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Our Leadership

  • Why Five Branches?

Our Board of Directors and advisors are dedicated to advancing Five Branches mission, and realizing the University’s vision to make substantial contributions towards the profession of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Board of Directors

Angela Tu, LAc, MD (China)

TCM Practitioner

Ex-President, National Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Organizations, USA 

Ex-Vice Chair, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies

Ex-commissioner of: Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine; California Acupuncture Board; National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Lar Short

Director, Grace Essence Mandala

Ron Zaidman, MBA, MTCM

President, Co-founder, Five Branches University

Joanna Zhao, LAc

Vice-President, Dean and Clinic Director, Co-founder, Five Branches University

Gina Huang

Vice-President, Five Branches University

Robert Cheasty, JD

Attorney
TCM School expertise

Steven Vaccaro

Entrepreneur, Toronto, Canada

Erin Ritchie, MD

Western Medical Doctor
Acupuncture Certificate

Ellen Galford

Nurse
Alternative Medicine expertise

Advisors to the Board and University

Shi, Xuemin – Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chief physician and honorary president of First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 

Amy Matecki, MD, LAc. – Co-founder and President of the International Center for Integrative Medicine (ICIM), Chief of Integrative Medicine at Sutter Hospital, Oakland, California

Huang Huang – Professor at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Director of Jing Fang Institute in China and internationally