Research Department at OCOM

Welcome to the Research Department at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine

The mission of the Research Department is to enhance evidence-informed healthcare through innovative design, evaluation and dissemination of research on acupuncture, herbal medicine and other East Asian therapies. Our researchers, faculty members and work-study students collaborate with colleagues at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicinal institutions, both locally and nationally, on research, education and clinical care.

OCOM 2010 Student Research Conference

Save the Date: OCOM's 3rd annual Student Research Conference is July 28th from 5:30-8:00pm

Join us for a complimentary dinner followed by the six master’s student presentations; chosen though peer review. Attendance is free and open to OCOM students, faculty, staff and outside community members.

We hope to see you there!

Click here to learn more and register.

Article in EXPLORE features OCOM's research literate practitioner competencies

A series of posters highlighting research literacy competencies, developed during OCOM's R25 Research Education Enhancement grant from the National Institute of Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, are described in the March/April 2010 issue of EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing.

For the poster series click here.

For a list of previous Research events, click here.

Deborah Ackerman, PhD hired as OCOM Associate Dean of Research

Deborah Ackerman, PhD has accepted the position of Associate Dean of Research at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM). Ackerman was one of three finalist candidates who met with a selection committee on campus in early October. OCOM’s previous Dean of Research, Dr. Richard Hammerschlag, retired in September after 10 years with the college.

After evaluating all the feedback received from OCOM faculty, students, trustees and staff, the search committee felt that Dr. Ackerman was an excellent fit for the position based on her long history of successful grant making, familiarity with CAM outcomes assessment research, and direct experience with Oriental medicine through her recent work with Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica.

As an adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Ackerman has taught and mentored graduate students and research fellows, made presentations at national meetings, and consulted on legal cases relevant to public health.

Her research has focused on evaluating treatment outcomes, with an emphasis on complementary and alternative approaches. As lead investigator on grants, she has been responsible for everything from developing the research idea, identifying funding agencies; assembling a team of collaborators; writing the grant applications, interim, and final reports; initiating press releases and answering questions from the media.

Dr. Ackerman currently serves as Director of the Health Outcomes Core of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress. She is also the Director of Patient-Reported Outcomes from Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine (PROCAIM), a web-based data collection and information system that uses standardized questionnaires to evaluate treatment utilization and assess changes over time in symptom severity, mood, stress and coping skills, and quality of life.

Dr. Ackerman is committed to training practitioners so that they may conduct research and contribute to the evidence base that will inform the public and medical community.