THE University of York has become the first in the UK to appoint a professor of acupuncture research.
Dr Hugh MacPherson, who works in the department of health sciences, initially trained as an acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practitioner in the 1980s, before founding the Northern College of Acupuncture.
He accepted a position as senior research fellow at the department of health sciences at the University of York in 2003.
Since then has had a focus on research into acupuncture’s effectiveness for different conditions, its safety, its cost-effectiveness and the possible mechanisms that might explain how the therapy works.
His clinical trials have involved acupuncture for a range of conditions, including low back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and neck pain, all of which are often challenging conditions to treat with conventional medical interventions.
“It is a privilege and honour to be recognised by one of the UK’s leading universities in this way,” he said.
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