Dr. Maria Helena Pacheco Pinto Ferreira, MD, Portugal

Family Medicine, Competence in Acupuncture by the Medical Portuguese Association.

Icmart Vice President, 2008-2012.

Portuguese Medical Acupuncture Society President.

Past member of the Acupuncture College of the Portuguese Medical Association.

Coordination member and Lecturer of Acupuncture, Faculty of Medical Sciences, “Universidade Nova de Lisboa”.

Lecturer of acupuncture, Faculties of Medicine, Coimbra University and Minho University.

Member of the Herbal Medicines Products Committee and the Monographs List Working Party of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Member of the Homeopathic Medicinal products Working Group, “Head of Agencies”.

Medical assessor of the National Authority for Medicines and Health Products.

Ministry of Health expert for the Regulation of CAM practitioners.

Visiting Lecturer, postgraduate courses on herbal medicines of the Faculties of Pharmacy of Lisbon and Coimbra.

More than 30 communications on national and international congresses and meetings.

Co-Author of the book “Acupunctura na Medicina”,Ed. Lidel, Nov. 2010

Editorial board, Revista Internacional de Acupuntura.

Dr Chin Chan, MD, Australia

President ICMART 2010 – 2012

Federal President Australian Medical Acupuncture College 2005 – 2009

Federal Secretary Australian Medical Acupuncture College 1995 – 2004

Prof. h.c. Dr. med. Walburg Marić-Oehler MD, Germany

• study of medicine and Asian cultures / languages in Germany at the universities of Leipzig, Berlin and Frankfurt/M

• further education in the following subjects: general medicine, psychotherapy, complementary medicine, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine, other Asian Medical Systems

• since 1981 leading own medical practice in Bad Homburg near Frankfurt/M, now becoming part of an East-West Medical Institute and Training Centre for Tibetan Medicine

• since 1987 teaching, lecturing on national and international congresses and publishing in acupuncture (e.g. Co-author of the first publication on YNSA – Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture)

• 1989 founding member of European Council of Doctors for Plurality in Medicine / ECPM

• 1991-2010 President of the German Medical Acupuncture Association / DAEGfA,
  Honorary President of DAEGfA

• 1992-1996 initiating the interdisciplinary working group ‘Old New Medicine’

• since 1993 teaching Classical Acupuncture at Johannes Gutenberg - University, Mainz, since 1996 initiating and organizing eleven symposia 'Acupuncture and University – Acupuncture in Dialogue'

• 1993 initiating an educational program for medical doctors in Tibetan medicine

• 1996-2010 Vice-President of International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques / ICMART, 2000 – 2002 President, since 2010 General Secretary of ICMART

• since 1998 honorary professor of Fujian University of TCM, Fuzhou / China

• June 2001 congress president and organizer of International ICMART Symposium-Anniversary Congress DAEGfA / DGfAN in Berlin

• Research work on Infrared Diagnostics in Acupuncture (since 2003)

• since 2005 representation of ICMART in CAMDOC Alliance, European Commission, Brussels

• since 2006 member of the organizing committee of the AAMA annual symposium / American Academy of Medical Acupuncture

• contact office of European Initiative for Traditional Asian Medicine / EITAM

• since 2007 member of the board of Association for Plurality in Medicine / GPM (Gesellschaft für Pluralismus in der Medizin)

• since 2008 member of the management board of  the European Information Centre of CAM / EICCAM
• since 2010 representation of ICMART in Advisory Board of CAMbrella EU Research Project
• Vice Chairman of Specialty Committee of TCM Psychology of WFCMS
• Member of the Editorial Board of the AAMA Journal ‘Medical Acupuncture’

• Regular reports on CAM activities in the EU, e.g. in the Journal ‘DZA’ and on the ICMART website

Main interest: supporting integration of Asian medical systems into modern medicine, cross cultural integrative east-west psychosomatics,

Dr. Marshall Sager is a graduate of Lehigh University and a former United States Marine.  He is a licensed Physician and Board Certified Medical Acupuncturist.  He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Clinical Homeopathy.

Dr. Sager is a Past President of the AAMA and currently serves on its Board.  Additionally, he is Founding Chairman of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture and Founding President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the AAMA.   

Dr. Sager is Chair of the Education Chapter of the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART) and is currently compiling the ICMART Lexicon of Medical Acupuncture.

Dr. Sager lectures throughout the world and is frequently quoted in national newspapers, television and radio.

Dr. Sager has served as Physician Acupuncturist for many professional athletes and teams, including hockey and international tennis stars.

Dr. Mehmet Abut, MD, Turkey

Dr. Abut has graduated from the medical school of Istanbul University. He moved to Germany in 1964 after graduation, where he specialized in both general surgery and traumatology. During his studies he became a student of Prof. Kühne.

