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Integrative Medicine Research Lab

As a leader in the field of integrative care, the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC is involved in several federally-funded research projects. We are currently investigating mind-body and food-as-medicine interventions.  

Research Priorities Include:
  • Conducting comparative effectiveness studies
  • Comparing integrative care models to usual care
  • Examining sustainable models of integrative care
  • Building academic and community research partnerships

Current Projects

meriden mcgraw speaking on workplace mindfulness

Workplace Mindfulness: 5-week or 8-week virtual programs, one-hour presentations, and half or full-day retreats options, for businesses to support associate wellness focused on building resilience and managing stress.  All programs are evaluated with input from the client to address pain points and growth/change after the mindfulness training is implemented. Includes programming through the Universal Provider Grant through the University of Cincinnati Provost’s Office and programming with clients such as P&G, Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Bar Association, Kilgour Elementary School, and Withrow High School.

acupuncturist performing acupuncture on patient

Alternatives to opioids for pain in the emergency department: Implementing Integrative Health approaches and expanding local nerve block initiatives: In partnership with Emergency Medicine, this SAMHSA-funded grant will expand the use of available evidence-based options for pain management in the emergency department (ED), focusing on pain relief and empowering people with tools to use for pain management while minimizing the risk of potential harms from opioid exposure. A full menu of integrative health and medicine techniques will be introduced and available for novel outpatient follow-up (e.g., acupuncture, yoga), with patients receiving information on mindfulness and stress reduction techniques to use immediately. Mindfulness and resilience training sessions will be offered to ED prescribers in an effort to decrease personal burnout through experiencing the benefits of this mind-body modality firsthand and allowing them to be more informed when offering these interventions to patients.

three people doing research

Practice-Based Integrative Health Research: To promote wellness through the prevention and treatment of various diseases with lifestyle and behavioral approaches including nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction and connectivity, and evidence-based integrative therapies. All integrative health clinical programs are evaluated for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness using a practice-based research approach. Types of patients mostly seen are patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, diverse types of cancer, including blood cancer and chronic pain. This is an evaluation research project to measure the effects of the different Integrative Medicine (IM) therapies on stress, diet, sleep and social functioning. 

  • To evaluate the use of Integrative/Lifestyle Medicine (IM/LM) therapies prescribed to patients seen at IM/LM clinic at the UC, including Nature Rx.
  • Effectiveness and patient utilization of services at the UC Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, including Massage therapy at the UC Blood Cancer Healing Center
  • To evaluate the health impact of lifestyle and Integrative Medicine (IM) modalities offered via group medical visits (GMVs) and individual patient encounters seen at the IM clinics. 

Past Osher Center Research Projects

2017-2023

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Integrative Medicine Publications and Posters/Presentations

Publications
Posters/Presentations

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Integrative Medicine Research Lab Leadership

Harini Pallerla, MS, Research Associate
Sian Cotton, PhD, Center Director

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MSSP & Summer Student Research Program

group of summer research students

Students will learn mixed-methods program evaluation and clinical research skills through the Osher Center for Integrative Health in lifestyle medicine outpatient clinics, the UC Cancer Wellness Clinic, lifestyle medicine group visits, and Workplace Mindfulness programs. Typical tasks may include: literature reviews, data collection, building databases, data entry, shadowing data analysis and reporting, building tables/graphs, Microsoft Office and Canva formatting, abstract writing, creating poster presentations, and manuscript writing

Meet Our MSSP in Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine Students

2025 MSSP Students
2024 MSSP Students
2023 MSSP Students

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Resources

Faculty Scholarly Activity: For individual affiliated faculty research areas, priorities and activity, please visit our Directory Page and click on the faculty member for research information.

UC-wide Integrative Research Search: Search the UC-wide research database by keyword or name of researcher.

Current and previous funding sources include National Institute of Child Health and Development, Cincinnati Veteran Affairs Medical Center, and foundation grants.

From the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine & Health: INTEGRATIVE RESEARCH - COCHRANE LIBRARY

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Contact Us

Osher Center for Integrative
Health at UC

Medical Sciences Building Suite 4358
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670582 
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0582

Mail Location: 0582
Phone: 513-558-2310
Fax: 513-558-3266
Email: osher.integrative@uc.edu