Jane Armstrong, DVM, MS, MBA, Diplomate ACVIM, is currently a professor in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department at the University of Minnesota. She has broad clinical and research interests within small animal internal medicine, including gastrointestinal disease, feline medicine, integrative medicine, clinical nutrition and canine genetics. Armstrong holds board certification in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, is president of ACVIM (Small Animal), and is certified in veterinary acupuncture.

Marilyn Bach, MS, APRN, BC, CHTP, is a certified healing touch practitioner and mentor and has studied a variety of energy healing modalities throughout the past 15 years. Bach has lectured on energy-based healing practices as an adjunct faculty member in the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing and the Center for Spirituality & Healing. She is also certified as a clinical specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing.

David Berg, MA, MDiv, recently retired after 29 years as a chaplain with the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. He continues to work as a cultural competency educator/consultant for Fairview's Office of Diversity. Berg teaches a course on Cultures, Faith Traditions, and Health Care at the University of Minnesota and is the author of the Berg Cultural/Spiritual Assessment Tool. He has spent significant time in the local Native American and African American communities in Minnesota and has lived and parented in a bi-racial family for many years.

Judith Buchanan, PhD, DMD, associate dean for Academic Affairs for the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, found her way into dentistry while doing post-doctoral work in biochemistry. In addition to spending a good deal of her career in dental research, Buchanan has a long-standing interest in the field of virtual reality and incorporating simulation technology into educational curricula.

Beth Burgan, MA, MFA, followed up a career in art education and art therapy with a career in massage therapy; she has practiced full time since 1988. Burgan is certified by NCTMB and has advanced certification in NeuroMuscular Therapy. She is an assistant professor in the School of Massage Therapy at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn. and serves on a number of interdepartmental committees, such as the Continuing Education and the Curriculum Committees.

Miriam Cameron, PhD, MS, MA, RN, teaches graduate courses about Tibetan Medicine, Ayurveda, Yoga, and India at the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality & Healing. She collaborates on research, teaching, and writing with colleagues in India, Tibet, China, Nepal, and South Korea. Her publications include journal articles and columns, book chapters, a monograph, and books, including Karma & Happiness: A Tibetan Odyssey in Ethics, Spirituality, and Healing (Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama). To learn more, go to: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~camer008.

Pat Culliton, MA, L.Ac., serves as the director of Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Medical Center's Alternative Medicine Division, where she is also the director of Alternative Medicine for the National Institutes of Health Center for Addiction and Alternative Medicine Research. A licensed acupuncturist, she earned her Diplomate in Acupuncture in 1985 from the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists in Washington, D.C. She has special interest in complementary therapies and substance addictions.

Roni Evans, DC, MS, is the dean of Research and the director of the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies (WHCCS) at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Evans has been co-investigator and coordinator of several randomized clinical trials investigating physical treatments for low back, neck, and headache disorders, has participated in several systematic reviews, and has played a pivotal role in five on-going, federally funded, randomized clinical trials in collaboration with investigators from the Berman Center at Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota. She is interested in applying research findings to clinical practice by integrating evidence-based healthcare into Northwestern's curricula and clinical settings.

Sharon Franquemont's life has been dedicated to intuition for more than 30 years. She is a coach, consultant, teacher, reader, and writer in the field. Her expertise includes teaching graduate students at JFK University, delivering intuition training and coaching for employees of major companies, presenting speeches to US and international audiences, writing two books, recording several tape sets, and traveling the world to promote intuition's wisdom.

Lynelle Graham, DVM, is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She is certified in Veterinary Acupuncture and Animal Chiropractic. Her interests include clinical veterinary anesthesiology (specifically pain management) and integrative veterinary medicine (specifically acupuncture, chiropractic, and herbal management of pain and traumatic disease).

Amala Guha, PhD, MPH, MA, is an assistant professor of medicine and the program director of Complementary & Alternative Supportive Care (CASC) at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Having earned her doctoral degree in immunology and completed training in Ayurveda, Guha now focuses on transplant and cancer immunology. She is the founding president of the International Society for Ayurveda and Health, a not-for-profit academic society that aims to further the understanding of Ayurveda, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the society’s official journal Elements.

Christopher Hafner, L.Ac., is a TCM practitioner and licensed acupuncturist in Minnesota with more than 25 years experience. He is currently a faculty member and clinic supervisor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn., where he has taught for the past 10 years. He is also a faculty member of the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Roseville, Minn., and adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches a graduate level course on TCM through the Center for Spirituality & Healing. Hafner lectures locally and nationally on the subject of TCM and is currently involved in several research projects investigating the quality of Chinese medicinal herbs and the integration of TCM and conventional medicine.

