Presenters
Hear leaders in the scientific community share their updates on the latest research around massage therapy’s role in managing important health issues.
Keynote Speakers
Jeffery A Dusek, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of California- Irvine (UCI) and Director of Research Outcomes, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (ssihi.uci). Dr. Dusek has 25+ years of experience leading innovative integrative health and medicine (IHH) research at research and healthcare institutions.
Over the past 10 years, Dusek has received NIH funding for four studies. Dusek was PI of NCCIH R01 to further explore the effectiveness (or outcomes) of integrative interventions (massage therapy, acupuncture) on repeated measures of self-reported pain for hospitalized patients. Dusek was also PI of a multi-site NCCIH R01 to study the effects of acupuncture on acute pain for individuals in three Emergency Departments affiliated with the BraveNet Practice Based Research Network (PBRN). More recently, Dusek serves PI of a multi-site NCCIH R01 to study the music therapy for pain in individuals with sickle cell disease. He is also PI of a NCCIH U24 network grant to assemble music therapists, neuroscience experts and clinical trialists to explore the biological basis of how music therapy impacts pain. Dusek also serves as the co-leader of the BraveNet PBRN– which includes 32 well-known IHH groups across the US, as well as in Canada, Australia, Brazil and Korea.
Dusek has published over 120 scientific articles in peer reviewed medical literature and, according to Google Scholar his research has been cited over 10,700 times. His research has been published in eminent journals such as the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Circulation, JAMA Network Open and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. His research has been featured in such venues as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, USA Today and National Public Radio.
Tracy Gaudet, MD, is a leader in the development of Whole Health through decades of radically re-envisioning and implementing new approaches to address health outcomes and costs. She is co-founder of the Cornerstone Collaboration for Societal Change. Prior to this, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Whole Health Institute. Dr. Gaudet was also the Founding Executive Director of the Veterans Health Administration’s National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. This Office led VHA’s transformation to Whole Health, an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and live their most meaningful life. Under her leadership, VA health care delivery has been re-envisioned and is being implemented nationally.
Previously, Dr. Gaudet served as Executive Director of Duke Integrative Medicine (DIM) at Duke University Health System. Under her leadership, DIM created a state-of-the-art healthcare facility dedicated to the transformation of medicine through the exploration, demonstration, and research of new models of patient-centered care. Prior to her work at Duke, Dr. Gaudet was the Founding Executive Director of the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine, leading the design of the country’s first comprehensive curriculum in this new field and launching the distant learning fellowship. In addition, Dr. Gaudet co-founded the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.
Dr. Gaudet has been recognized throughout her career for her contributions in driving the transformation of healthcare. She was featured in the PBS nationally acclaimed special entitled “The New Medicine,” and named by Shape magazine as one of the eleven women who shape the world. Dr. Gaudet has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Women in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare and featured as a Game Changer in Fortune Magazine. She was honored with the Bravewell Leadership Award for her contributions to advancing the field of medicine, recognized for her significant leadership that benefited our Nation’s Veterans with the Exemplary Service Award, and was honored with the Visionary Award from the Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine for her leadership in transformative healthcare. Most recently, she was selected as the 2024 recipient of the Linus Pauling Award in Functional Medicine. Dr. Gaudet is also the author of Consciously Female, a book on integrative medicine and women’s health, and Body, Soul, and Baby.
Host
Adrienne F. Asta, BA, LMT, is the President of the Massage Therapy Foundation. She has been practicing massage since 2001 and holds certifications in neuromuscular therapy and prenatal massage. Her clients range from permanently disabled to Big Ten collegiate athletes, all of whom teach her something new every session. She is privileged to serve as the chairperson for the Community Service Grants Proposal Review Committee for the Foundation. Additionally, Adrienne has volunteered with the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) on a local and national level for well over a decade. She has been deeply involved in the education arm of the massage industry including positions of instructor, Director of Education, and National Program Director among others and is a member of the Alliance for Massage Therapy Education. She has developed ancillary materials for textbooks widely used in massage therapy programs and has trained all levels of practicing massage therapists and educators. It is a joy for her to volunteer alongside such an inspiring and dedicated group of people. Adrienne is proud to donate 1% of the proceeds of her practice to this honorable organization.
Special Guest
Diana Thompson, LMT, has over 40 years of experience as a massage therapist, utilizing techniques including lymphatic drainage, craniosacral therapy, scar massage, and gentle movement to help clients with pain, injury, and complex conditions. Diana specializes in treating pre and post-surgical needs and other acute and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Diana is an author and educator, and has been recognized nationally for her leadership, volunteerism and clinical expertise. She served as President of the Massage Therapy Foundation from 2006 to 2010, leading efforts to shape research to match massage as practiced and helping to launch the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (IJTMB). She has received numerous awards, including Humanitarian of the Year and Massage Therapist of the Year.
Plenary Speakers
Amanda Baskwill, PhD, RMT, is an educator, administrator, researcher, and advocate with a PhD in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. Amanda is the Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Her research interests include innovative teaching and learning strategies in healthcare education, the professional identity of healthcare providers, the application of evidence-informed practice, and the safety and effectiveness of massage therapy in the treatment of various conditions.
