Dr. Wren Burton, the first doctor of chiropractic selected for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine Research Fellowship, will begin her three-year fellowship in July. The 2020 graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College – West will emerge from the fellowship – which received grant support from the NCMIC Foundation – with a Master in Public Health (MPH).
"This fellowship will run in parallel with the Harvard Medical School Research Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, one of the longest standing NIH-funded training programs devoted to complementary and integrative medicine research. ... Chiropractic fellows will participate in all program activities, including pursuing a Master of Public Health program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and completion of an independent research study."
In an article in the World Federation of Chiropractic's Quarterly World Report (April 2021), Dr. Burton shared how recent experiences helped galvanize her desire to apply for the fellowship:
"Her interest in research was fueled by undertaking a project with a peer, which led to her accepting a clerkship with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she was able to refine her research interests while gaining clinical proficiency.
"She says, 'I was very fortunate to have a full six-month experience through my clerkship as the pandemic was occurring. Working with such a unique patient population afforded me many experiences I don't think I would have ever gotten otherwise. My mentors throughout my clerkship at the VA played a critical role in instilling both clinical competence and confidence. I would never have applied for the Osher Fellowship without their support.'"
Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email
.