ACI Board of Directors

President

Terry Oleson, PhD

Terry received his doctorate in Psychobiology from the University of California at Irvine in 1973. He later obtained a post-doctoral fellowship in Neuroscience at the UCLA Department of Psychology and the UCLA Brain Research Institute, focusing on the study of stimulation produced analgesia in the brain. While at UCLA, Dr. Oleson conducted pioneering research in the field of auricular diagnosis and auriculotherapy treatments. Dr. Oleson has served as the Chair of the Department of Psychology and Division of Behavioral Medicine at the California Graduate Institute in Los Angeles, California, and currently serves on the faculty of Emperor’s College of Traditional Chinese. He has written over 30 scientific articles and has published the well regarded textbook Auriculotherapy: Chinese and Western Approaches to Ear Acupuncture (2014) and the International Handbook of Ear Reflex Points (1995). Dr. Oleson presented his auricular nomenclature work at international meetings for the World Health Organization in Lyon, France in 1990, 1994, 2000, and 2014 and at the International Congress on Auricular Medicine, held in Beijing, China, in 1995 and 2010. In 1998, he received the Auricular Acupuncturist of the Year Award from the International Congress of Chinese Medicine.

Vice President

Jim Shores, PhD

Jim received his doctorate in Electrical Medicine from the Ryadoraku Research Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. He is President of the Electrotherapy Association in Tulsa, Oklahoma and has been training professionals in electrotherapy for the past 40 years. Dr. Shores is recognized as one of the most qualified instructors of auriculotherapy in the USA and has attended or sponsored in excess of 800 seminars and conferences with this therapeutic modality. He is most well-known for seminars on the transcutaneous electrical stimulation of auricular points using the Stim Flex instrument, which he developed in the 1970’s. Dr. Shores has presented auriculotherapy at World Symposiums in China, Russia, Germany, and France. He studied under Dr. Paul Nogier, of Lyon, France. Dr. Shores was the primary organizer of the International Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, Auriculotherapy and Auricular Medicine, ICCAAAM ’99, in Las Vegas, Nevada, which presented 40 world renowned experts in the field of auriculotherapy and auricular medicine. Over 430 health professionals attended ICCAAM’99, with subsequent international auriculotherapy conferences held in Chicago, Florida, Texas and Maryland. Dr. Shores is a Founding Board Member of the Auriculotherapy Certification Institute.

Secretary / Treasurer:

Mary Bonnette, PhD

Dr. Bonnette received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Nursing from the University of South Florida, Tampa, in 1986. She attained her Doctorate Degree in Health Services from Walden University in 2006. Her dissertation research focused on integrative approaches on the effects of Auricular Neuro-Electric Stimulation Therapy, Addiction Education, Behavioral Training and Coaching Support in the Nicotine Addiction Treatment Process. This research was published in the Journal of Addictions Nursing as a CE Feature (2008). Dr. Bonnette has offered multiple presentations on this topic at international conferences in the US and in Lyon, France. Mary has effectively worked with nicotine dependent smokers/vapors and other health conditions for more than 25 years. Dr. Bonnette practices in Ft. Myers, Florida, using integrative approaches that include Neuro-Electric Auriculotherapy as a primary component of the treatment. Dr. Bonnette is a Founding Board Member of the Auriculotherapy Certification Board (ACI).

Christie Berry

EdD, MA

Christie Berry served as an Emergency Medical Technician while in the US Army from 1985 to 1987. She holds a Doctorate in Education, a Master’s in Human Services Counseling from Liberty University, and holds several Natural Health Certifications. Her current healthcare certifications include Acu-Detox Specialist through NADA and Certified Auriculotherapist through ACI. Christie has additional education in Advanced Auriculotherapy through the Raphael Nogier School of Clinical Auriculotherapy and she is a member of Acupuncturists Without Borders , providing trauma relief after devastating events. She received a Level 3 Medical Missionary Certification for Natural Health and Healing through the Centurion Bible School of Health. Christie has researched the use of auriculotherapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders and trauma. She has been in private practice as a natural health practitioner and health coach since 1997. She has established a free clinic for military related stress disorders in her community and works with the local Vet Center providing auriculotherapy for traumatic stress.

Raymond Barnum

DMD

Ray received his U.S. Navy wings at age 19 as a Naval Flight Officer. Ray later obtained his dental degree from the Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry, in 1975. In addition to his dental practice, Dr. Barnum has investigated the basic electronic features of auriculotherapy instruments, focusing on the transcutaneous electrical stimulation properties of the Stim Flex instrument developed by Dr. Jim Shores. Dr. Barnum has transcribed over 30 video recordings by Dr. Shores of auriculotherapy training going back to the 1970’s, converting them onto DVD and electronic storage media. He has collected several volumes of scientific papers and textbooks related to auriculotherapy, attempting to discover a solid theoretical basis for the physiological and electrical properties of auriculotherapy. He is currently working on making the videos accessible online.

Tom Corbin

PhD, PA.

