Plenary Sessions

 

Thursday, April 30, 8:30 am - 10:20 am

 

Plenary Session 01: Aging Brain, Aging Body, Mind-Body Health

Healthy aging requires attention to both mind and body. This session will begin with a broad overview of the physiology of the aging brain and its complex connection with the body, along with leading edge tools available to understand risks of cognitive-motor decline, and the potential of therapeutic mind-body practices for healthy aging. 

 

Presented by:

 

 

Thursday, April 30, 4:00 pm - 5:30  pm

 

Plenary Session 02: Leveraging Technology in TCQ Research and Implementation

Increasingly, the distinction between the traditional practices of TCQ and the modern tools of science are dissolving. This session will highlight the opportunities afforded by the interaction between “high-tech” and the “soft touch” human aspects of mind-body therapies in research and implementation. Examples of this include wearable sensors that interrogate physiology, powerful AI tools, and platforms that increase access to mind-body interventions. 

 

Presented by:

 

Paolo Bonato, PhD, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

 

Claudia Witt, MD, MBA, Professor, University of Zurich

 

Showcase Speakers: 

Maria Chiu, PhD student

Guilia Corniani, PhD  

Ivy Ma, MD, MPH 

 

 

 

Friday, May 1, 8:30 am - 10:15 am 

 

Plenary Session 03: TCQ and Integrative Oncology

In every phase of cancer care, from diagnosis, to course of treatment, to long-term symptoms of survivors, the cancer journey impacts the whole person in every aspect of life. TCQ shows great promise in managing this rich and complex constellation of factors. This session will introduce models for integrative oncology that draw upon the wisdom of TCQ practices and emphasize whole person health. 

 

Presented by:

 

Bernard Osher Associate Professor of Medicine in the Field of Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health

 

 

Wayne Jonas, MD, President, Healing Work Foundation

 

Jun Mao, MD, MSCE, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service and the Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

 

 

Friday, May 1, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

 

Plenary Speaker 04: Research at the Frontier: Fascia, Fluids, and Biofields

Reports of “extraordinary” impacts of Tai Chi and Qigong across multiple key domains of physical psychological and spiritual health are not uncommon, and likely include frontier phenomena in science that are not yet fully developed. In this session, we will highlight three different dimensions at this frontier, including research into connective tissue and the interstitium that connects everything in the body, emerging paradigms described as “mitochondrial psychobiology,” and provocative research evaluating the impact of energy-based, non-touch gifted healers in cancer patients. 

 

Presented by:

 

Lorenzo Cohen, MD, Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

 

Helene Langevin, MD, Former Director of the NCCIH, University of Vermont Osher Center

 

Martin Picard, PhD, Professor, Columbia University Irving Medical Center