Navigating through the sea of medicine

After a long three years of research and traveling around the country to meet key experts. And after many  hours of handling rare documents and forgotten manuscripts. And after many sleepless nights trying to make sense about how disease traveled during the three major pandemics of the ancient times. And after countless seminars and communications with specialists on ancient epidemiology, and Silk Road / Belt and Road Studies. And while simultaneously working on at least 3 official textbooks and several research committees, I finally completed my PhD in Medicine.   I wrote my research diatribe at the Medical School of the Jinan University in Guangzhou. My thesis supervisor was Prof. Chen Li-guo, a famous exponent of Chinese Integrative Medicine (alongside the now retired Chen Keji). Prof. Chen Li-guo is also an important figure in the TCM world, being one of the top specialists in  Huang Di Nei Jing  and  Jing Fang  studies.   My research thesis picks ...

Back in 2012, Prof. Zhu Jian-ping first involved me in his research on TCM Terminology Standardization. His multi-million-yuan research project endeavors to standardize medical terms for legal and official purposes.    My involvement over the last four years, yielded one SCI article, several conference papers and participation in many committee meetings.   Although I am not a translator by any definition, I do however enjoy terminology research, and exploring the meaning of different medical characters throughout history and across schools of thought.    I am currently in Beijing for several projects, including  this meeting, who took place between April 24-26. I took a few photos for my archive. 

All of you who have been following my career over the last few years, probably already have a copy of my   “Gold Mirrors and Tongue Reflections”   in your collection. My original research started in 2004, as a direct response to the SARS epidemic of 2002-2003. The main idea was to look back through the history of Chinese medicine, and seek realistic solutions for a hypothetical post-antibiotic era, and learn from everything that has worked in historical attacks of pestilence. Of course, it is understood that in today’s world, the advancements in medicine mean that there are many solutions for dealing with epidemics, through the development of antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines.    But if what we have learned from SARS is an indicator, every now and then there will be a new virus that will be just a little too strong, and will spread just a little too fast, and get out of control just a little before the WHO and the goverments can respond.  Just imagine a world...