Research

Welcome to the Research Program Web site! Follow these links to learn about our administrative faculty and affiliated researchers. Also find out how to make a donation that will help extend research on complementary and alternative therapies. Address questions to our research team by contacting our program office.

Mission

The mission of our University of Michigan Integrative Medicine research team is:

• To conduct innovative and rigorous research on whole person healing, relationship-centered care, alternative modalities, and integrative whole systems of healthcare.
• To widely disseminate knowledge from our integrative medicine research with an emphasis on publication in the scientific literature.
• To foster interdisciplinary cooperation among colleagues committed to integrative medicine research and to encourage the development of new researchers.

Program Description

UMIM researchers participate in activities linked to the following areas of programming:

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Center (CAMRC) . The CAMRC is comprised of an interdisciplinary group of researchers, under the leadership of cardiac surgeon, Steven F. Bolling, M.D., family physician, Sara L. Warber, M.D., and statistical analyst , Brenda Gillespie, Ph.D. This network of researchers extends across departments of the Medical School , among the allied health schools and colleges, through central campus departments, and includes CAM practitioners from the community. The CAMRC has enrolled over 500 subjects since its inception. It provides the UMIM research team with a Data Management/Statistical Analysis Core and an Administrative Core.

Cardioprotection Research Laboratory . Principal investigator: Steven Bolling, M.D. The laboratory investigates methods to protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion damage. Ischemia/reperfusion damage can be severe and acute as during cardiac surgery procedures, or mild and chronic as with congestive heart failure. Researchers utilize both synthetic pharmaceuticals and natural phytochemicals, and examine their impact on several measures of cardiac function and viability following ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Michigan Integrative Health Research Council (MIHRC). The MIHRC promotes the development of a comprehensive structure for CAHIM research at the University of Michigan by facilitating the identification and acquisition of seed funding for pilot research, leveraging resources for common infrastructure needs, and providing a venue for connecting research mentors with mentees. The MIHRC facilitates interdisciplinary discussion related to the study of complementary, alternative, holistic, and integrative medicine. It also provides researchers with a venue for collaborative research and grant proposal development.

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