Linda Halcón, PhD, MPH, RN, RATC, is an associate professor in the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing, where she is chair of the Integrative, Global & Public Health Co-operative. She is director of Graduate Studies at the Center for Spirituality & Healing and teaches Clinical Aromatherapy as part of the Center’s graduate minor in Complementary Therapies and Healing Practices. Halcón is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology. Her wide-ranging professional experiences include public health administration and international emergency relief programs. Her research interests include antimicrobial applications of botanical medicines and promoting sustainable and healthy communities.

Patricia Hart, MD, is board certified in Internal Medicine & Nephrology. Her mid-career Bush Medical Fellowship catalyzed a profoundly deeper understanding of complementary healing, with an emphasis on meditation and subtle energy healing. She has a well established meditation practice and a long-term relationship with a meditation teacher. Mind body practices are an integral part of her role in teaching medical students and residents, serving chronic rehabilitation patients, and parenting two teenage girls.

Dale Healey, DC, is the dean of the School of Massage Therapy at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Healey was trained as a chiropractor, but his career has focused on massage therapy education for the past ten years. He is currently working toward his PhD in Higher Education Administration at the University of Minnesota. Healey is a member of a Massage Therapy Foundation committee working on the development of best practices guidelines for the profession.

Annie Heiderscheit, PhD, MT-BC, FAMI, NMT, is a board certified music therapist with 18 years of clinical experience and degrees in music therapy, education, and counseling. She has completed advanced training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music and is a fellow through the Association for Music and Imagery. She is also trained in Neurological Music Therapy and is an endorsed facilitator with Remo in HealthRhythms Group Empowerment Drumming. Heiderscheit has conducted research utilizing guided imagery and music with adults in chemical dependency treatment and utilizing music to reduce stress and anxiety during mealtimes with eating disorder patients. She is collaborating on a research grant through the National Institutes of Health to study the use of music intervention to reduce sedation in mechanically ventilated patients. Heiderscheit has authored articles and book chapters on the use of music therapy in various settings. She is a graduate faculty member at the Center for Spirituality & Healing and clinical music therapist with The Emily Program.

Mary Jo Kreitzer, RN, PhD, is the founder and director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing, where she teaches and conducts research on optimal healing environments and mindfulness meditation. She serves on numerous editorial boards, has authored or co-authored more than 90 scholarly papers and book chapters, and lectures and consults both nationally and internationally. She is the past vice-chair of the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Kreitzer is also a professor in the School of Nursing and a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She earned her bachelors and masters degrees in nursing and her PhD in health services research, policy, and administration.

Larry Kuusisto, PhD, DC, is the vice president of Education at LifeScience Alley, a major Midwest health industry trade association, and is the executive director of their non-profit research affiliate, Alley Institute, based in Minneapolis, Minn.. He was vice president of Educational Resources at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minn. until 2002, and was a postdoctoral MnCAM fellow at the University of Minnesota from 2003 to 2005. Kuusisto has a doctoral degree in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota and a DC from Northwestern College of Chiropractic. Prior to his current work in research and education, Kuusisto practiced chiropractic for 20 years in private practice and at Northwestern College of Chiropractic.

Jean Larson, MA, HTR, CTRS, is the program manager for the Center for Therapeutic Horticulture at the University of Minnesota. She earned her master’s degree in therapeutic recreation and outdoor education, and she is pursuing a doctoral degree in the same area. Larson’s research interests include therapeutic horticulture and healing environments—particularly related to therapeutic landscape design. In 2006, Larson authored the book Generations Gardening Together: Sourcebook for Intergenerational Therapeutic Horticulture.

Karen Lawson, MD, the director of Integrated Clinical Services at the Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota, is board certified in both Family Medicine and Holistic Medicine. Lawson is a past president of the American Holistic Medical Association and a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She has training in meditation techniques, yoga, dance/movement therapies, nutrition, homeopathy, and shamanic practices. Lawson is a published author and researcher, and speaks nationally to diverse audiences on the power and potential of integrated and holistic healthcare practices.

