2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. —Albert Einstein
Letter from the Director It’s been another exciting year of growth and development for the Helfgott Research Institute at the National College of Natural Medicine. Our research at Helfgott has a single purpose: to advance the science of natural medicine in order to improve clinical practice. To accomplish this goal, our talented research team collaborates with top researchers at other institutions and clinicians to produce highquality, rigorous research studies. Helfgott investigators also mentor students to achieve their highest potential, nurturing and inspiring future natural medicine researchers. Some of the many strengths we bring to the table include: • Broad and deep research expertise in nutrition, immunology, Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, health disparities, and other topics. • Strategically positioned grant applications and research studies. • A team-driven culture that draws on multiple skill sets, experiences, and insights of our researchers. You are sure to be inspired as your read our annual report. We encourage you to visit Helfgott at NCNM, attend the conferences we sponsor, and browse through our Web site to learn more about the array of studies in our portfolio. We are grateful for the philanthropic members of our community who make Helfgott a personal priority. Like most other research institutes, we rely not only on grants, but also on tax-free charitable donations to fund research. When you review the successes of the past year and look forward to those ahead, we hope you will consider how you might support the research at Helfgott. Thank you for taking the time to catch up with us at Helfgott. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at research@ncnm.edu.
Heather Zwickey, PhD Director, Helfgott Research Institute Dean of Research, National College of Natural Medicine
www.helfgott.org | 1
Fighting Obesity in America Obesity is the largest health concern in developed countries. In 2005, approximately 112,000 deaths were related to obesity, making it the second leading cause of premature death in America. It has been estimated that the annual cost of obesity in the U.S. is close to 117 billion dollars—an amount that is comparable to the economic costs of cigarette smoking. Despite the huge health and financial burdens that obesity costs society, there is very little government money spent on obesity research to help uproot the problem. In 2007, only 658 million dollars went to funding obesity research.
The naturopathic approach to weight loss is based on safe and effective programs that encourage modest but consistent weight loss and emphasize long-term changes in eating, physical activity, and lifestyle. The Helfgott Research Institute is evaluating sustainable weight control methods including diet, nutritional supplements, stress reduction, and exercise. The following research studies and programs are being done at Helfgott to move forward with this initiative:
One of the leading health objectives in the United States is to reduce the prevalence of obesity in adult populations to less than 15%. According to our national statistics, obesity rates are worsening rather than improving. So far this year, obesity rates have increased in 31 states and have stayed the same in 18. Currently about two-thirds of adults are overweight, and about half of these individuals are obese. If obesity rates continue to grow at this rate, it is estimated that about 74 percent of the adult population will be overweight or obese by 2010.
Kim Tippens, ND, MSAOM, a postdoctoral fellow at the Helfgott Research Institute, is working to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of diet and exercise-directed weight loss interventions in low income populations with metabolic syndrome. The disproportionately high levels of obesity in low income populations may be the result of several factors related to accessing resources and education, as well as cost and time constraints. Dr. Tippens wants to identify the obstacles to adhering to a 12-week lifestyle intervention program, which will allow clinicians and public health educators to target their efforts more effectively to this population.
With rising obesity rates, it is clear that both government and private institutions need to allocate more money for research. F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing America, 2006, is an annual report produced by the Trust for America’s Health that examines state obesity rates and government policies, and offers comprehensive recommendations to manage the obesity crisis. One key recommendation from the report is to implement more fast-track research to identify evidence-based interventions and best practices. Obesity is a multifaceted problem and we are just in the beginning stages of understanding the underlying mechanisms and causes. It requires both the will of the individual to make behavior changes and more research to get an in-depth understanding of human behavior, nutrition, socioeconomic status, metabolism, and environment and how they relate to obesity.
Helfgott Research Institute | 2
Social Medicine and Obesity
Detoxification Diets Nutrition and weight management services that can effectively help individuals maintain a healthy weight are necessary to combat the obesity epidemic. Pat Elmer, PhD, a senior investigator at the Helfgott Research Institute, is looking to assess the safety and effectiveness of detoxification diets on metabolism and weight control. Detox diets are often recommended for weight control and better health within the naturopathic community.
