2019
This year the Australasian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Annual Conference was held in Melbourne. I have long admired the work of British acupuncturist Charlie Buck, and finally I got to meet him in person. Charlie has a phenomenally sharp mind and a great sense of humour.
Distinguished Professor, Charlie Xue is currently Chair of the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia and Head of Health Sciences at RMIT University. Professor Xue was my external PhD supervisor and we tend to see each other mainly at conferences all over the world.
2018
In November 2018 John was an invited speaker at World Acupuncture Day in Paris which was sponsored by UNESCO and the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies
Following World Acupuncture Day, John was again an invited speaker at the World Scientific and Cultural Dialogue on Acupuncture was held, also in Paris, at the City of Science and Industry.
In July John presented a workshop in Auckland, co-sponsored by Acupuncture Now Foundation New Zealand and Neuromagnetics.
In April 2018 John McDonald was keynote speaker for the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Annual Symposium in Kansas City, Missouri.
With Marilyn Allen, editor of Acupuncture Today
With research colleague Associate Professor Brenda Golianu, a paediatric anaesthesologist and Director of Medical Acupuncture at Stanford University Childrens’ Hospital
With David Miller, President of American Society of Acupuncturists and Co-Chair of the AAMA Symposium
Lecturing for the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine programme at the Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences in Oakland, California in April 2018 (with Misha Cohen, Jennifer Williams and Phil Settels).
2017
Keynote Speaker for Acupuncture New Zealand Conference in Wellington, New Zealand, August 2017
With the founding members of Acupuncture Now Foundation, New Zealand, Paddy McBride, Suzanne Tapper, Trudi Collins and Amanda Teagle
Catching up with alumni of New South wales College of Natural Therapies: James McNeill, Shelley Hickson, Tracey Walker and Heiko Lade
The conference venue in Wellington, Te Wharewaka O Poneke
Catching up with old friend Su Zhihong, the best English-Chinese translator for Traditional Chinese Medicine that Beijing ever had.
With Judy James (editor) and Stephen Janz (Project director and co-author) celebrating the publication of the Acupuncture Evidence Project at Southbank, Brisbane
John McDonald and Prof Hong Xu, President of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd celebrate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between AACMA and the Acupuncture Now Foundation at Brisbane AACMAC, May 2017
A timeline of experiences in acupuncture from 1975 to 2015
Narcotic withdrawal programme at New South Wales Health Commission’s Drug Dependency Service in Sydney 1975 [staff member posed for the photograph]
1976: Mar del Plata, Argentina – World Academic Society of Acupuncturists conference – with Bill Schwebel
Osaka Castle during 5th World Acupuncture Congress, Tokyo, 1977
Australians at World Medical Acupuncture Congress, Manila, Phillipines, 1977: John McDonald, Colin Young, unknown, Lou-Nell Cameron, Dean Rainer
Graduation from Bachelor of Acupuncture, 1978: John McDonald with Susan Dunphy
At Zhejiang Provincial TCM Research Institute, Hangzhou, with Prof Lou Baiceng, 1984
West Lake, Hangzhou, 1984
1985: New South Wales College of Natural Therapies, Glebe, Sydney: Prof Lou Baiceng demonstrates an acupuncture technique on John McDonald, Dean of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Prof Lou Baiceng meets a wombat in Sydney 1985. Elden McDOnald, Prof Lou Baiceng, Chen Pi, Hugh McDonald, wombat, staff member of Pennant Hills Koala Sancturay
John McDonald, Dean of Traditional Chinese Medicine at New South Wales College of Natural Therapies (1983-1987)
Banquet for TCM Delegation from Beijing, Chinatown, Sydney, 1987. (seated) Deng Laingyue, Chen Youbang, John McDonald, former Prime Minister of Australia, Hon Gough Whitlam;(standing) Arseny Ivanoff, Russell Jewell (my first acupuncture teacher) & Hoc Ku Huynh
John McDonald, Chairman of the TCM Delegation Sponsorship Committee welcomes guests at the welcome banquet. Chen Youbang, John McDonald, Su Zhihong & Hon Gough Whitlam
In the office of NSW Health Minister, Peter Anderson during TCM delagtion visit 1987. John McDonald, Deng Liangyue, Chen Youbang, Peter Andeson, Prof Wang Dai, Robert Zindler, Zhang Kai, Su Zhihong, Hoc Ku Huynh
