Learn About The Team
Elizabeth Sommers PhD MPH LAc has degrees from Boston University School of Public Health and New England School of Acupuncture. She currently coordinates acupuncture clinics at Massachusetts General Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Boston Medical Center that specialize in care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Sommers is based in the Integrative Medicine and Health Disparities Program of Boston Medical Center.
As an acupuncture researcher, she has published in the areas of acupuncture detoxification, health economics, and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Her book “Acupuncture as an Adjuvant in the Treatment of HIV/AIDS” was published by Lambert Academic Publishing in 2014. Dr. Sommers has contributed to a public health column in Acupuncture Today for over twelve years and serves as the public health editor of the journal Meridians: Journal of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She co-edited the special public health issue of the European Journal of Integrative Medicine (2013) and is currently co-editing a 2017 special issue of Medicine on acupuncture and cancer care. She recently joined the editorial board of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
She is a founder and former chair of the American Public Health Association’s Section on Integrative, Complementary and Traditional Health Practices, and currently serves on APHA’s Governing Council and Intersectional Council. A public health advocate, Dr. Sommers is committed to ensuring that healthcare including wellness is a right not a privilege.
Tweeting under the handle @AcuOxPhD, she contributes #PublicHealthHaiku that address all areas of local and global health issues.
Chris Lehmann, Lic. Ac., MAOM, Dipl. OM, is a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist who earned a Masters degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA), which is the oldest accredited institution for Chinese Medicine in the United States. He is licensed by the state of Massachusetts to practice Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine and holds Diplomat status in Oriental Medicine from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Additionally, he holds a BS degree in biology and has a strong understanding of human systems and health.
Chris’ clinical experiences are varied and extensive. He has treated military veterans and HIV patients at Pathways to Wellness in downtown Boston, under-served and low income patients at Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury and the elderly and general public at the NESA student clinic in Newton. He has served as an Acupuncture Resident in the Family Medicine Department at Boston Medical Center working alongside Integrative Medicine physicians. In addition, he has experience in the renowned Kiiko Matsumoto style of acupuncture, has volunteered with the Veterans Acupuncture Center (VAC) Metrowest and is currently the on staff acupuncturist at the Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury.
Chris’ style of holistic acupuncture emphasizes the body’s own capabilities to heal itself. He incorporates traditional Chinese, Japanese and Kiiko Matsumoto style acupuncture techniques into a unique and effective treatment style. Personalized herbal medicine formulas and Standard Process nutritional supplements are used to assist his patients in regaining health and balance. He has extensive experience treating patients with musculoskeletal conditions or pain, internal disorders like high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disease or gynecological issues, and mental-emotional disturbances like insomnia, depression or PTSD.
Chris’ prior professional experience as an educator has also allowed him to play a role in educating acupuncturists of the future. He worked to attract new students as an Admissions Department Assistant and served as a faculty member at the New England School of Acupuncture.
Chris brings an exuberant positive attitude to his practice and approaches his client’s wellness with a goal orientated mentality. He incorporates his strong knowledge of herbal medicine and numerous acupuncture styles to provide his clients with a comprehensive and effective tool for re-balancing their mind and body.
Maria Broderick, Ed.D., Lic.Ac. is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education at the New England School of Acupuncture at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She provides acupuncture services for Boston Medical Center’s Pediatric Pain Clinic. Maria holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, a Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture, and a Doctoral degree in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University, where she was appointed a Post-Doctoral Fellow and served on the faculty as a Lecturer in Education. Maria is a Schweitzer Fellow for Life. In addition to treating a range of pediatric conditions, Maria has a special interest in treating children on the autism spectrum. She is certified in Qigong Sensory Training for Autism, a research-based protocol that utilizes specialized massage for children on the autism spectrum.
Gabrielle Farquhar, MPH is responsible for developing the mindfulness programming for the Program for Integrative Medicine and Health Disparities at Boston Medical Center. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor’s in Biology and a unique mission: to integrate mindfulness practices into healthcare and education in order to improve population health and wellness. Aside from her personal meditation practice, Gabrielle began her mindfulness education through the Center for Healthy Minds in Madison, Wisconsin. The Center for Healthy Minds is a global leader in the cross-collaboration of neuroscience and emotional well-being and has been internationally recognized for their research and community outreach. Here she was introduced to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in clinical applications and studied the intersection of mindfulness and learning through the Madison Public School District. Since then, she embedded mindfulness into her graduate studies and holds a Master’s in Public Health degree from Boston University School of Public Health in Healthcare Management. Gabrielle is passionate about empowering individuals, communities, and institutions to prioritize wellness and how mindfulness-based practices can shift individual perceptions and workplace cultures.
Betsy Simmons is a health educator, trainer, group facilitator and spiritual care provider.
Eric J. Roseen, DC, is a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Roseen is involved with multiple ongoing research projects within BMC’s Program for Integrative Medicine and Health Care Disparities including a large RCT comparing yoga, physical therapy and patient education for chronic non-specific low back pain in a low-income minority population. Dr. Roseen’s research interests include nonpharmacologic therapies, health disparities, and clinical decision making. He is also interested in musculoskeletal and chronic disease epidemiology, particularly the long-term impacts of common musculoskeletal conditions on aging.