After working for 1.5 years at the St. Irmgarolis Hospital, he became a surgeon at the Marien Hospital in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Dr. Abut founded the Surgery Care Unit of this hospital and managed it for 2 years as a chief assistant. After returning to Turkey, he worked as chief surgeon at Samatya Hospital between 1970-1973. In 1973 he returned to Germany once more where he became proficient in joint surgery. This time he worked in the St.Josef Hospital in Lennestadt for 8 years where he practiced joint surgery.

Dr. Abut began his education in acupuncture in 1977, and has been working on the development and recognition of acupuncture until today. Dr.Abut was a member of the Turkish High Commission on Acupuncture for a period of twelve years, where he played an important role in the establishment of the regulations that guide acupuncture in Turkey. In addition, he has written many books on the subject and has taught acupuncture in various institutions for over 15 years.

Dr. Abut has been a member of ICMART since its inception in Vienna in 1983. He organized the World Congress in Turkey in 1994, and obtained an Honorary ICMART Diploma in 1995 in Sophia. He is now a member of the ICMART Board, and host for the 2014 World Congress in Turkey. He is also the president of the Turkish Academic Acupuncture Society. 

Dr. Abut currently practices acupuncture at his private clinic in Istanbul. He is married and has two children.

Dr. Konstantina Theodoratou, MD, MSc, Med. Psyc., Greece

President of the Scientific Association of Medical Acupuncture in Greece

Education

Master on Acupuncture - Guangzhou University

Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Psychology of National University of Athens

Internship as General Practitioner of National University of Athens

Postgraduate Certificate of Special topics on acupuncture Beijing China

Postgraduate Certificate of Internal Medicine Studies – China Beijing International training center

Postgraduate Certificate of Advanced Studies in TCM – Tianjin

International College of TCM

Medical degree from National National University of Athens

Professional experience

Acupuncture practice since 1996

Lecturer in:

- Scientific Association of Medical Acupuncture in Greece

- Research Institute of Acupuncture in North Greece

- Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society

Research on medical acupuncture, Guangzhou University, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens.

Dr. Petja Piehler, MD, Austria

Education

1982 – 1989         medical study

1989                    promotion

1989 – 1991         education in acupuncture and complementary medicine

1991-1999           Hospitals: surgery at Hedwigs- Hospital Berlin, Hospital Dr. Wüsthofen in Bad Salzschlirf,

                           Paul-Ehrlich Hospital Bad Homburg, St. Elisabeth-Hospital Hünfeld, Herz-Jesu Hospital
                           Fulda

1999                    specialization in the special field internal medicine

1999 – 2002         senior physician internal medicine in Helios Hospital Blankenhain

2002                    second promotion at the Ludwig-Maximillian-University Munich

2002 – 2009         senior consultant internal medicine in Kitzbühel and Aue

since 2009            senior consultant internal medicine in the RoMed Hospital Wasserburg am Inn

since 2006            lecturer neural therapy in the Austrian organisation for neural therapy

Qualification:      specialist in: internal medicine, gastroenterology, diabetology, geriatry, complementary  

                                                medicine, acupuncture, neural therapy

Dr. Helmut Liertzer, MD, Austria

• Born 1951 in Vienna
• Medical graduation: 1977
• Board certified in orthopaedics: 1983
• 1994 - 2007 Head of the Department  for Orthopaedic Pain Therapy (Herz Jesu Hospital, Vienna)

Acupuncture:

• Since 1978 member of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Akupuncture/ Johannes Bischko Institute. (Head: Prof.Dr.J.Bischko followed by Prof.H.Nissel. Kaiserin Elisabethspital 1150 Vienna.) Since 1983 board member of the Austrian Society for Acupuncture.
• 1981 Alfred Pischinger Scientific Award
• 1983 Organisation: Acupuncture World-Congress in Vienna (Hofburg)
• 1989 Organisation: International ICMART Symposium in Vienna (Old AKH)

• 1992 - 1994 President of ICMART (International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques, Brussels)
• 2000  Organisation: ICMART World-Congress in Vienna (Palais Auersperg)

• 2010 – 2012 Vicepresident of ICMART

Neuraltherapy:

• Since 1994 board member of the ÖNR (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Neuraltherapie, Austrian Society for Neuraltherapy)
• Since 2011 President of the ÖNR

• Promotion 1977
• Fachausbildung: Orthopädisches Spital Speising
• Facharzt für Orthopädie 1983
• Ordinationseröffnung mit allen Kassen 1983 in 1120 Wien
• 1994 - 2007 Vorstand des Department für konservative Orthopädie und Schmerztherapie im Herz Jesu Krankenhaus in Wien
• 1997 Eröffnung der Privatordination (Wahlarztsystem) in Mödling
• Seit 2007 Leiter des Kompetenzzentrums für Neuraltherapie im Herz Jesu KH

Professor Nikolajs A. Nikolajevs, MD, PhD, Latvia

* Graduated from Riga Medical Institute

* Clinical specialty - Neurology.

