NICM Collaborative Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine

The NICM Collaborative Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) united leading Australian TCM and conventional medical researchers in specific areas of interest. A unique consortium of universities, the centre  built networks, addressed important methodological challenges relevant to TCM research and conducted research in herbal medicine and acupuncture, with the goal of improving TCM research, practice and health outcomes.

Key activities included:

• Developing a clinical trials network in TCM
• Developing a strategic approach to quality assurance of chemical definition of complex Chinese herbal medicines for bioactivity testing and clinical trials
• Developing a network of acupuncture researchers, develop a validated quality rating scale for acupuncture trials and design and perform two multi-site pilot trials
• Exploring pharmacological mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicines in metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes
• Investigating molecular mechanisms, safety and effectiveness of a three-herb formula for the treatment of vascular dementia
• Evaluating the effects of selected traditional Chinese medicine herbs on cancer stem cells, immune function modulation and inflammation

NICM Grant: $ 734,000

Leverage: $2,707,740

Increased human capacity since start of centre

• 5 PhD scholarships
• 9 research associates and post doctoral positions

Participating Institutions include:

• University of Sydney
• University of Western Sydney
• RMIT
• University of Technology Sydney
• Southern Cross University