BAD ZURZACH, Switzerland — Five Branches University Assistant Professor Samson Cheung, LAc., DAOM, PhD, led a two-day clinical workshop on Homeostasis Acupuncture during the international acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine gathering held August 13–16, 2026, in Bad Zurzach, Switzerland.
Dr. Cheung brought an unusual academic and professional background to the international program.
Before entering the field of Chinese medicine, he earned a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Davis, as well as degrees in mathematics and physics from the University of Maryland. He subsequently worked as a computer engineer at Boeing, Intel, and NASA Ames Research Center, where his work included Earth-science modeling and climate research. (Five Branches University)
Today, he is a licensed acupuncturist, a graduate of Five Branches University’s Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine program, and an Assistant Professor within the University’s graduate and DAOM programs. (Five Branches University)
Exploring Homeostasis Through Acupuncture
During his August 15–16 workshop in Switzerland, Dr. Cheung introduced participants to Homeostasis Acupuncture, an approach centered on the concept of restoring balance within the body.
The two-day program combined theoretical discussion with hands-on clinical instruction.
For pain management, participants examined the use of distal and microsystem acupuncture points as alternatives to directly stimulating injured or sensitive tissues. For chronic conditions, the workshop explored relationships among channels and strategies intended to support broader systemic balance.
The program also considered acupuncture in relation to autonomic nervous-system regulation, including contemporary discussions involving sympathetic and parasympathetic activity and the vagus nerve.
Throughout the workshop, these perspectives were integrated with traditional Chinese medicine concepts and practical point-selection strategies.
A Systems Approach to Chinese Medicine
Dr. Cheung’s background in mathematics, computing, and scientific modeling provides an unusual perspective for his work in Chinese medicine.
Rather than treating Chinese medicine and modern scientific disciplines as interchangeable systems, his academic work explores ways that tools such as visualization, modeling, and systems thinking can help students examine complex relationships within classical Chinese medical theory.
This approach can also be seen in his recent publication, “Visualization of Open-Pivot-Close in Traditional Chinese Medicine,” published by IntechOpen on November 14, 2025.
In the chapter, Dr. Cheung developed a visual model based on the classical Open-Pivot-Close concept described in the Huang Di Nei Jing. The model is intended as an educational tool to help students visualize relationships involving Qi dynamics, channels, and concepts later applied within the Shang Han Lun. (IntechOpen)
From Scientific Modeling to Chinese Medicine Education
Dr. Cheung’s path from aerospace and technology organizations to acupuncture illustrates the increasingly interdisciplinary backgrounds represented within contemporary Chinese medicine education.
He has studied the I Ching since 1986 and in 2007 co-founded the School of Yimutology, a nonprofit educational organization focused on the I Ching and related fields. His work today combines interests in classical Chinese thought, acupuncture, research, visualization, and education. (Five Branches University)
His workshop in Switzerland provided participants with an opportunity to see how those different areas of experience can inform clinical teaching.
The result was not simply a discussion about science and Chinese medicine, but a broader exploration of how practitioners understand balance, relationships, and complex systems within the human body.
Five Branches Faculty on the International Stage
Dr. Cheung’s workshop formed part of Five Branches University’s broader participation in the August 2026 international gathering in Bad Zurzach.
Through lectures, clinical workshops, demonstrations, and academic exchange, the conference created opportunities for Chinese medicine educators and practitioners from different countries to share approaches to clinical practice and professional education.
Dr. Cheung’s contribution offered a particularly interdisciplinary example—connecting decades of experience in mathematics and computational science with his later work in acupuncture, classical Chinese thought, and Chinese medicine education.
Five Branches University is proud to see its faculty contributing diverse academic and clinical perspectives to the continued international development of Chinese medicine education.
Content and video provided by Robyn Sodders.
