About the Columnist

Elizabeth Sommers PhD, MPH, LAc coordinates HIV-related acupuncture services at Boston Medical Center. She chairs the Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Practices Section of the American Public Health Association and is a regular contributor to Global Advances in Health and Medicine and Meridians: The Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Her book "Acupuncture as an Adjuvant in the Treatment of HIV/AIDS" was published by Lambert Academic Publishing.

Kristen Porter, PhD, MS, MAc, LAc is a social entreprenuer, gerontologist, and acupuncturist. She founded Zen Executive, LLC, to provide marketing support to holistic practitioners. Her gerontological research includes the study of CAM and aging, HIV/AIDS, and minority aging. Her two decades in integrated health included 16 years as a director at Pathways to Wellness, the creation of 15 hospital-based acupuncture programs, and NCCAM funded research on acupuncture, HIV/AIDS and substance abuse.