Amanda also holds the position of Senior Vice President, Academic at Loyalist College where she champions health and wellness, social innovation, inter-professional education, and academic integrity. She has been a registered massage therapist since 2003.
Geoffrey Bove, DC, PhD, is a pioneer CAM biomedical researcher and has more than 30 years of clinical experience as a manual therapist. He was the first person considered “post-doctoral” by NIH by virtue of a chiropractic degree and the only chiropractor appointed to the Harvard Medical School faculty. His research has focused on the effects of inflammation on nerves and axons, which has implications for many disorders that are commonly seen in manual therapy practice. Dr. Bove’s more recent projects have investigated the efficacy and mechanisms of manual therapy for repetitive motion disorders and radiation-induced fibrosis.
Tina Brown, PhD(c), MA, LMT, is an Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences PhD candidate with a research focus on massage therapy. She is currently working on her dissertation focused on Facebook group engagement for self-administered massage accountability during recovery among planned single-knee surgery patients. She is a practicing massage therapist and works during the day as a Licensed Massage Therapist for two companies – a Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center and the Integrative Medicine department at Community North Hospital. She has practiced massage therapy for over 24 years in Indiana, working in a variety of settings. Her specialty is deep tissue work, although she has experience in other modalities, too. She began her PhD pursuit because she wanted to do quality massage therapy research to help the industry become more accepted and respected as a valid form of treatment in the medical industry. Her doctoral work incorporates her expertise from her master’s degree through the use of Facebook as a versatile tool for massage therapists. When she is not studying or massaging patients, she enjoys playing bass in two different bands that play in Indiana and the surrounding states.
Cal Cates, LMT, is the founder and Executive Director of Healwell, an Arlington, VA-based organization that provides massage therapy for people affected by illness. Healwell teaches massage therapists how to provide care safely and effectively and it advocates for access to that care as well as for a broader role for massage therapists in healthcare. Cal has been a massage therapist since 2005 and an advocate for a better world since they lobbied for a National Working Horses Day in 3rd grade.
Over the course of their career, Cal has become an award-winning writer, published researcher, and international speaker. They have trained thousands of healthcare providers in skills of resiliency, self-awareness, communication, and forgiveness. Cal has dedicated their career to advocacy in healthcare, massage therapy as social justice, and to revolutionizing education for healthcare providers. They will dance at any party anywhere.
Jill Cole MA, LMT, BCTMB, is a hospital-based oncology massage therapist and the Massage Therapy Coordinator at the University of Kentucky HealthCare Integrative Medicine & Health. She has worked in the field of massage as a clinician, educator, presenter and researcher for more than two decades. Having worked closely with physicians, nurses, physical therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, talk therapists, and other allied health professionals, Jill brings a comprehensive approach to hospital-based massage therapy and patient care. Jill has served on professional boards for the American Massage Therapy Association-KY and the Society for Oncology Massage. Jill Cole is also the former Director of Clinical Education and Director of Education for the Lexington Healing Arts Academy, in Lexington, KY. Additionally, Jill is licensed by the KY Board of Massage Therapy, Board Certified by the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, Preferred Practitioner with the Society for Oncology Massage, and holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership, from Siena Heights University. Jill graduated from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy in Colorado in 1998 and is currently working toward her PhD in Rehabilitation and Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky.
Jennifer Esala, PhD, is a medical sociologist with expertise in mental health interventions for trauma survivors, refugees, and underserved populations. Dr. Esala’s research has been published in leading journals, including Society and Mental Health, Traumatology, Journal of Traumatic Stress, and the American Journal of Evaluation. She is currently the principal investigator for a clinical trial of a trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach to massage therapy to treat pain in torture and war trauma survivors in the United States.
Sarah Fogarty, PhD, LMT, is a massage therapist and researcher. She has been practicing massage since 2000 and has worked with high-level athletes, professionals, and individuals who are pregnant and individuals who have experience grief particularly those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal loss. She holds an adjunct fellow position at Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia. Dr. Fogarty holds advanced certifications in Neuromuscular Therapy and Prenatal Massage, with her clients seeing her for nurturing and informed approaches to pain management. She is proud of her work around massage and miscarriage and for bringing massage to women pregnant after a stillbirth. Dr. Fogarty was awarded MTF’s 2022 Research Support Grant on this topic.
Hunter Groninger, MD, serves as Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University, Director of the Section of Palliative Care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and Scientific Director for Palliative Care at the MedStar Health Research Institute. He is the recipient of the 2024 Dr. Richard Payne Leadership Award, given every two years by the Hastings Center to a palliative medicine physician dedicated to providing care to underserved populations. Dr. Groninger is also a Master Facilitator with the Education for Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC) Program at Northwestern University, a Faculty Affiliate in the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Medical Humanities at the University of Virginia, and an investigator at the MedStar Health Research Institute. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NCI, NINR), the American Cancer Society, and the Palliative Care Research Cooperative. Some of his current studies include palliative care delivery in cardiovascular medicine, innovative symptom management strategies, and health disparities in serious illness care.