Metabolic Syndrome Combating obesity can sometimes be more complex than just changing diet and exercise alone. In a study evaluating obese men and women with metabolic syndrome, Helgott senior investigator Carlo Calabrese, ND, along with OHSU obesity researcher Jonathan Purnell, MD, are exploring the effects of expectancies associated with different clinical trial designs on weight loss. During the 12-week pilot study, 100 obese men and women with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned to take a natural supplement for weight loss to see if the effect of the supplement changes based on the expectancy of receiving the supplement. Participants underwent a nutrition education program taught by a naturopathic physician to improve their food choices and increase their exercise levels. The goal of this study is to yield information about the efficacy of weight loss methods and the expectancy effects associated with these methods.
Helfgott and OHSU investigators are also working on a study that will evaluate the protein hormones leptin and ghrelin for their roles in satiety and metabolism. The goal of this study is to determine if leptin and ghrelin can have an effect on longterm adherence to dietary interventions in individuals with metabolic syndrome. In order to observe changes in hormone levels, these researchers will measure leptin and ghrelin levels in 75 obese men and women with metabolic syndrome before and after participating in a 12-week lifestyle intervention program.
“Despite the huge health and financial burdens that obesity costs society, there is very little government money spent on obesity research.”
Stress Reduction People who are physically and emotionally stressed have a greater propensity to gain weight and be overweight or obese. At Helgott’s psychophysiology lab, Agatha Colbert, MD, and medical student Andrew Litchy will be studying how meditation can affect heart rate variability and the body’s ability to respond to stress. Stress can also lead to sleeping problems, and so Dr. Colbert will also be evaluating the effectiveness of neurofeedback on insomnia.
Nutrition Education Helfgott is also working to translate clinical research and provide health and nutrition education in the Portland community. This past April, Heather Zwickey, PhD, and Chelsea Lenge, Registered Dietitian and Helfgott project coordinator, presented a nutrition and cooking lecture on the Anti-Inflammatory Diet at the Oregon Health and Science University Center for Women’s Health. The lecture was based on a recent Helfgott study evaluating the naturopathic AntiInflammatory Diet and its effectiveness in preventing type 2 diabetes. The diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and nuts—all foods that can help one maintain a healthy body weight. More classes will be offered during the fall of 2008. The Helfgott Research Institute is dedicated to exploring and identifying the root causes of obesity. We aim to provide education tools and evidence-based research to support the development of sustainable lifestyle intervention programs, improve clinical care, and expand health insurance coverage and access for all Americans to ensure preventive care.
66% of adults are overweight or obese 19% of children ages 6–11 are overweight $117 billion—the estimated annual cost of obesity in 2004
Current Studies Homeopathy and Influenza: A Description of Subtle Medicine
Examining Disparities in Our Health Care System
Homeopathy may play a role in curtailing recurrent viral epidemics such as influenza. Paul Herscu, ND, DHANP, a prominent homeopathic physician and founder of The New England School of Homeopathy, has teamed up with Helfgott senior investigator Carlo Calabrese, ND, MPH, to design a clinical trial of homeopathic treatment of influenza.
It’s no secret that health care inequities exist in the United States. Policy makers, health practitioners and researchers from various organizations are working to understand and address disparities in access, utilization, and quality of health care in this country. Helfgott post-doctoral fellow Kim Tippens, ND, MSAOM, is breaking new ground in this field as one of the few naturopathic physician researchers in the country investigating how natural medicine can be used to address health disparities. In particular, Dr. Tippens investigates the role that naturopathic care can play in improving access to high-quality preventive health care.
Homeopathy is practiced internationally and is reported to have had significant successes in the influenza pandemic of 1918. However, to date, there are few well-designed clinical studies that evaluate the benefits of homeopathy as compared to placebos, antiviral drugs, and vaccines. Tests of homeopathy usually have had significant flaws in design and, as a result, homeopathic treatment of influenza has not been properly evaluated. Homeopathic practitioners have noticed that seasonal cycles of influenza manifest unique sets of symptoms which are characteristic of certain homeopathic remedies. This collaborative study between Dr. Herscu and Dr. Calabrese will investigate influenza and homeopathy using the seasons matched to specific homeopathic remedies. If successful, the study will allow clinicians to understand and employ these methods in their clinical practices in order to keep patients healthy.
