS (Brisbane) and is a Registered Nurse with over 20 years experience in Oncology and ICU nursing. This has led to being the Chief Investigator of pilot study – Electroaupuncture for Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting at the Mater Adults Hospital Brisbane, with the aim of introducing an acupuncture service. Since November 2010 Chris has commenced a trial of acupuncture service for cancer patients treating their symptoms from chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the Day Oncology Unit at the Mater Adults Hospital. Chris is currently enrolled in Master of Science (Hons) by research at University of Western Sydney looking at Electroacupuncture for Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting. Chris is passionate about using acupuncture to treat cancer patients and establishing a permanent position as an Acupuncturist in the Mater Adults Hospital.

Chris's oral presentation will be on Electroacupuncture vs sham electroacupuncture vs standard care for acute and delayed Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting: a pilot study.

INVITED Clare Pyers (Victoria)

Clare Pyers is a Melbourne based practitioner with a passion for integrating the concepts of Chinese Medicine with modern science and the modern world. Starting off with Chemical Engineering, and a few years of work in the public hospital system along the way - Clare is much happier to have found her career as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. As owner and founder of a multi-practitioner Chinese Medicine clinic, she enjoys the collaborative learning that comes from discussions with colleagues, the reflection that comes from supervising student practitioners, and the growth that is prompted by interaction with clients. Clare is currently completing a Yoga teacher training course, and is delving into a different perspective of qi via the framework of yoga and ayurveda. She presented at AACMAC Perth (2011) and Adelaide (2010), and is often invited to present at events and speak on topics related to health and wellbeing.

Clare's oral presentation will be on Comprehensive treatment of thyroid disorders.

INVITED Dr Karin Ried (University of Adelaide, South Australia)

PhD, MSc, GDPH, Cert Integrative Medicine. Dr Karin Ried is Research Fellow in the Discipline of General Practice at the University of Adelaide, where she leads a research team investigating integrative nutritional medicine and holistic therapies in primary health care. In 2011, she has been appointed Nutritional Medicine Consultant at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Melbourne, Victoria. Dr Ried has over 15 years experience in medical and health research, and has published widely in peer reviewed journals including several meta-analyses. Dr Ried's research interests include Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine in the management of women's health and fertility. Other projects include nutritional medicine in cardiovascular health, in particular the effects of garlic extract, tomato extract or cocoa on blood pressure and cholesterol. She is Chief Investigator on several competitive grants related to integrative nutritional medicine. Dr Ried is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. Her research has been featured on national radio and television and in the print media internationally. She has supervised MBBS, Honours and Masters students, as well as 30 early career researchers.

Karin's oral presentation will be on Treating female infertility with Chinese herbal medicine: a systematic review.

INVITED Jeff Shearer (Ethical Practice, Queensland)

Jeff Shearer has been in private health practice for over 16 years. His practice styles have ranged from a small mobile massage business to operating a multiple-practitioner Chinese Medicine Clinic. Through trial and error, Jeff has learnt many valuable lessons about how to achieve better results for clients, build a successful practice and maintain quality of life - achieving it all without sacrificing standards of care. This experience has inspired Jeff to share some of his experiences, mistakes, challenges and successes with other practitioners with a view to helping them create their own version of success.

Jeff's workshop presentation will be on Marketing with soul - how to get busier without selling out.

INVITED Walter Simpson (AACMA Past-President, Queensland)

BAc, DCH, DM 4th degree Black belt WTBA. I am a Fellow of the AACMA, a member of the ABTA and Qld Rep WTBA. I have been an AACMA Board member for the past 10 years and I was a member of the Qld State Committee from its inception until last year. I graduated with a Bachelor of Acupuncture in 1987 and have been in private practice on the Gold Coast since graduation. I have a Diploma in Massage 1977 and a Diploma of Chinese Herbs 1994 and have continued to study all 3 of these disciplines with many very gifted teachers from China, Japan, America, England and Australia as I believe this field is a lifelong learning experience. I have also taught Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and Chinese food therapy at 3 different colleges on the Gold Coast and in Byron Bay over the last 20 years. Upon graduating from my initial Acupuncture course in 1987, I began to explore the practices of Qigong, Tai Ji Chuan and Ba Gua Zhang. I became a personal student of Master Erle Montaigu co-authoring 2 books with him in 1997. I also studied Daoist Qigong in more recent years with Dr Bisong Guo and in 2006 travelled with her to Jia Zhai Gou to practise Qigong in this amazing mountainous region. Over the last 15 years I have taught these arts in Australia, South Africa, Italy, Japan, Scotland and New Zealand.

Walter's workshop will be on Clinical relevance of the internal arts in Chinese medicine.

