Women in Acupuncture Research: Interviews with Leaders of the Field

When Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize for her discovery of artemisinin (qīnghāosù) extract to treat malaria, she became the first female scientist from the Peoples Republic of China to win the Nobel Prize, and her prize was the first awarded for a Traditional Chinese Medicine preparation. Inspired by Tu's accomplishment, this special issue in Medical Acupuncture aims to highlight the great contributions of women in the development of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine evidence base. We sought to interview some of the key women in acupuncture research whose contributions have moved the science forward. We asked each person: Were there barriers that you had to overcome in your education and career trajectory? What were the facilitators or successes that you have experienced? What lessons might you impart to the next generation of acupuncturists, researchers, and others? Due to time constraints and limited resources, we were not able to interview every woman we know who has made significant and lasting contributions to acupuncture research. We were honored to spend time with the following noted experts: Drs. Debra Betts, Lisa Conboy, Helene Langevin, Kate Levett, Arya Nielsen, and Rosa Schnyer.