New Instrument to Explore Energy Flow in Acupuncture Meridians Helfgott researcher Agatha Colbert, MD, has teamed up with Miridia Technology, Inc., to design, develop, and test a new instrument that will measure and record skin impedance at numerous acupuncture points simultaneously. This system could potentially evaluate the electrophysiological mechanisms of acupuncture, test whether acupuncture points and acupuncture meridians are electrically connected, and begin to solve the mystery of Qi. Skin impedance is defined as the skin’s opposition to the flow of an electrical current. There is a theory that acupuncture points have a lower skin impedance compared to non-acupuncture points on the body. In order to effectively test this theory, a high-quality system that can reliably measure skin impedance at multiple sites over extended time periods is needed. The goal of this project is to eventually develop the hardware, firmware and software for an automated 8-channel module prototype that will continuously measure skin resistance and capacitance simultaneously, at four acupuncture sites and four non-acupuncture sites, for up to four hours. When tested and validated, this technology will allow researchers to measure change in skin impedence as acupuncture is performed—and may ultimately provide a surrogate measure of Qi.
Dr. Tippens is primarily focusing on naturopathic treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Diabetes affects 20 million people in the U.S. and is associated with enormous morbidity, mortality, and economic and social costs. In addition, research has shown that wealth and race are closely linked to diabetes risk and diabetes outcomes. “We need to explore a range of models for cost-effective diabetes care,” said Dr. Tippens. “Establishing naturopathic care as a potentially cost-effective and clinically effective model for diabetes treatment is especially relevant for underserved populations where access to conventional care may be limited.”
Can Green Vegetables Affect Women’s Hormone Levels? Estrogen-sensitive cancers are increasingly common and affect women’s health worldwide. Diets high in vegetables from the cabbage family (cruciferous vegetables) have been shown to reduce the risk of breast and other cancers by changing the way the body metabolizes estrogen. With a grant from Standard Process, Inc., Helfgott investigators Patricia Elmer, PhD, MS, FAHA, Sandy Szabat, ND, MPH, and Jill Edwards, ND, are conducting a study to determine if a supplement made from cruciferous vegetables will have a similar effect on estrogen metabolism. Estrogen metabolism results in the formation of two important compounds. One of these compounds has been associated with an increased risk of estrogen-linked illnesses such as cervical and breast cancer, while the other has not. This suggests that a shift from production of one compound to the other may be beneficial in decreasing the risk of developing diseases. The goal of the study is to determine if dried cruciferous vegetable supplements alter estrogen breakdown favoring the production of the “healthier” compound.
www.helfgott.org | 5
Show Me the Evidence:
Research Education at NCNM Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) EBM is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best evidence into the decision-making process for patient care. The evidence, by itself, does not make a decision, but it can help support the patient-care process. The full integration of these components into clinical decisions enhances the opportunity for optimal clinical outcomes and quality of life. The practice of EBM is usually triggered by patient encounters which generate questions about the effects of therapy, the utility of diagnostic tests, the prognosis of diseases, or the etiology of disorders. (From Sackett, D. 2002) National College of Natural Medicine’s Helfgott Research Institute aims to train future natural medicine physicianresearchers. Toward this end, dozens of students flock to Helfgott each year to develop research projects, collect data, and write manuscripts. NCNM provides a strong sciencebased education, but research content is limited. Like other medical schools across the US, NCNM is upgrading its curriculum and teaching methods to include a host of recent advances, including Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) and research literacy. By increasing the research training content for our faculty and students, future naturopathic physicians and Chinese medicine practitioners will have an enhanced ability to critically evaluate biomedical literature, have greater knowledge of therapies prescribed to their patients by allopathic physicians, be more equipped to participate in clinical research, and facilitate the integration of CAM and conventional health care delivery into a patient-centered, primary-care approach. On August 1, 2007, NCNM was awarded an R25 Research Education grant from the National Institutes of Health. We affectionately call this project Research CAMP, or R-CAMP. The grant pays for several initiatives to introduce concepts of EBM into the NCNM curriculum. The primary objectives of the NCNM R-CAMP are to:
• Accelerate faculty and student development toward becoming future researchers • Enhance the research partnership and collaboration between NCNM and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) NCNM is partnering with OHSU and developing the infrastructure, cultural philosophy, and scientific and academic resources to accomplish these goals. The NCNM plan is based on a similar initiative at the University of Michigan which introduced EBM into its medical school curriculum about 10 years ago. The NCNM strategy is to train a team of top-tier faculty to pilot the initiative. This group of faculty will then assist in the gradual development of lecture material that contains principles of EBM. In the first year of this project, five vanguard faculty members established the core of faculty committed to this initiative. The vanguard faculty attended the Rocky Mountain Evidence Based Medicine Workshop in August 2007, and then spent the year developing new academic material, revising course syllabi, piloting new curricula, and developing infrastructure for this four-year project. At the end of the project, we expect that research will be woven throughout the curriculum at NCNM, as it is integrated into existing courses and new electives.