Kathryn Hansen, PhD, MSN, ANP-BC, is the Director of Integrative Health Programming at the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Vanderbilt. She received her PhD from Vanderbilt University in Nursing and attended the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. She is an integrative nurse practitioner, health services researcher and massage therapist. She works to improve access to high quality integrative health care through policy, education and research.
Ann Blair Kennedy, LMT, BCTMB, DrPH (they/she), has been a massage therapist for over 25 years and is an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. They also hold an appointment in the Department of Family Medicine at Prisma Health. She is also the Director of the University of South Carolina Patient Engagement Studio where they aim to advance health and research outcomes by bringing together patients, community partners, physicians, and researchers to produce meaningful research and innovation that serves the patients. She is the former Executive Editor/Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (2016-2022). She is passionate about helping healthcare providers, including massage therapists, incorporate scientific evidence into their everyday practices.
Robin Miccio, MS, LMT, CEIM, is the Integrative Health Program Manager with the Integrative Health Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has a BA in Health Communication Studies & Cognitive Psychology from The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, and an MS in Health Science with a concentration in Integrative Health and Wellness from Rutgers University, School of Health Professions, Newark, NJ. Miccio is a Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist and Certified Educator of Infant Massage. She is a Peer Reviewer for the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. She served on the MTF Board of Trustees from 2018-2021, and is currently the Chair of the Case Report Contest Review Committee.
Niki Munk, PhD, LMT, is Chair and Associate Professor of Health Sciences in Indiana University’s School of Health & Human Sciences in Indianapolis, a long term Massage Therapy Foundation Trustee (since 2018) and volunteer (since 2012), a non-practicing Kentucky licensed massage therapist, and founding steering committee member for the Indiana Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. Niki worked as Program Director and instructor for the Lexington Healing Arts Academy (Kentucky) from 2002-2006. Discouraged by accessibility barriers to massage therapy faced by much of the population, she chose research and academia to help bridge the accessibility gap reasoning that stronger evidence for the field will lead to increased routine 3rd party coverage for massage treatment. After completing her doctorate in gerontology from the University of Kentucky in 2011, Niki has developed a robust research career focused on real-world massage therapy for chronic pain and associated factors including emotional well-being, trigger point self-care, and accessibility challenges to massage. Niki’s expertise and interests span several stakeholder domains including that of non-pharmacological treatment clinicians, end users, care providers, and researchers. Her service efforts focus on massage clinician research engagement and developing the massage field into a sustainable and viable career while improving treatment accessibility and utilization for all people.
Cynthia Price, PhD, MA, LMT, is a Research Professor at the University of Washington. Her clinical and research expertise is focused on interoceptive awareness training for improved health. She developed Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT), an approach that combines massage, psychoeducation, and mindfulness and is designed to develop interoceptive awareness and related skills of increased self-awareness, self-care, and emotion regulation. Dr. Price’s research is aimed at the study of MABT within community care for those in recovery from trauma, chemical dependency, chronic pain or other life stressors. She is the co-author of two scales to assess self-report of interoception: the Scale of Body Connection (SBC) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA). Committed to improving access to interoceptive training and clinical services, she offers MABT trainings and implementation initiatives through the non-profit Center for Mindful Body Awareness.
Portia B. Resnick, PhD, ATC, BCTMB, boasts over 25 years of experience in the sports medicine field as a Board Certified athletic trainer and massage therapist. With a PhD in Education with a concentration in Kinesiology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, her research delved into the use of heart rate variability as a clinical measure of recovery in NCAA Division I athletes. Having worked as an athletic trainer at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and as a sole proprietor in therapeutic and sports massage she currently holds the positions of Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Clinical Education at California State University, Long Beach. She has completed multiple massage-related research projects, including looking at heart rate variability as recovery from exercise, examining practices in sports massage and massage ergonomics. She has given numerous presentations on manual therapy and is currently writing her first book on the anatomy and physiology of sports massage.
Tracy Rupp, PhD, M.Ac, L.Ac, is the Scientific Director at the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management and Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology at the Uniformed Services University. With a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Brown University, postdoctoral training at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and a Master’s in Acupuncture, Dr. Rupp bridges experimental psychology, sleep research, and integrative medicine.
Her research includes groundbreaking work on “sleep banking,” disparities in integrative health access, and the impact of massage therapy and acupuncture on underserved populations. Dr. Rupp is published in journals like Military Medicine, Dr. Rupp has earned multiple awards, including the Sleep Research Society’s Young Investigator Award. A dedicated educator and mentor, she advances integrative pain management to improve patient care and outcomes.
Samantha Zabel, MA, PhD(c), is a trained massage therapist and is completing her PhD at Indiana University, focusing her research on how massage therapy can be used to support mental health. She is the Research Coordinator for the Massage Therapy Foundation, supporting MTF’s research operations including MassageNet. Samantha divides her time between Indianapolis and Nicaragua, where her husband works in the US Embassy.