Donna LeBlanc Morris, DrPH, CNM, AHN-BC, NBCR, an associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of North Dakota, is a certified nurse-midwife, a board certified holistic nurse, a nationally certified reflexologist, and a Reiki master. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare, she has served as a practitioner, public health consultant, educator, researcher, and author. Her current research centers around symptom management in menopause, particularly focusing on the impact of reflexology on menopause.

Kathryn Leggitt, RNC, MS, CNM, is a certified nurse-midwife at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minn. She has additional experience in childbirth and adolescent sexuality education and is a Reiki practitioner. Her interests in women’s healthcare include adolescent pregnancy prevention, the use of imagery to promote healthy body image, and domestic violence education.

Barb Leonard, PhD, RN, PNP, is a professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. Leonard has faculty appointments in the School of Public Health and the Center for Spirituality & Healing and holds a professorship of Long-Term Care of Children in the School of Nursing. She is also spiritual director with certification from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology's Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Mass. Leonard directs the Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs in the School of Nursing funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dennis McKenna, PhD, has worked in the interdisciplinary fields of pharmacognosy, ethnopharmacology, and ethnobotany for more than 20 years. McKenna has conducted extensive ethnobotanical fieldwork in the Peruvian, Colombian, and Brazilian Amazon. He serves on the Advisory Board of the American Botanical Council, and on the Editorial Board of Phytomedicine, International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Haworth Herbal Press from 2001 to 2007 and is author or co-author on more than 35 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals. Dennis and two colleagues are co-authors of a recently-published reference work on herbal medicines, titled Botanical Medicines: the Desk Reference for Major Herbal Supplements. He is a senior lecturer at the Center for Spirituality & Healing.

Pamela Miles is a Reiki master practicing since 1986 who has 30 years' experience in complementary and alternative medicine. Miles is a pioneer in the integration of Reiki into conventional health care, creating Reiki programs in prominent New York City hospitals, publishing in peer-reviewed medical journals and popular media, and participating in research, including an NIH-funded study. She is the author of Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide and the founding president of the Institute for the Advancement of Complementary Therapies (I*ACT). Although her practice is based in New York City, she also travels around the country teaching classes to help Reiki practitioners prepare themselves to collaborate in mainstream healthcare settings.

Terry Pearson, RPh, MBA, has more than 30 years of clinical experience in healthcare, including working as a pharmacist. Pearson has completed the practicum professional internship in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with Jon Kabat-Zinn and facilitates MBSR classes at the University of Minnesota. She is currently working on an NIH clinical research grant measuring the impact of MBSR on solid-organ transplant patients conducted by the Center for Spirituality & Healing.

Deborah Ringdahl, RN, MS, CNM, is a Reiki master and has been practicing as a certified nurse-midwife and Reiki practitioner since 1982 and teaching in the Nurse-Midwifery and Women’s Health Program at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing since 1992. She completed her level I Reiki in 1982 and level II in 1996, and she received her Reiki Mastery in 2000. Ringdahl has been teaching Reiki classes through the Center for Spirituality & Healing since 2003. She is co-author of the Reiki chapter in Complementary/Alternative Therapies in Nursing (2006), 5th edition. Her current interests involve introducing Reiki into nursing care and teaching Reiki to nurses for both patient and self care.  

Joel Slaton, MD, MSBS, is an associate professor, Department of Urologic Surgery and the University of Minnesota Medical School. In addition to his medical degree, Slaton has a master's degree in Urologic Sciences. He is the principal investigator on several NIH grants examining the effectiveness of mushrooms with cancer patients.

Karen Teagarden, BA, ARCB, has more than 14 years experience as a reflexologist, teacher, and writer. As a nationally certified reflexologist, she assisted both Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Methodist Hospital and Clinics in Minneapolis, Minn. in starting complementary care programs for cancer patients. They use reflexology at the bedside in the hospital and during chemotherapy treatments in the clinics. While at Methodist Hospital, Teagarden initiated and supervised the Reflexology Intern Program and wrote the manual for interns. She has also written articles about reflexology for local magazines and industry periodicals, and she recently completed the Complementary Therapy Workbook to assist cancer patients in facing the emotional, mental, and spiritual issues not addressed by the medical teams.

Carolyn Torkelson, MD, is medical director at the Women’s Health Center at the University of Minnesota, assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and faculty at the Center for Spirituality & Healing. Her clinical practice offers integrative care to women with multiple health concerns, providing services at both the Women’s Health Center and the Breast Center. Dr. Torkelson is active in clinical research and is co-principal investigator on studies involving herbal and nutritional interventions. She teaches a course on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and has authored several papers.