Steps of Evidence Based Medicine The Patient A clinical problem or question arises with the care of the patient The Question Construct a well-built clinical question derived from the case The Resource Select the appropriate resources and conduct a search of the medical literature
• Create an academic culture supportive of research education
The Evaluation Appraise the evidence and the applicability in the context of the patient
• Increase research literacy among the faculty and students by increasing understanding and appreciation of biomedical research literature and approaches to enhancing scientific knowledge
The Patient Return to the patient, integrate the evidence from the literature with clinical expertise, patient preferences, lab tests, etc. to make a clinical decision
• Strengthen the research content of the NCNM curriculum and clinical experiences
Self-Evaluation Evaluate performance with the patient
Helfgott Research Institute | 6
“National College of Natural Medicine’s Helfgott Research Institute aims to train future natural medicine physician-researchers. “
Student Research PARTNER—Where Clinical Practice and Research Achieve True Solutions for Health Care Helfgott is actively moving toward a more holistic perspective with its Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), called PARTNER, an innovative, Internet-based project headed by Dr. Heather Zwickey. In PBRNs, clinicians and researchers collaborate to collect data from patients being treated by the clinicians. These collaborations are examples of whole-systems research, and are genuine models for clinicians and researchers in search of the best methods for healing patients. For some clinicians the word “research” conjures up a sterile and controlled way to understand health and well-being. Typically the picture involves scientists tinkering in white lab coats, manipulating objects in bubbling test tubes, and subjecting people to placebos and unmarked pills. However, this might not make sense to clinicians interacting with real people and real situations. Naturopathic and Chinese medicine both consist of complicated algorithms of individualized treatment care, which are difficult to assess in research. With controlled research, the human element is minimized to eliminate error, but the results are not always applicable to real-world settings. This approach to research is a linear model of thinking, and cannot adequately detail how clinical science actually effects change in a population affected with disease. PARTNER will serve as a powerful tool because it will provide researchers with concrete, scientific data demonstrating how naturopathic and Chinese medicine work in a clinical setting. PARTNER represents the wave of the future because it creates an interactive, collective database where patients, practitioners, and researchers can benefit from practical medical information. Within this database, researchers can understand which treatment practices work with a specific disease population and convey this to a larger audience. This form of whole-systems research will not just help people become healthy and maintain wellness but also gives them effective, powerful tools to live a richer life.
A Closer Look at the Blood-Type Diet There are many factors to consider when choosing a healthy diet. Monitoring calories is common for people who are concerned with their health. Some people also consider the fat, fiber, protein, and carbohydrate content of the foods they consume. Peter D’Adamo, ND, suggests that a person’s blood type should also be considered. In his book entitled, “Eat Right 4 Your Type,” D’Adamo suggests that the different blood types (A, B, AB, and O) can interact with foods causing inflammation. People of each blood type are supposed to avoid foods that might interact with their type. Students at the Helfgott Research Institute are studying whether specific foods can cause blood-type specific inflammation. For example, if a food is not recommended for blood type A, does it cause the same type of inflammation in types A, B, AB, and O? In addition to reviewing the literature for foods that may cause inflammation, students are conducting a clinical study. In the study, participants fast overnight and have a blood draw in the morning. They then eat the food of interest. Follow-up blood draws are completed one hour, two hours, four hours, 16 hours, 24 hours, and five days after eating the food. Researchers look for inflammatory cytokines in the blood samples. Eventually researchers at Helfgott hope to conduct a controlled feeding study that compares the blood-type diet to other diets.
“Practice-Based Research Networks are examples of whole-systems research, and are genuine models for clinicians and researchers in search of the best methods for healing patients.“ www.helfgott.org | 9
“Rather than examine clinical symptoms, student researchers at Helfgott are studying the physiological effects of Echinacea on the immune system.”
