Young Investigator Award: Emily Yang

Congratulations to NICM PhD Candidate Emily Yang, who received the inaugural Samueli Foundation Young Investigator Award at the 2018 International Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health held in Baltimore.

The award encourages and recognises innovative and impactful integrative medicine and health work being conducted by promising young investigators who have a desire to conduct further work in the field of integrative medicine and health.

Ms Yang’s poster presented the research findings from her randomised controlled trial which investigated the effects of tai chi on stress and cardiovascular function in patients with coronary heart disease and or hypertension. Her poster on tai chi for health hearts was selected from over 470 submissions.

“Getting an award for my tai chi research and presentation from such a big congress is an exciting experience,” says Ms Yang.

“It is an honour accredited to my research team – without the significant and generous support and encouragement from my supervisors Professor Dennis Chang, Professor Alan Bensoussan, Professor Jianping Liu, Professor Hosen Kiat, and Dr Nerida Klupp; my tai chi master, Master Zhang Peijun; our partners Changying and Dougezhuang Community Health Serve Centres, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation and Cardiac Health Institute; and participants, this would not have been possible.”

Determined to continue working hard to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives, Ms Yang believes by identifying motivation, interest and ability, everyone can make a change.