Osher Research Center and Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Harvard Medical School

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FACTS

Titles of Division Administrators: David Eisenberg, MD, Director, Bernard P. Osher Associate Professor of Medicine Julie Buring, ScD, Director of Research, Professor of Medicine Steve Schachter, MD, Associate Director of Research, Professor of Neurology Russ Phillips, MD, Fellowship Director, Professor of Medicine Sally Andrews, MBA, Executive Director
Full-time Faculty		7
Visiting and Adjunct Faculty		8
Number of Fellows		6 fellows enrolled in three-year programs 2 new fellows added each year in July
Clinical Trials		8 active
Pilot Grants (2003)		4 two-year grants. Next RFA due out in May 2005

Timeline of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Research in the United States

1992		U.S. Senate established Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), NIH (Budget $2M) Chantilly Conference meeting outlines "complementary" fields of practice
1993		US national survey of complementary therapy use authored by Eisenberg, et al, published in New England Journal of Medicine Senate Appropriations Committee endorses larger OAM Budget
1994		Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act passed by Congress Harvard Medical School offers a 4th year elective course examining the evidence base for complementary therapies David Eisenberg appointed to OAM National Advisory Council
1995		NIH funds initial 10 Centers of Excellence to investigate complementary therapies including one at Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Education first annual continuing education conference lead by David Eisenberg draws over 300 people
1996		NIH Consensus Conference on Acupuncture published FDA declassifies acupuncture needles by ruling they are not "experimental"
1997		First large, multi-center trial funded by OAM and NIMH on Hypericum (St. Johns Wort) for depression Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center opens Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education (CAMRE) in the Longwood Medical Area
1998		OAM elevated to National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) (Budget: $50M/year) NEJM Editorial argues "It's time to stop giving CAM a free ride" JAMA Editorial contends "There is no such thing as Alternative Medicine" AMA devotes November 1998 issue of each of their journals to this field (80 Articles, 18 randomized trials) Follow up national survey of complementary therapy use published (JAMA) First medical research fellows appointed to CAMRE
1999		NIH funds additional CAM Centers and begins Phase III trials ($68.5M/yr) Ted Kaptchuk appointed to NCCAM's National Advisory Council
2000		White House Commission established Federation of State Medical Boards begins work on CAM Guidelines for Physicians Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine launched NIH hosts first Scientific Symposium on Placebo Research Science publishes article on basic science mechanisms of placebo Clinically significant adverse drug-herb interactions documented in case studies Piscitelli et al (Lancet) document St. John's Wort interactions with cytochrome P-450 system (drug metabolism) in prospective trial.
2001		Osher Research Center established at Harvard Medical School with gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation First International Scientific Conference on Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medical Research draws 450 scientists from 17 countries Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrated Therapies established at Dana Farber Cancer Institute
2002		Department of Chiropractic opens at Bethesda Naval Hospital Veterans Administration agrees to reimburse for chiropractic care White House Commission Report released Annals of Internal Medicine (American College of Physicians) begins special series of systematic reviews of complementary therapies (17 publications) edited by Drs. Eisenberg and Kaptchuk. Science Xpress publishes article on PET imaging of Placebo vs. Opiod analgesic response PC-SPES (Herbal product) pulled from market having been found to be contaminated with prescription drugs
2003		Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine grows to 22 Medical Schools Institute of Medicine Committee established by a grant from NCCAM to formulate policy and research strategy in complementary medicine (David Eisenberg and Michael Cohen appointed to the Committee.) NCCAM funds 10 International planning grants NIH funding of CAM includes >200 ongoing research projects Division at Harvard Medical School adds four junior faculty
2004		Ephedra sales banned by FDA Institute of Medicine Committee to release report (Fall/Winter)

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