Tom graduated from the Physician Assistant Program in at the Allegheny College School of Allied Health, in 1984. Tom received his Master’s degree in Acupuncture from the Community School of Traditional Chinese Health Care, in 1995, and went on to earn his doctoral degree in Complementary Medicine from the Open International University for Complimentary Medicine, in 1998. Tom is a Certified National Trainer for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Stress. His professional interests lie in using auricular therapy for pain control in the Veterans Hospital Pain Clinic. He has taught Advanced Acupuncture Trainings at both the University of Miami, in Florida, and the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in Beijing, China. He is a Professor at the Atlantic School of Oriental Medicine, the Opened International College of Oriental Medicine, and the Academy of Five Element Acupuncture. He serves as the Acupuncturist of Rehabilitative Services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida and at the Atlantic School of Oriental Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Gary Ditson

DC, LAc,

Gary received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1968 from Logan College of Chiropractic. Dr. Ditson has over 33 years of experience as a health care provider, with 22 years of private practice in chiropractic and over 500 hours of acupuncture education. He has served on the Post Graduate Faculty of the National University of Health Sciences and on the educational faculty and past Director of Admissions of Logan College of Chiropractic. Dr. Ditson has been on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and has presented numerous lectures to the chiropractic profession and the general public. He is a Licensed Chiropractor and Meridian Therapy practitioner in the states of Missouri and North Carolina, and he is a Licensed Acupuncturist in the state of Illinois. Dr. Ditson has served as Post Graduate Faculty in Acupuncture at the National University of Health Sciences and is on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners as an Acupuncture Test Committee Member. He has established a private practice utilizing chiropractic and acupuncture with advanced proficiency in acupuncture utilizing needle, moxa, and auriculotherapy. Dr. Ditson has presented numerous lectures to chiropractic profession and was the Director of Admissions at Logan College of Chiropractic for 15 years. He is a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the Missouri State Chiropractic Association

John Howard

L.Ac

John served as an Emergency Medical Technician for the U.S. Navy from 1992 to 1994. He earned his Diploma of Acupuncture from the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2004. That same year, John obtained his License in Acupuncture by the Maryland Acupuncture Licensing Board and also by the Virginia Board of Medicine. John has been a Professor of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Colorado School of Acupuncture, in Denver, Colorado, and an Adjunct Professor at National University of Health Sciences, in Chicago, Illinois. John is a member of the Maryland Society of Medical Acupuncturists he has also been an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine at the George Washington School of Medicine. John served as Vice President of the 8th International Symposium of Auriculotherapy held at Johns Hopkins University, in 2014. John opened the Maryland Acupuncture Clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. He offers Battlefield Acupuncture Seminars worldwide, lecturing to physicians, acupuncturists and other healthcare professionals. He currently serves as the President of the Raphael Nogier School of Clinical Auriculotherapy in Rockville, Maryland. The topics of his publications include battlefield acupuncture, beyond battlefield acupuncture, and auricular acupuncture clinical pearls

Diane Iuliano

D.Ac, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. (NCCAOM)

Diane is a professor and practitioner of Japanese Style Acupuncture. She has been in practice for over 31 years. Diane received her Doctor of Acupuncture degree from Pacific College of Health and Science and in 1992 graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in Boston, Massachusetts where she was Chair of the Japanese Acupuncture Department for 20 years. She has worked as acupuncturist at Mount Auburn Hospital, in Cambridge, Massachusetts; in the Pain Management Center, the Center for Women and Oncology. Diane served as a research associate in the Stop Hypertension Acupuncture Research Program (SHARP) at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was also a research associate in development of Protocols for Randomized Sham-Controlled Trials of Complex Treatment Interventions: Japanese Acupuncture for Endometriosis-Related Pelvic Pain. Diane has traveled extensively in the US, Spain and Japan to study and teach. Diane maintains a private practice in Belmont, MA.

Jacqueline D. Adler

M.D., M.P.H.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Adler completed her Master of Public Health from San Diego State University. After graduating from medical school in 1992 from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, Jacqueline completed her residency in Internal Medicine at UC San Francisco in 1995. Following completion of a Stanford Fellowship in Infectious Diseases in 1999, Jacqueline was awarded a scholarship at the Stanford Faculty Developmental Center for Medical Teachers. During the fall of 2003, Dr. Adler served as visiting faculty at the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she presented seminars on Infectious Diseases and Antibiotic Use. From 2007 to 2009, she served as a clinical instructor for the Wyoming WWAMI Program affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Adler’s training in acupuncture began in 1985 through the UCLA medical acupuncture program. She has since become a practitioner and teacher of auricular acupuncture. She has trained with Dr. Terry Oleson and Dr. Richard Niemtzow as a part of ACI certification, and also studied under Dr. Raphael Nogier in Lyon, France. Dr. Adler is currently clinical faculty at Emperor’s College of Traditional Medicine in Santa Monica, California. She maintains a private practice in Ventura, California, devoted to auriculotherapy. Jacqueline brings an enthusiasm and passion for bridging and uniting the diverse paradigms and world views of both Eastern and Western medicine.

