Josephine P. Briggs, MD, named as new NCCAM director
Josephine P. Briggs , MD, has been named as the director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in Bethesda, MD. Briggs brings a focus on translational research to the study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to help build a fuller understanding of the usefulness and safety of CAM practices, according to Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, the director of the National Institutes of Health.
Most recently, Briggs has been senior scientific officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Chevy Chase, MD. She has published more than 125 research articles and is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a recipient of the Volhard Prize of the German Nephrological Society. Her research interests include the renin-angiotensin system, diabetic nephropathy, and the effect of antioxidants in kidney disease.
NCCAM names six new members to the National Advisory Council
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has named six new members to the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM), which serves as the principal advisory body to NCCAM.
These new NACCAM members include:
- Timothy C. Birdsall, ND, FABNO, vice president for integrative medicine at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), Zion, IL, and a naturopathic medicine practitioner in the Department of Naturopathic Medicine at the CTCA's Midwestern Regional Medical Center.
- Boyd W. Bowden, II, DO, a staff member in the Orthopedics Department at Doctors Hospital, Columbus, OH, and a staff member at Orthopedic and Neurological Consultants, also in Columbus.
- Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD, a research professor and associate vice president of research at Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU), Bloomington, MN, and senior clinical researcher at the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies at NWHSU.
- Lupo T. Carlota, MD, Dip Ac, president and founder of the Medical Acupuncture Research Institute of America, Memphis, TN.
- Shin Lin, PhD, who holds professorships in developmental and cell biology, physiology and biophysics, and biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, CA, (UCI). He also serves on the advisory board and faculty of UCI's Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine.
- Herman A. Taylor, Jr., M., MPH, FACC, FAHA, professor of medicine and attending physician in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS. He also holds the medical center's Aaron Shirley Endowed Chair for the Study of Health Disparities. In addition, he is a visiting professor of biology in the Division of Natural Sciences at Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS, and clinical professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS.
Australian pharmacy students see CAM as integral part of education
Australian pharmacy students perceive education about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to be a core and integral part of their professional degree, according to a study published online Jan. 28 on the BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site.
The study aimed to describe the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of second-, third-, and fourth-year pharmacy students towards CAM and to explore factors that might affect attitudes such as learning, preceptors, and placements. The study consisted of a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews of pharmacy students from a university in South East Queensland, Australia.
The overall response rate for the survey was 75%: 50% (36/72) for second-year students, 77.3% (34/44) for third-year, and 97.6% (40/41) for fourth-year students. Overall, 95.5% of pharmacy students believe that pharmacists should be able to advise patients about CAM, and most (93.7%) have used CAM prior to course enrollment. Students' attitudes to CAM are influenced by the use of CAM by family, friends, and self, CAM training, lecturers, and to a lesser degree by preceptors.
The majority of pharmacy students (89.2%) would prefer having education about CAM to be part of their professional degree rather than an additional postgraduate degree. However, they see a greater need for education in complementary medicines (such as herbal medicines, vitamins, and minerals) than for education in complementary therapies (such as acupuncture, meditation, and bio-magnetism). Knowledge and educational input rationalized rather than marginalized students' attitudes towards CAM, the researchers say.
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