Immune Herbs Echinacea is both widely used and well studied. Of the many clinical studies on Echinacea, some demonstrate positive results, while others do not. Critics cite many reasons for failed clinical studies, including inconsistent botanical potency, timing of administration, incorrect dosing, inappropriateness of study population and others. Rather than examine clinical symptoms, student researchers at Helfgott are studying the physiological effects of Echinacea on the immune system. Previous pilot research by NCNM alumna, Julie Brush, showed that Echinacea could stimulate both Th1 CD4 T cells and T regulatory CD25+ CD4 T cells (Tregs). These results were exciting because it was the first to show that Echinacea Helfgott Research Institute | 10
could stimulate Tregs, which are cells known to be involved in suppressing autoimmunity. This study was done with participants who avoided caffeine, alcohol, supplements, vitamins, and all pharmaceuticals. Student researchers at Helfgott are conducting a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study with Echinacea to determine if the effects of Echinacea can be measured in a population that is eating a normal diet. Participants have a baseline blood draw, and then ingest Echinacea over 72 hours. Blood is drawn at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Researchers are looking for activation of CD4 T cells and T regulatory cells in healthy individuals. If Echinacea can indeed stimulate the activity of Tregs, it could be important for patients with autoimmune disease.
Megan Choy
Sarah Marshall
Jeremy Mikolai
Megan is a second-year ND student at NCNM and has been an integral part of establishing the psychophysiology lab at the Helfgott Research Institute. During the past year, Megan took the lead on a project to measure heart rate variability. Using donated Holter monitors, Megan found a software program, learned how to operate the monitors and how to clean and analyze the data gathered, and also taught others how to do so. Megan is currently working on a project to develop a manual of operations for the lab.
Sarah is a fourth-year ND student who has been part of the student research program ever since she came to NCNM. She is a lead researcher on a study of the correlations between personality types and health. Using health histories, personality tests such as the SF-36, Big Five Personality Inventory, and the Enneagram, along with ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese astrology types, the Personality and Health research team is attempting to correlate these multiple systems of assessment and see if specific health outcomes can be predicted from personality type. Sarah has taken a lead role in data analysis for this study, and is always on hand for moral support and inspiration.
Third-year ND student Jeremy Mikolai and his research team are conducting an investigation into the effects of the herb Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Ashwagandha has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine —the traditional medicine of India. The herb is purported to have effects on every system of the body and is said to promote rejuvenation, strength and ability to adapt to stress. The focus of this study is to investigate the effects of Ashwagandha on the communication, activation and regulation of the immune system. Jeremy is the lead author on the team’s first manuscript for publication on this research. That paper is pending publication at the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Sarah plans to start a private practice in Montana after graduation, and to continue participating in whole systems research. Sarah is primarily interested in researching what keeps people healthy, as opposed to what causes people to become sick.
Jeremy also works with Helfgott principal investigator Agatha Colbert, MD, on a study investigating the electrical properties of acupuncture points. Jeremy is a 2008-2009 scholarship recipient, a Presidential Ambassador Leadership Society member, and a member of NCNM’s ZRT Cup/College Bowl Team.
Megan earned a BA in psychobiology from Swarthmore College, where she worked in a lab studying memory modulation. After graduation, she worked as a professional ballet dancer in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and then went to southeast Asia to model. She later lived in California, where she taught and tutored middle school and high school students. After she graduates from NCNM, Megan plans to split her time between private practice and research.
www.helfgott.org | 11
Events & Community Service
“It is crucial for future physicians and health care practitioners to understand the communities they serve.”
Medicine on the Move Helfgott Research Institute staff members are deeply engaged in community service activities at NCNM and beyond. Each fall, Helfgott staff members help to organize a major community service event for incoming naturopathic and Chinese medicine students called “Medicine on the Move.” During this event, new students, as well as NCNM faculty and staff, volunteer for an afternoon at community organizations all over the Portland metropolitan area. Volunteer sites have included the Oregon Food Bank, the African American Health Coalition, the Red Cross, Portland Impact, and Outside In. This event is not only designed for new students to get to know each other during orientation, but also to learn about the various communities in the city. It is crucial for future physicians and health care practitioners to understand the communities they serve, and Helfgott is proud to be part of this first step toward that goal.