* Has completed his MD thesis in 1978, and PhD - in 1987, both – in the field of Medical

Acupuncture & Related Techniques.

* Since 1990 – Elected Professor of the Latvian Uiversity.

Basic speciality - Medical Acupuncture and TCM (works since 1974).

* Qualified in Neurology and Clinical Reflexology at Moscow Central Institute

for Postgraduate Medical Education (Russian Academy of Sciences) – 1974.

* International University of Traditional Chinese medicine (Tianjin, P.R. China)

- (1988-1989) – advanced course on TCM.

* Founder and constant President of Latvian Association for Medical Acupuncture

& Related Techniques - since 1993.

* Director of the Clinical Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine of Latvia, Estonia

& Lithuania - since 1995.

* Constant Director of the International Association of Integrative Medicine (IAIM)

(USA) - since 1998.

* Senior Adviser of the World Federation Societies of Traditional Chinese Medicine

(WFCMS) - since 2004.

* Honourable lecturer of Russian Academy of Sciences.

* Honourable Member of Polish Association for Medical Acupuncture.

* Man of Year (1998, 2004, 2009) –on Medical Acupuncture and Traditional

Chinese Medicine (American Biographic Institute).

* Member of the Club "100 Outstanding Professionals of the World " - 2006

(Cambridge University).

* Academician for life – elected by American Bibliographical Institute in 2010.

* Nominated the Award of the American Biographical Institute "Gold Medal for Latvia"

(on Traditional Chinese Medicine) - 2006.

* Member of Board the International Council for Medical Acupuncture

& Related Techniques (ICMART) - since 2008.

* Author of more than 400 scientific articles, 7 monographs, and 15 Patents on Medical

Acupuncture.

Dr. Patrick Sautreuil, MD, France

- MD (Rouen, 1979), specialist of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Montpellier 1980) and of Neuro-Acupuncture (Paris, 1982)

- Practice in Rehabilitation department, Rothschild Hospital, Paris

- Former Président of Ecole Française d'Acupuncture-Association Scientifique des Médecins Acupuncteurs de France (EFA-ASMAF) and representative of  french medical acupuncture association FAFORMEC

- Lecturer in Diplome Inter-universitaire d'Acupuncture Scientifique (Université Kremlin-Bicêtre, Paris)

- Guest professor in Kansai University of Health Sciences (Osaka, Japan)

Dr. Michael G. Hammes, MD, Germany

Studies of medicine at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, studies of medicine, philosophy, German language and literature at the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, clinical studies of medicine at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz and the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Universität Frankfurt, medical examination passed in Frankfurt. Junior house officer at the Centre for Cardiovascular Pharmacology Prof. Belz in Wiesbaden. DAAD-grant for four years studies of Chinese language and culture and postgraduate studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of TCM in Beijing, China. Scientific assistant at the Department of Sports Medicine of the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, medical thesis on the influence of acupuncture on physical working capacity in humans, junior house officer in general practise and gynecological practise in Stuttgart, resident physician at the Department of Neurology of the Technische Universität München under the supervision of Prof. Conrad, maintenance of the Center for Pain Therapy, scientific publications on basic research and clinical application of acupuncture in pain therapy, publication of several reference books on acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, at present clinical work in integrative medicine as consultant neurologist in hospital an practise, since 1994 lecturer of the German Medical Acupuncture Association (DAEGfA), past member of DAEGfA board, member of ICMART board. On September 10th 2012 Dr. Michael Hammes MD was appointed to be a visiting professor of the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM, PRC, for 5 years.

Mike has been Medical Director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) since 2001. This is a full time job that involves running the BMAS London Teaching Clinic (LTC), coordinating and lecturing on BMAS courses in Western medical acupuncture, acting as an associate editor for the Medline-listed journal Acupuncture in Medicine, and representing the BMAS at various academic and political meetings.

He is an Honorary Clinical Specialist at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, and enjoys a close working relationship with colleagues who, like him, believe that life is too short for drinking cheap wine.

His principal academic and clinical interest is musculoskeletal pain, and in particular, needling therapies in the treatment of myofascial pain syndromes.

He is a reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine and many other journals.