INVITED A/Prof Caroline Smith (UWS CompleMed, New South Wales)

Dr Caroline Smith is an experienced clinical researcher and acupuncture practitioner in relation to women's health and reproductive health, and has a background in evidence based research. She has extensive experience in the design, conduct and analysis of randomised controlled trials. She has received significant funding from national funding agencies to conduct her clinical research, and currently leads a large international multi-centre randomized controlled evaluating the role of acupuncture as an adjunct to IVF. Caroline has over 50 publications in peer reviewed medical and complementary medicine journals, including high impact journals, and is an editorial board member of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Journal. Caroline is actively engaged with the research training of the next generation of acupuncture researchers through supervision of students undertaking higher degrees and post doctoral research.

Caroline's oral paper wlil be on The effect of acupuncture on post cancer fatigue and wellbeing for women recovering from breast cancer: a feasibility randomised control trial.

INVITED Dr Mark Strudwick (Queensland)

Dr Strudwick has had continuous involvement in clinical practice of medical imaging since his first qualification in 1974. He has also been continuously involved in the clinical practice of acupuncture since his first qualification in 1976. As recognition for his work in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), he was awarded a Fellowship of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association in April 1997. Following a successful clinical career he has returned to research, completing a second PhD in 2009. Dr Strudwick is a reviewer for the Australian Journal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and for the journal Acupuncture in Medicine as well as a member of the Section for Magnetic Resonance Technologists - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Research interests include functional magnetic resonance imaging and the validation of complementary medicine, particularly TCM; and areas of active research involve functional imaging of the central and autonomic effects of acupuncture. Since 2010, Dr Strudwick has also accepted academic roles in medical imaging both at Monash University as a Senior Lecturer and the Australian Catholic University as a Sessional Lecturer within the School of Physiotherapy.

Mark's oral presentation will be on Functional Brain Imaging of acupuncture: an update.

INVITED John Thompson (Queensland)

In 1983 John left a career in Metallurgy and mathematical modelling to pursue the study of traditional Chinese medicine. This has become a lifelong focus that has led to study in China, Taiwan and Japan. He has blended a strong love of clinical practice with both the classics and traditional practices. He strongly believes in the importance of the qi paradigm in acupuncture. He now has a busy general practice in Brisbane.

John's workshop will be on Exploring looking and palpation in diagnosis.

INVITED Dr Nicholas Vardaxis (Endeavour, Victoria)

Dr Nicholas Vardaxis holds a PhD in Pathology from the University of Melbourne which was awarded in 1988. He has held a number of senior academic posts in many tertiary institutions, including the University of Melbourne, Phillip Institute of Technology and RMIT University. His career includes activities in basic biomedical science research and associations with research organisations abroad and in Australia. He has been a researcher at the Macfarlane Burnett Centre for Medical Research and also at the Austin Research Institute. Dr Vardaxis’ passion for teaching was recognised in 1997 when he was awarded the Australian Government’s inaugural national Australian University Teaching Award in the field of health. He is also an author, having published several undergraduate textbooks and is currently one of three editors-in-chief of Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions.

Nicholas's oral presentation will be on How much Western science should we teach in Chinese medicine degrees?

INVITED A/Prof Hong Xu (VU, Victoria)

Dr Hong Xu is an AACMA Board Member and Director, has over 20 years practical experience. She holds a number of professoriate appointments: Associate Professor and registered PhD supervisor at Victoria University; Visiting Professor of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has supervised 16 postgraduate students and conducted over 10 funded research projects as chief investigator in recent years. She has been the Discipline Head of Chinese Medicine Program at Victoria University (2003-06), Chair of Research Committee of Endeavour College of Natural Health (2011-). Her achievements include University Awards of Teaching Excellence and Distinguished Academic Achievement. She is a regular assessor of government research grant applications and international peer review journal papers, has over 60 publications. Her particular interests are Chinese Medicine teaching, research and practices for preventing and treating chronic diseases.

Hong's oral presentation will be on Chinese medicine evidence based diagnosis and treatment on peri-menopausal syndromes.

INVITED Yifan Yang (SITCM. New South Wales)

Yifan graduated from Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Guangzhou China and awarded a Bachelor and Master Degree of TCM. Later he continued his study and research and gained a PhD degree in oriental medicine, USA. He worked as a medical doctor in the Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of TCM before he migrated to Australia. He then continued his acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine clinical practice in Sussex Chinese Medicine Clinic, Sussex Medical Centre, Sydney since. Yifan is also Ex- president of NSW Association of Chinese Medicine (FCMA NSW branch) from 1994 to 1999, director of AACMA from 2002 to 2006. He participated the first medical clinical trial on the treatment of Hepatitis C using Chinese herbal medicine in an Australian public hospital from 1995 to 1998 and now he is a Director of Herbal International and Principal of Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Yifan's oral presentation will be on Features in 21st Century contemporary medical practice.

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