About Us

The Society for Acupuncture Research (SAR), co-founded by Patricia Culliton, Hannah Bradford, and Stephen Birch in 1993, began several years earlier as an informal group (the Committee for Acupuncture Research) to discuss methodological concerns in acupuncture research. After several meetings in 1991 and 1992, the group evolved to become a formal organization, the Society for Acupuncture Research, whose original vision was to foster scientifically sound inquiries and stimulate scholarship in acupuncture and Oriental medicine.  To this end, SAR decided to sponsor international biannual conferences on research advances and issues in acupuncture and Oriental medicine.  SAR is currently guided by Co-Presidents Vitaly Napadow and Robert Davis with a total of 12 board members.

SAR's Mission (revised 2014)

• Advance and disseminate scientific research into acupuncture and related therapies to inform global health care
• Strengthen evidence informed practice
• Catalyze inter/trans-disciplinary research that can lead to novel insights into basic physiology and human health
• Advance knowledge about acupuncture among the health care community at large
• Inform the effective integration of acupuncture into conventional health care settings and increase access and quality of patient care
• Seek fundamental scientific knowledge, while honoring the integrity of acupuncture as a traditional system of care

The Chinese characters depicted in the Society for Acupuncture Research logo represent the concepts of "Research" and "Clinical Practice."

The Society for Acupuncture Research is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.