2008 Symposium for Portland Area Research on Complementary & Alternative Medicine Portland is a hub of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research, with dozens of collaborations between allopathic, chiropractic, naturopathic and Chinese medicine schools and researchers. Each year, the Symposium for Portland Area Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (SPARC) brings members of this research community together to share their latest findings, network and build new collaborations. SPARC 2008 was no exception. A highlight of this event was a keynote speech by Norwegian researcher Vinjar Fonnebo, MD, PhD, who spoke about how to reconcile the experience of CAM practitioners with the findings of CAM researchers and figure out how to conduct research that reflects actual clinical practice. Local researchers
presented talks on cancer patients’ quality of life in relation to CAM therapy usage, use of an acupuncture research database to find high-quality acupuncture research trials, the development of an experimental animal model of the placebo response, a randomized controlled trial for tapas acupressure for weight loss, a systematic review of studies that looked at the electrical properties of acupuncture points and meridians, the role of expected treatment outcomes in a trial of chiropractic treatment of headaches, and chiropractors’ views of their care relationships with chronic back pain patients. SPARC 2009 is already in the planning stages—we hope that you will join us next year!
Transforming the Mind Conference Reshapes Perspectives on Consciousness A collaborative discussion took place at this year’s Transforming the Mind Conference, where innovative thinkers took on the task of exploring consciousness from multiple perspectives. This conference specifically addressed the need for a deeper understanding of consciousness in medicine, and how natural medicine and a holistic approach to health and healing might benefit this evolving field of study. Both new ideas and old traditions were represented, revealing the potential for harnessing the power of consciousness to engender health. Additionally, new methodology was discussed to understand consciousness research from within a real-world clinical setting. The panel of more than a dozen speakers included Mikel Aickin, PhD, from the University of Arizona, who presented cutting edge biostatistical models. Tom Janisse, MD, Editorin-Chief of the Permanente Journal, presented transformative perspectives concerning the doctor-patient relationship. Internationally renowned lecturer Kathleen Harrison offered an ancient, ethnobotanical perspective by describing her research with indigenous tribes that effectively treat illness using the healing properties of psychoactive herbs. NCNM faculty member, Steven Sandberg-Lewis, ND, demonstrated therapeutic tools like Emotional Freedom Technique to help unblock complex and deeply rooted conditions. These speakers and more, from across the field of medicine, successfully held the sort of spirited discussion for which Helfgott is becoming increasingly known.
A combined effort of the Sierra Club and EAC created a noteworthy event called the Impact Film Festival. The film festival took center stage at Portland’s Hollywood Theater with a series of short documentaries that described the impacts a polluted environment can have on our health and our neighborhoods. Afterwards a panel discussion followed with the help of two of NCNM’s own, Suzanna Cerzenko, ND and Christopher Metro, ND, LAc who explained to concerned community members the impacts chemicals and pollutants have on the body and what steps to take to counteract the toxins. The night still resonates with the individuals who attended as it offered a more promising perspective for a greener future.
Global Outreach Not only do Helfgott staff members take active roles in local community projects, but they are also involved in projects around the world. In January 2008, Helfgott staff member Erin Connelly, MA, took a break from her research coordination duties to volunteer in rural India on a cardiovascular screening project. Erin worked with an organization in the state of Andhra Pradesh called the Bharati Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS) to screen over 500 villagers for high blood pressure and diabetes, and to gauge their nutritional status and activity levels. Rates of chronic disease are increasing rapidly in India, and BIRDS wanted to find out what the extent of the risk was in their service area. BIRDS used the information gathered during this project to focus their health outreach and community health programs in all of the villages surrounding their headquarters. “This trip was absolutely transformative,” Erin said, “and really showed me the need for increased levels of preventive health care in all parts of the world.”
EAC’s Impact Film Festival Changes the World The Environmental Action Committee (EAC), a collective of eco-minded individuals at NCNM, is making headway toward a greener, more sustainable community. The EAC firmly believes that an educated community, aware of how to make healthy choices, is a truly transformative force that can help others make informed choices about what it means to adopt a green mentality. Group members including Helfgott staff, have rallied around several green-oriented topics and have participated in numerous outreach efforts in the greater Portland area. www.helfgott.org | 13
Helfgott is Based in Portland... ...but Collaborating Across the Globe
Washington Montana Oregon Idaho California Arizona
New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts New York North Carolina Wisconsin
Portland, Oregon With chiropractic, Chinese medicine and naturopathic colleges, Portland is a center for natural medicine research. This environment allows Helfgott to maintain over a dozen collaborations in the Portland area with six different institutions. These collaborations are enhanced by the combined expertise of researchers from NCNM and from the collaborating institutions. Together the teams are able to build projects on a diverse range of subjects including diabetes, vaccines, health services research, acupuncture, nutrition, and others. These collaborations are educational opportunities for all participating institutions, allowing important research to reach more patients.
