The focus of the WNF Research Working Group is to support the codifying and synthesizing of existing knowledge, the generation of new knowledge, and the dissemination of this knowledge to the wider clinical and research communities. Furthermore, the Research Working Group provides expert input on research initiatives and research related activities led by the WNF. The naturopathic profession is a leader in research supporting Traditional and Complementary Medicine practice and has been active in developing research capacity in other health and medical areas beyond naturopathy / naturopathic medicine.

Building global research capacity within and in support of the naturopathic profession is being accomplished by:

  • A WNF Research Advocacy Working Group was initiated in 2024 with representatives from WNF members. The advocates meet to discuss challenges and strategies to build awareness of naturopathic research in their regions.
  • Creating guidelines for naturopathic research curricula.
  • Supporting research skills and collaboration in research within the naturopathic profession globally and with other researchers.

Co-Chair – Dr. Renée Purdy, ND, CAND (Canada)

Dr. Renée Purdy ND has a naturopathic medicine practice in New Brunswick, Canada, where she focuses on women’s health and mental health. She is a board director of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND), which she represents as an executive member on the WNF board. She also serves as chair of the Naturopathic Medicine Week Committee for the CAND. As co-chair of the WNF Research Committee, Renée aims to bring a clinical perspective to support the committee’s work in building research capacity within the naturopathic profession.

Co-Chair – Associate Professor Dr. Amie Steel, PhD, ND, UTS (Australia)

Dr. Amie Steel is an Associate Professor within the discipline of Public Health, Co-Director of the Australian Research Consortium in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (University of Technology Sydney), and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Amie has attracted ~$4.4M in research funding in the last 4 years and holds editorial appointments in leading complementary medicine academic journals. She has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, and edited three special journal issues and three research books including the Health Technology Assessment of naturopathy.

Dr. Kieran Cooley, ND (non-clinical), CCNM (Canada)

Kieran is Director of Research at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and holds adjunct appointments as Instructor at the University of Toronto, and as Adjunct Research Fellow at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University. Kieran also serves as co-chair of the Research Working Group of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, on the Research Advisory Board of the RAND REACH Center for Collaborative Research in Complementary and Integrative Health, and on the board of the Natural Health Products Research Society.

Anne Gimalac, MSc, MBA, Navi (Switzerland)

Anne Gimalac is the Head of Navi, the integrative health research institute of the André Henzelin center (cAH) in Switzerland. She holds a Master of Science (Biology & Pharmacology of human aging) and a Master of Business Administration (Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Healthcare). Anne builds naturopathic research capacities within the framework of the Swiss Naturopathy Federal Diploma (meeting the highest standards in Europe) in Traditional European/Chinese/Ayurvedic Medicines and in Homeopathy. Her missions include collaborative programs (in Switzerland, Europe and worldwide), supervision of interns, teachings, publications and conferences, as well as fundraising.

Dr. Joshua Z Goldenberg, ND (USA)

Dr. Goldenberg is the Associate Director of the Helfgott Research Institute and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles including in JAMA and the BMJ. He teaches evidence evaluation at AIHM and advanced evidence synthesis at Helfgott. He is the founder of the Dr. Journal Club website and podcast and co-founder and research director of the Endocrine and Brain Injury Research Alliance and Brain Injury Research Solutions. He earned his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and his Bachelor’s in Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a PhD candidate at Maastricht University in Forensic Epidemiology.

Dr. Joanna Harnett, PhD, MHSc, BHSc, University of Sydney (Australia)

Dr. Joanna Harnett is a Senior Lecturer (Complementary Medicines) at the University of Sydney
Faculty of Medicine and Health. She holds a PhD (Nutritional Pharmacology), Bachelor of Health
Science (Complementary Medicine – Naturopathy), Master Health Science (Complementary
medicine), Graduate Diploma in Clinical Nutrition, and a Grad Cert Educational Studies (Higher
Education). Her research focuses on the quality use of complementary medicines, and clinical studies
in gastrointestinal health through an integrative physiology lens. She is current board member of the
International Society for Complementary, Traditional and Integrative Medicine Research and serves
on the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration Advisory Committee Complementary
Medicines.

Dr. Melissa A Murphy, PhD, Bastyr University (USA)

Dr. Melissa A Murphy is an Associate Professor at Bastyr University San Diego and a faculty member at California State University San Bernardino. She completed her doctoral degree at Rutgers University in Nutritional Science and is also a Registered Dietitian. Her research focuses on bridges biochemical fundamentals with clinical nutrition and naturopathic practice. This includes the impact of diet and herbs on metabolic health. Dr. Murphy is a California State delegate for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a member of the integrative medicine practice group and has served on the WNF Research Committee since 2021.

Dr. Jon Wardle, ND, PhD, UTS (Australia)

Jon Wardle is an Associate Professor of Public Health at the UTS Faculty of Health and holds visiting positions at the School of Medicine, University of Washington and the School of Medicine, Boston University. He has clinical backgrounds in naturopathy and nursing and postgraduate training in public health and law. Jon is the head of the Regulatory, Policy and Legislative Stream of the ARCCIM. He is also a core committee member of the Public Health Association of Australia’s Research Advisory Group, which promotes and advocates for public health research and development. Jon has worked on complementary medicine and primary healthcare policy in Australia, the UK, Germany, the US, Latin America and India, and holds editorial positions on a number of journals, including editor-in-chief at the International Journal of Naturopathic Medicine and Advances in Integrative Medicine.

Ex Officio – WNF CEO – Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND, CAND (Canada)

Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND was the inaugural president of the WNF from 2014 until 2023 and has now transitioned to WNF’s Chief Executive Officer. She has participated in seven WHO Working Groups, the Global Conference for Primary Health Care in Kazakhstan (2018), the CSO Dialogue between the TCIH and the WHO (2023) and the 1st Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in India (2023).

Dr. Lloyd graduated from the CCNM in 2002 and continues to maintain a full-time naturopathic practice. She is Editor-in-Chief of the website www.ndhealthfacts.org as well as a reviewer on a number of journals. She is the author of four books and was lead editor for the Health Technology Assessment on Naturopathy (2021). Dr. Lloyd, ND is a prolific researcher, author and lecturer with over 20 peer-reviewed published articles.