Dave Maybee

RMT

Dave Maybee is the Academic Director and lead instructor at the Canadian Institute of Auricular Medicine (CIAM). He is also the sole proprietor of Clear Path Holistic Health. From 2002 to 2004, Dave studied at Universidad San Francesco de Quito in Ecuador and earned a Diploma in Public Relations, specializing in marketing and management. He received his Diploma in Massage Therapy in 2008 as part of his studies at Northumberland College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 2200 hour, intensive program focused on anatomy, physiology and neurology as utilized in auricular medicine. Dave subsequently took over Wilkies Court Massage Therapy. From 2009 to 2010, Dave attained Level 1, 2 and 3 Certificates in German Auricular Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Beate Strittmatter and Dr. Frank Bahr. In his clinical practice, Dave integrates cranial sacral therapy and myofascial release with auricular medicine to treat unresolved chronic pain and other issues found in therapy resistant patients who have “tried everything”. Dave credits the high success rate with auricular medicine to the identification and treatment of blockages to healing, a key concept in German Auricular Medicine. Dave has developed clinical methods to identify and prioritize deep psychological blockages which otherwise maintain chronic pain. By treating the most important psychological blockage point on a patient’s ear, that patient’s chronic pain disorder usually disappeared, and in most cases did not return. In a 2020 presentation to the International Academic Forum on Standards for Auricular Diagnosis and Treatment in Foshan, China, he addressed overarching concepts that unify differing ideas regarding ear maps and point locations.

Ankit Sharma

M.D., M.H.A.

Dr. Sharma is a Board Certified Family Physician who completed his medical school training in India. After finishing medical school, he came to the United States for a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Kentucky. After graduation, he joined the University of Tennessee Family Medicine Residency Program in Memphis TN. He was the chief resident during his residency years and was awarded the “Outstanding Graduate Award” during training. He was also honored with the “Resident Teacher Award” by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM). After graduating from residency, he splits his time between seeing patients and teaching next-generation Health care Providers. He holds an active Medical License for the states of Illinois and California and is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Family Medicine Residency program in Springfield, Illinois. He uses auriculotherapy/ear acupuncture to treat patients holistically, both for addiction and non-addiction pathologies. He is certified in auriculotherapy through Auriculotherapy Certification Institute (ACI) and now teaches ACI approved Auriculotherapy course as a 16-hour Continuing Medical Education (CME) workshop. He has several other Auriculotherapy certifications including National Acupuncture Detoxification Certification (NADA), and Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT), and American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders. His areas of focus are Integrative Medicine, Addiction Medicine, and Autoimmune Diseases. He is also a Fellow at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

Faith Nelson

RN, CBT, PhD

Faith graduated from South Dakota State University and has been a licensed Bachelor of Science Nursing since 1979. Dr. Her clinical experiences cross multiple disciplines and areas of expertise in the allopathic and alternative healthcare fields. In 1999, Dr. Nelson’s graduated from Greenwich University with a PhD in Integrative Medicine and a Doctor of Theology in Spiritual Energy Medicine from HOLOS University, of which she is now on the faculty. In 1998, Faith pursued development of the Outpatient Integrative Services, along with the development of the Fibromyalgia Program, at Saint John’s Regional Health Center. Faith has established a practice in integrative medicine for pain management, addictions, fibromyalgia, headaches and weight loss programs. She has passionately pursued the expansive use of integrative approaches and state of the art electro-medicine technologies as tools for pain management. Since 2003, Dr. Nelson has been a certified as an instructor in the fields of quantum biofeedback and has been an instructor with Quantum Academies,. She also an teaches auriculotherapy and aromatherapy and has maintained a licensed in massage therapy, since 1988. For the past 15 years, Faith has been on faculty of IQUIM University and Quantum University. She practices privately through Focus on Health in her hospice work for “End of Life” comfort measures.

Richard C Niemtzow

M.D., PhD, MPH

Richard is a 1976 graduate of the Faculte de Medecine, Universite de Montpellier, France, then he completed his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Texas, Medical Branch, in Galveston, Texas, in 1980. Dr. Niemtzow is also a graduate of the UCLA /Helms Medical Acupuncture Course, which he completed in 1995. He has been practicing medicine for over 41 years and is currently the Director of the Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Dr. Niemtzow is considered the “Father of Medical Acupuncture in the Armed Forces.” He started the acupuncture clinics in the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, that today is the Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center at Joint Base Andrews. Richard also serves as the Editor in Chief of the journal Medical Acupuncture and is Senior Military Editor of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Dr. Niemtzow has served as the Former President of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture and the Maryland Medical Acupuncture Society. Richard retired from Military Service in the U.S. Air Force in 2010, obtaining the rank of Colonel after almost 30 years of active duty service. Currently, he is the Consultant for Integrative Medicine for the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, and was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs’ representative to the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Advisory Council, from 2004 to 2017. Richard served as the
Organizer of the Sino-American Military Acupuncture Meeting from 2012 to 2016. Dr. Niemtzow was Co-Author and Consultant for a $5.4 million contract for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Veterans Administration Joint Incentive Fund to teach Battlefield Acupuncture in all Air Force Medical Facilities.