Helfgott Research Institute  |  14
Nicaragua Helfgott is developing a pilot data collection project in Nicaragua by partnering with Natural Doctors International (NDI), an organization dedicated to treating underserved populations through natural medicine. NDI has created an integrative clinic on the island of Ometepe that serves residents 24 hours a day. In addition, NDI provides opportunities for international medical rotations for naturopathic doctors and medical students, and for other complementary and alternative medical health professionals. Helfgott will work with NDI to conduct observational and outcomes research that can inform NDI’s clinical practice, and their community outreach activities.
Brazil
HELFGOTT’S MISSION IS TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE OF NATURAL MEDICINE, a goal that doesn’t stop at country borders. Helfgott team members are in the process of building an exciting new research program to assist international medical organizations that share our mission but don’t have the resources or manpower to design studies or collect and analyze clinical data on their own.
In the future, we hope to establish a full-fledged Center for Global Health at Helfgott that will serve as a hub of knowledge for natural medicine applications to acute and chronic disease in underserved populations both domestically and internationally.
Georgia
Australia
Tanzania Helfgott is collaborating in Tanzania with Africa Bridge, an organization dedicated to empowering East African communities to improve the lives of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. Collaborative projects include analyzing data from a study of child health indicators in rural Tanzania, and writing a health initiative grant.
www.helfgott.org | 15
Growth Donation Dollars at Work • Pilot Studies • Grant Writing • Bricks & Mortar
Clinical Research
• -80° Freezer • Physiology Monitoring Instruments • Biofeedback Equipment • Statistical Software
Technology
Studies
• Naturopathic Students • Classical Chinese Medicine Students • Post-Doctoral Fellows • Interns • Community
Training
Financial Support $1,200,000
Research Area
Number of Studies 2003
2007
Biologically-Based Practices
3
18
Energy Medicine
1
4
$800,000
Manipulative and Body-Based Practices
0
3
$600,000
Mind-Body Medicine
0
7
Whole Medical Systems
1
3
Total
5
35
$1,000,000
$400,000 $200,000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Honors & Presentations • Agatha Colbert received the Excellence in Research Award, presented by NCNM to honor faculty who excel in teaching, research and community service. • Carlo Calabrese received a Pioneer Award from NCNM and Integrative Therapeutics, Inc., as well as the Best Research Project Award from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. • Patricia Elmer presented at a symposium for cardiovascular disease and diabetes at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting. Helfgott Research Institute | 16
• Heather Zwickey presented Natural and Integrative Medicine Approaches to Psoriasis at the National Psoriasis Foundation meeting in Orlando, FL. • Agatha Colbert presented Measurements for Acupuncture Research: Development of a Continuous Recording System at the Society for Acupuncture Research Symposium in Baltimore, MD and Static Magnetic Field Therapy : A Critical Review of Treatment Parameters at the Bioelectromagnetic Society meeting in San Diego, CA.
Why Give to the Helfgott Research Institute? As a non-profit research organization, the support of friends—like you—is vital to all we do. If you share our passion for natural medicine research and education, we invite you to invest in our programs so that we may continue our groundbreaking efforts.
Every year, donors join us in sponsoring exciting research initiatives around the globe. The healthier the funding, the sooner that effective natural therapies can be studied. Donations to Helfgott are deductible for federal or state tax purposes as allowed by law. Planned giving can offer other tax advantages as well. You can choose to have your donation allocated to a specific type of research, or to a specific geographic region (e.g., the Northwest). You can also ask us to direct the funds to an area where you feel they are needed most. As it becomes increasingly difficult to fund natural medicine research with federal grants, the importance of each donation grows.
$2,500,000 $1,029,837
$0
$5,000,000
Fundraising Goal
Ways You Can Help: Talk about us— tell your friends and family to check out our Web site.
Write about us in an article or a blog.
Submit an entry for the Helfgott blog at: www.helfgottblog.com
Donate— any level helps ($10, $50, $100 or more…)
Find out more about donations on the Helfgott Web site: www.helfgott.org
www.helfgott.org | 17
NCNM, in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran’s status in any of its policies, procedures, or practices. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, College programs and activities, including but not limited to academic admissions, financial aid, educational services, and employment.
049 SW Porter Street Portland, OR 97201 www.helfgott.org
Printed on recycled content paper using soy-based ink