After completing his medical degree at Leeds, and several hospital jobs in the north of England, Mike joined the Royal Air Force for a six and a half year short service commission. A substantial portion of the workload for a general duties medical officer (GDMO) in the Royal Air Force is musculoskeletal medicine. Mike came across acupuncture by accident whilst working as a GDMO. He followed his interest in musculoskeletal medicine and acupuncture on retiring from military service, and finally found himself occupied full time in the field of acupuncture (see start of the piece).

* Oct 2010 Knighted  "Officer in the Order of Oranje-Nassau" at the Opening of the international World Congress of Chinese Medicine WCCM amidst 850 participants in the Hague. Motivation for the royal award: For continuous efforts in promoting the application of acupuncture in health care in the Netherlands and abroad, as an outstanding acupuncture TCM-specialist and as a recognized medical doctor in the scientific community and in patient care.

* President since 2005 of the Dutch Acupuncture Society for Medical Doctors, NAAV (Nederlandse Artsen Acupunctuur Vereniging, the only Association for Medical Acupuncture in the Netherlands).

My first period of NAAV-Board membership was from 1987 – 1994, whilst President of Artsenfederatie Additieve Geneeskunde AAG, a Dutch Federation of six Associations of Medical Doctors practising Complementary Medicine (1987 - 1994).

* Initiator of setting up the NERF, NAAV Education Research Foundation, a vehicle for funding research in TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine and being the new School for standardized medical Acupuncture from 2011.

* Congress President of the ICMART World Congress on Medical Acupuncture, May 2011, The Hague Netherlands.

* President of the local Organizing Committee of the World Congress on Chinese Medicine WCCM, 1 – 4 Oct 2010, The Hague Netherlands.

* Within 7 months after organizing the International World Congress WCCM for the WFCMS, she organized the ICMART World Congress 2011 in The Hague.

* Guest Lecturer at the Utrecht University Medical Faculty, for the optional course called Complementary perspectives in healthcare, resp. acupuncture, since 2007 every year in May, the students get lectures at the university and afterwards come in the medical practices of the guest lecturers.

Before I was Senior guest-lecturer at the Utrecht University's Post graduate course PAOG-for general practitioners entitled: "Acupuncture as a complementary tool in modern medicine" , from 1987 – 1992. Beside this activity I presented Acupuncture lectures on the invitation of the Dutch national student platform GRANULLA in their eight cities of medical faculties. Also at the AMC in the curriculum for medical students in their fifth year and in Utrecht for students in their fourth year.

* Member of the scientific committee of the NAAV from  2007, after completing the one year Basic methodology-course at the VUmc Epidemiology.

* Project leader of the Randomised Clinical Trial Cost effectiveness acupuncture for tennis elbow at the Rotterdam Univ. clinic and the Bunnik acupuncture center clinic (1995- 1998).

* Editor in Chief of the NAAV Scientific Journal, 1987 – 2002.
At the Journal's 25^th jubileum congress in 2002 awarded the NAAV-badge of merit and then continued as honorary editor till 2008.

* Scientific Counsellor of the editorial board of the DÄGfA's journal in 1989- 1992 afterwards of  the SMS's journal "Chinesische Medizin."  It all began with the physicians degree at the "Universität Wien".

* Director of the Acupuncture Center Clinic in Bunnik/NL from 1977, ongoing.

Dr. François Beyens, MD, Brussels, Belgium

University: Doctor in Medicine from University of Louvain, Belgium. Candidate in Philosophy and Letters from Belgian National Jury. Licentiate of the London College of Osteopathy (for MDs).

Languages: French, English, Spanish, Chinese.

From 1968 to 1971: study in Hong Kong and Taiwan, student of Chinese and acupuncture with several masters: Lu Yi Gong, Wu Wei Ping, Zhuang Yu Ming and Huang Wei San.

Since 1971: back in Brussels, practicing acupuncture since then.

Founding member of the Belgian Association of Medical Acupuncturists. Teaching Monitor during 10 years. Main teacher for 16 years.

Successively Vice-President and President. Instrumental in most of its activities: courses, seminars, study trips to Taiwan, Hong-Kong, Vienna, London, Sofia, Prague, Riga, Cyprus . Active participation in more than 150 international congresses or symposiums.

Founding member and General Secretary (1983-2010) of the International Council of Acupuncture and Related Techniques (ICMART), an umbrella association of about 90 medical associations of acupuncture, representing more than 35.000 medical acupuncturists.

Seminars in many countries: France, England, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Morocco, Brazil, USA, Denmark, Israel, Austria, Sweden, Canada, Porto Rico, Bulgaria, Latvia, etc.

Since 1989 training personally dozens of medical acupuncturists.

Translation into french of Chen Ji-Rui: Acupuncture case histories.

Publication of three books: Revisiting Acupuncture, vol. I, II and III.

Open-minded defender and critical promoter of Medical Acupuncture.