Speakers

Paola Tôrres, MD, PhD, is a hematologist, writer, and professor of medicine at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). She holds a postdoctoral degree in Cultural Biology and Integrative Medicine and is a national reference in narrative and popular health education. As a cordelista and speaker, she merges science and poetry to promote humanized, culturally grounded care.

With extensive experience in clinical research, academic publishing, and integrative medicine, I have contributed to multidisciplinary collaborations that bridge conventional and complementary therapies.

Neurosurgeon, Anthroposophic Physician, Neuroscientist, M.Sc. and Ph.D. advocating solutions for encephalitis and paraneoplastic SD, member of the Research Council of the School of Spiritual Sciences - Medical Section of the Goetheanum, Switzerland. Co-coordinator of the CABSIN Anthroposophic Medicine Committee and directs the Neurodiagnose & Neuroterapêutica Clinic in Jundiaí, SP-Brazil, an institution dedicated to the application of integrative health practices.

Dr Goh began her career in Malaysia as an allopathic doctor in 1993. Subsequently, she served in the Medico-Legal Unit, Practice Division and Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division since 2004. Holding the post of the Director of T&CM Division, Dr Goh and her team have implemented T&CM Act 2016 (Act 775), and developed the T&CM Blueprint 2018-2027 (Health Care), Framework on T&CM Research in Malaysia (2023) and Research Priorities in T&CM for Malaysia 2024-2029. Moreover, a book co-authored and co-edited by Dr. Goh titled Healthy Ageing in Asia: Culture, Prevention and Wellness has been published in 2022. She received the “Award of Excellence Service” under MOH Assessment System. Her greatest achievement is being conferred the “Public Health Specialist” status by the Ministry of Health Malaysia due to her dedicated participation and expert contribution in public health, including participation in the policy-making and administrative support to hospitals to fight against COVID-19

Doutora em Saúde Pública pela Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública-ENSP/Fiocruz e Pesquisadora da ENSP/Fiocruz. Integrante do OBSERVAPICS da Fiocruz. Atua nas áreas de Ensino e Pesquisa com foco nas temáticas: Atenção Primária à Saúde; Práticas Integrativas e Complementares em saúde (PICS); Promoção da Saúde.

Graduated in Medicine from Santa Casa de São Paulo (1987), Homeopathy Specialist (Brazilian Homeopathic Medical Association), Master's in Immunology (USP), PhD in Psychobiology (Mood Disorders, UNIFESP), Post-doctorate (Charité University, Berlin, 2009-2011). Clinical experience in homeopathy/integrative medicine (mental health focus), worked in Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS). Currently at the UFSCar Homeopathy Outpatient Clinic. Leader of the CNPq Research Group Homeopathy and Integrative Medicine in SUS. Research areas: Homeopathy and Chronic Diseases; History of Science; Integrative Mental Health. Experience coordinating clinical trials (Good Clinical Practices). Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, UFSCar.

Professor Bhushan Patwardhan is a distinguished academician with over four decades of experience in higher education, biomedical research, and institutional governance. A Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences, he is also an Adjunct Professor at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine, Western Sydney University, Australia. He is member of Lancet Citizens Commission for reimagining Indian Healthcare. A global thought leader in integrating traditional medicine with modern science, he co-chaired the WHO Expert Group for the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.

Dr Alana Gall is an Indigenous woman from Australia and a Research Fellow at Southern Cross University. She is also the Vice President (Indigenous) of the Public Health Association of Australia, and the Indigenous Traditional Medicines representative on the Board and Council of the TCIH Coalition. Her research program in Australia focusses on the protection and respect for Indigenous Traditional Medicines in Australia and globally.

Thomas Ostermann is Professor for Research Methodology and Statistics in Psychology at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany. His research interests include statistical methods for Health Services Research, Evaluation of Creative Arts Therapies and Health economics. He is a founding board member of the Scientific Society for Creative Art Therapies (WFKT) in Germany.

João Paulo Souza is a Brazilian physician and scientist committed to public and global health. With over 250 scientific publications, he has achieved high impact in his field (H-index > 100). A former Full Professor of Public Health at the University of São Paulo and a WHO staff member since 2008, he currently serves as Director of BIREME, a PAHO/WHO specialized center dedicated to promoting access to and use of scientific and technical health information. He leads the development of digital information products such as libraries and platforms, and co-leads the creation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Digital Library.