Prof. Lixing Lao, PhD

Professor Lixing Lao, president of the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine, is also the current vice president of the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies. He is the former director of the School of Chinese Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (2013-2019), and served as a professor of family medicine and director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Program in the Center for Integrative Medicine of the School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), until 2013. Prof. Lao graduated from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in 1983 and completed his PhD in physiology at UMB in 1992. He has served as the principal investigator / co-investigator of more than 20 clinical trials and preclinical studies in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DoD), and the Medical and Health Research Fund (MHRF) in Hong Kong.

Previous Articles

Can Acupuncture Treat COVID-19 Symptoms? Discussion of Possible Underlying Mechanisms
July 2020 (Vol. 21, Issue 07)
Trending
Acupuncture & Acupressure
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations
Open the Orifices: Point Combinations for Allergy Presentations

Acupuncture can be highly effective in cases of nasal congestion so common in allergy presentations; so much so that I often treat such issues using acupuncture protocols alone. In cases of seasonal allergies with highly predictable causes such as obvious elevations of environmental allergens, I use a skeleton acupuncture prescription that can easily be fleshed out to target potential underlying patterns and effectively customized to the patient.

Craig Williams, LAc, AHG
Lasers & Tens
The Laser Learning Curve for Light-Based Fertility Treatments
The Laser Learning Curve for Light-Based Fertility Treatments

Low-level laser therapy is having a moment in acupuncture circles for good reason. With a growing body of research supporting its role in reducing inflammation, enhancing circulation and stimulating mitochondrial activity, more practitioners are exploring its application in fertility care. But in the nearly 20 years I’ve used laser therapy in clinical practice, I’ve seen a wide range of outcomes. It’s not because laser therapy doesn’t work. It’s because many of us don’t realize how much the details matter.

Marcy White, LAc, Dipl. Ac., MAc, CFMP
Evidence / Research / Science
TEAM Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Cancer Patients
TEAM Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Cancer Patients

“Integrating Traditional East Asian Medicine Dietary and Herbal Therapies for Supporting Cancer Treatment and Survivorship in the West,”published in Perspectives on Integrative Medicine (2025), provides a detailed exploration of how traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM) can support cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. This article summarizes findings from the two case reports included in the study.

John Chen, PhD, PharmD, OMD, LAc