Equity and Rigor in Pragmatic Research: Findings and Lessons Learned from the PRACXIS Study

Presented by

Maria Chao, DrPH, MPA

Maria Chao, DrPH, MPA, is Associate Director of Research at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Health. Dr. Chao's work focuses on advancing health equity via complementary and integrative medicine and investigating non-pharmacologic approaches to improve quality of life among diverse and underserved populations living with chronic conditions. Dr. Chao’s recent studies aim to: (1) rigorously test integrative approaches to address the under-treatment of pain in diverse patient populations; and (2) apply research to broaden access to evidence-based integrative medicine. Dr. Chao will be discussing Pragmatic Research of Acupuncture and Pain Counseling extended to Inpatient Services (PRACXIS), a clinical trial conducted at two hospitals in three languages.

Her research bridging public health and integrative medicine is nationally recognized. Her work has received funding support through the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, numerous foundations, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

She currently serves on the steering committees for the Integrative Pain Management Program of the San Francisco Health Network and the Bravenet Practice-Based Research Network in Integrative Medicine. She is on the advisory board and co-chair of the Research Committee of Integrative Medicine for the Underserved, a national multi-disciplinary organization committed to affordable, accessible integrative health care for all.

Register in advance: https://ucsf.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEodeqvrT8qEtN-nrcrTyeRe4VcBgzzbQuJ

Research Seminars

The Osher Center for Integrative Health hosts monthly research seminars that are open to the research and clinical community at large. Seminars are held from September to June and are currently online only. Presentations cover a wide range of topics including mindfulness and integrative health intervention efficacy and implementation, social justice, and health equity, and neural correlates of mindfulness practice.

Research Seminars are organized by Jennifer Felder, PhD, and Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD. Please contact Vierka Goldman with any questions.