TCM delegation outside the Chinese Embassy in Canberra during 1987 visit. Zhang Kai, Kevin Jeynes, Deng Liangyue, Keith Jenvey, Chinese ambassador, Chen Youbang, John McDonald, Prof Wang Dai, Su Zhihong
Prof Wang Dai, Deputy Principal of Beijing Acupuncture College, Sydney 1987, with Elden McDonald, John McDonald and Hugh McDonald
1987 during the inaugural World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies conference in Beijing. The Great Hall of the People : Director of State Administration of TCM, Dr Hu Ximing, John McDonald and Hoc Ku Huynh
John McDonald atop the Great Wall at Badaling during WFAS conference 1987
John McDonald in the snow in Tiananmen square during WFAS conference 1987
At Prof Lou’s home in Hangzhou 1987 – Dr Lou junior, John McDonald, Prof Lou Baiceng & Hoc Ku Huynh
With Dr Guo (second from left) at Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital, 1987
A panorama of Lake Taupo, New Zealand, 1996 – the best view from a window while lecturing I have ever seen
Guest lecturing at the North American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, 1996
Balboa Park, San Diego, 1996 (while guest lecturing at Pacific College)
Los Angeles, 1996, while guest lecturing at Emperor’s College and Yosan University in Los Angeles and South Baylo University at Anaheim
Co-authors Joel Penner & John McDonald with the newly published Zang Fu Syndromes 1998
Editora Roca, Brazil published a Portuguese translation of Zang Fu Syndromes
Lecture/workshop in Hong Kong 2001 with Troy Singh (in dark blue on my right)
Book promotion and lecture tour 2001 at London College of Traditional Acupuncture and colleges and book suppliers at Camden and Covent Garden in London, Royal Leamington Spa, East Grinstead and Oxford.
Glenelg, Adelaide, South Australia, 2003 as part of a lecture tour of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane
John and Annabelle McDonald with Hoc Ku Huynh at the Gold Coast WFAS World Conference 2004
David Freeland, John McDonald & Sue Cochrane at Gold Coast WFAS World Conference 2004
2006 Tsukuba Meeting of the WHO Western Pacific Region Point Locations Standard process
John McDonald speaking at the WHO Tsukuba Meeting, 2006
John McDonald speaking at the WHO Tsukuba Meeting, 2006
Graduated as Master of Acupuncture With Distinction at University of Western Sydney (now Western Sydney University), Sydney, 2007
Launch of the WHO Western Pacific Region Standard Point Locations at Sydney AACMAC (Australasian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Annual Conference) 2008
At New Zealand Register of Acupuncturists Annual Conference in Wellington, New Zealand in 2008: Debra Betts, Judy James, Matt Callison, John McDonald and Debra Katz
Prof Charlie Xue (RMIT), A/Prof Brenda Golianu (Stanford) and John McDonald (Griffith) at San Francisco WFAS 2010
Dr Claudia Witt, Prof Charlie Xue and John McDonald at San Francisco WFAS 2010
Brenda Golianu, John McDonald, Paddy McBride (New Zealand Register of Acupuncturists President) and Judy James (CEO of Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association) at San Francisco WFAS 2010
Terije Alraek, Prof Jon Adams, John McDonald, Elizabeth Summers & Dr Hugh MacPherson at International Symposium on Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, Sydney, 2012
Reginaldo Filho (Brazil), Prof Hi-Joon Park (South Korea) & John McDonald at Sydney WFAS World Conference, 2013
John McDonald presenting his team’s research at Sydney WFAS, 2013
Prof Hong Xu and Dr Zhen Zheng present John McDonald with award for Best Scientific/Research paper at Melbourne AACMAC, 2014
Griffith University Health Check, reporting on the Best Scientific/Research paper award at Adelaide AACMAC, 2015
Prof Allan Cripps (Pro Vice-Chancellor – Health and Principal Supervisor) and Dr John McDonald at PhD graduation, 2015
Dr John McDonald at Harvard Medical School, Boston during Society for Acupuncture Research conference, October 2015
Half of our research team at SAR conference poster presentation, Harvard Medical School, 2015: A/Prof Brenda Golianu (Stanford), A/Prof Caroline Smith (Western Sydney) & Dr John McDonald (Griffith)
The Acupuncture Now Foundation Executive met face-to-face for the first time at SAR conference, Harvard Medical School, Boston, October 2015: Mel Hopper Koppelman (Executive Vice-President, ANF), Angelica Kokkalis (Han Foundation), Matthew Bauer (ANF President), John McDonald (ANF Vice-President) and Brenda Golianu (Stanford).
Southport Acupuncture Clinic 