Today we’d like to introduce you to Guanhu Yang.
Hi Guanhu, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Dr. Guanhu Yang is a highly accomplished expert in both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern medicine, with significant contributions to clinical practice, academic research, and international collaboration. His achievements include:
Education & Training:
* Graduated from Zhejiang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1985.
* Completed graduate studies in Wenbing (Warm Disease) Theory at Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
* Earned a Ph.D. in Respiratory Medicine from Kanazawa Medical University, Japan, in 1993.
* Conducted postdoctoral research in pulmonary biology at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center, USA.
Academic Positions:
* Clinical Professor at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, USA.
* Professor and Ph.D. Advisor at Macau University of Science and Technology.
* Visiting Professor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine.
Research & Publications:
* Published over 180 academic papers in TCM, integrative medicine, and biomedical research.
* Edited and co-authored several books on TCM, integrative medicine, and modern medical applications.
* His research spans multiple fields, including electroacupuncture, pain mechanisms, and bioinformatics studies on various cancers.
Leadership & Professional Involvement:
* President of the American Society of Chinese Medicine for Network Medicine (络病学会).
* Former Vice President of the American Traditional Chinese Medicine Association (ATCMA).
* Director of multiple TCM clinics in the U.S., integrating acupuncture and herbal medicine into mainstream healthcare.
* International Director of the Acupuncture Rehabilitation Research Institute at Wenzhou Medical University.
Contributions to TCM in the U.S.:
* Actively promotes the integration of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine into the U.S. healthcare system.
* Conducts clinical teaching and research on acupuncture anesthesia, pain management, and chronic disease treatment.
* Engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations to advance TCM’s role in modern medicine.
Dr. Guanhu Yang’s contributions have made him a leading figure in the development and international recognition of TCM, particularly in the U.S. and beyond.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road — and I believe that’s true for most meaningful journeys. Throughout my career, I’ve faced multiple challenges, especially in navigating cross-cultural academic environments and balancing traditional Chinese medicine with modern biomedical expectations. Early on, transitioning from China to Japan, and then to the U.S., required me to overcome language barriers, adapt to different research cultures, and prove the scientific rigor of acupuncture and herbal therapies in systems that were initially skeptical.
Another major challenge was gaining recognition for integrative medicine research within mainstream biomedical circles. Securing research funding and publishing in high-impact journals often meant going the extra mile to validate traditional methods with modern scientific tools. Despite the struggles, these obstacles pushed me to grow, collaborate internationally, and ultimately build a body of work I’m proud of. The road wasn’t always smooth, but it made the journey deeply rewarding.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Chinese physician-scientist and USA acupuncturist with a background in both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern biomedical research. Over the past 30+ years, I’ve dedicated my career to integrating acupuncture, herbal medicine, and modern medical science to better understand and treat complex conditions such as chronic pain, diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders.
My specialization lies in two major areas:
1. The molecular mechanisms of electroacupuncture, especially its role in pain modulation and neuroimmunology;
2. Bioinformatics applications in cancer and metabolic diseases, using omics-based approaches to identify diagnostic and prognostic markers that can bridge TCM and Western medicine.
I’m perhaps best known for helping to build scientific credibility for acupuncture and integrative medicine, especially in Western academic settings. I’ve published over 180 papers—many in peer-reviewed SCI journals—and served as a guest editor or board member for over a dozen international journals.
What I’m most proud of is not just the academic work, but the fact that I’ve mentored and trained students and physicians across multiple continents, and helped open doors for East-West medical collaboration. I’ve also helped advance standards and clinical guidelines in organizations such as the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.
What sets me apart is the combination of depth in traditional medicine and rigor in modern science. I’ve lived and worked extensively in China, Japan, the U.S., and Europe, which allows me to see medicine from a truly global perspective. I don’t just practice or research integrative medicine—I live it, and I work to connect disciplines, cultures, and systems to improve patient care.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe that meaningful progress—whether in medicine, research, or personal growth—always involves some level of risk. I don’t consider myself reckless, but I do consider myself a calculated risk-taker. To me, risk means stepping into the unknown with preparation, resilience, and a clear sense of purpose.
One major risk I took was leaving a stable academic and clinical position in China in the early 1990s to pursue research in Japan, and later in the United States. At the time, this meant starting over in a new language, in unfamiliar systems, with no guarantee of success. Later, I took another leap by dedicating myself to building a bridge between traditional Chinese medicine and modern biomedical science—a field that was, and in many ways still is, undervalued or misunderstood in mainstream academia.
Publishing integrative medicine research, securing funding, and leading international collaborations all involved risk—reputation-wise, financially, and intellectually. But I’ve found that these risks are what pushed the boundaries of my field and opened new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
To me, risk is not just about courage—it’s about vision and responsibility. You take the leap not only for your own career, but for the patients you hope to help, the students you hope to inspire, and the science you hope to advance.
Contact Info:
