Research Biographies
Dr. Heather Zwickey, PhD
Dr. Heather Zwickey, dean of the Helfgott Research Institute (Helfgott) and associate professor of immunology, brings a fresh inspiration to research to National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM). Her initial training at the world renowned National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver prepared her to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. Dr. Zwickey hopes to prove natural therapies’ benefit to immunological responses. Her research experience examining the effects of botanicals, probiotics, energy medicine, and diet on immunological parameters in humans is pivotal to achieving this task. Dr. Zwickey also will be exploring the mechanisms involved in infectious disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, psychoneuroimmunology, and immunological tolerance.
Dr. Zwickey co-investigates three projects with Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grange Do Sol in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil: 1) Defining the immunomodulation of synovial cell cytokine profile and dendritic cell maturation with Mycobacterial protein Hsp 70, 2) Determining the effect of stress on dendritic cell maturation and cytokine production, and 3) Quantitating Hsp activation in subjects who have undergone hydrotherapy.
Dr. Carlo Calabrese, ND, MPH
Dr. Calabrese, Senior Investigator at the Helfgott Research Institute, works in developing research methods for investigating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). He has performed and published clinical trials and observational studies in nutrients, botanicals, and CAM practices. Dr. Calabrese concurrently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), and Clinical Investigator at Kaiser Center for Health Research. He is a member of the Executive Committees of OHSU's Oregon Research Center in CAM in Neurological Diseases (ORCCAMIND) and the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research Oregon Center for CAM (OCCAM) and serves on the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's Data and Safety Monitoring Board. He was a founder and co-director of the Bastyr University Research Institute and taught epidemiology and biostatistics at Bastyr. He authored one of the first successful applications for an NIH research grant to a CAM institution and contributed to the development of ethical research oversight and laboratory facilities at both Bastyr and NCNM. He is currently a principal in the development of a national research agenda for naturopathic medicine. During 1999-2000 he was a product development manager for Nutricia, the world's largest dietary supplement manufacturer and remains a consultant to the industry, evaluating safety and efficacy of natural products. His current work is in clinical trials in a variety of conditions. He received his ND from NCNM in 1983 and his MPH in Health Services from the University of Washington in 1992.
Agatha P. Colbert, MD
Dr. Colbert has recently completed an NIH post-doctoral research fellowship in Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Trained in traditional biomedicine with a specialization in physical medicine and rehabilitation, her enthusiasm for CAM practices began when she attended the UCLA program of Acupuncture for Physicians. She went on to study with internationally known acupuncturist, Kiiko Matsumoto during which time she was exposed to magnet use as an alternative to needling. In collaboration with research engineers of the Biomedical Signal Processing Laboratory at Portland State University, she is continuing her study of the electrical properties of acupuncture points and meridians.
Patricia J. Elmer, PhD
Dr. Patricia J. Elmer is an epidemiologist and nutritionist. She received her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota. She served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and has been a senior investigator at the Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente. Her interest is in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases particularly cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and osteoporosis. Many of her studies have focused on interventions for dietary change of intakes, weight loss, and increasing physical activity. Current projects include development of technology-enhanced approaches for the delivery of lifestyle and medical interventions.