Excellence in Integrative Medicine Research Award
One of the most distinguished recognitions in the field, the Excellence in Integrative Medicine Research Award has celebrated scientific achievement since 2012. It honours researchers and clinicians pushing the boundaries of Integrative Medicine, whose contributions advance the evidence base across Europe and beyond.
Presented annually at ECIM, it highlights the innovations shaping the future of integrative medicine.
Rewarding Scientific Excellence in Integrative Medicine
This international prize recognises outstanding scientific projects in the field of Integrative Medicine (IM). Two categories are awarded annually with €2,500 each: one focusing on basic research, and the other on clinical or epidemiological research.
To qualify, nominators must submit a scientific manuscript published or accepted in an indexed peer-reviewed journal within the eligibility period. Submission timelines will be published on the ESIM website and distributed to all ESIM members and former ECIM congress participants.
Winning manuscripts are selected by an independent international committee based on three criteria: innovation, relevance, and scientific excellence. The award is presented at the annual ECIM Congress.
Apply for the Award
To qualify, nominators must submit a scientific manuscript published or accepted in an indexed peer-reviewed journal within the eligibility period. Full criteria and submission details are available in the Award Announcement 2026.
Award Announcement 2026
ESIM Past Award Recipients
Since 2012, the European Society of Integrative Medicine has presented this award, recognising outstanding scientific contributions to the field of Integrative Medicine. From its founding until 2019, it was generously supported by Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH, Baden-Baden, Germany.
17th European Congress on Integrative Medicine (ECIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
October 15–18, 2025
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Basic Research Award |
Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Jost Langhorst | Department for Integrative Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen; Director, Department for Internal and Integrative Medicine, Sozialstiftung Bamberg, Klinikum am Bruderwald, Bamberg, Germany | 2025 |
| 02 |
Excellence in Integrative Medicine Research Award (Clinical Research) |
Dr. Fai Fai Ho | School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong | 2025 |
16th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Madrid, Spain
November 15-17, 2024
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical Research Award |
Linda E. Carlson | Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada | 2024 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Prof In-Seon Lee | Department of Korean Medical Science, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea | 2024 |
| 03 |
Acknowledgement |
Prof Ciro Isidoro | Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Universita del Piemonte Orientale “A. Avogadro”, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy | 2024 |
| 04 |
Acknowledgement |
Sebastian Hörder | Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department for integrative & complementary medicine, Institut of social medicine, epidemiology and health economics | 2024 |
15th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Rome, Italy
September 20-23, 2023
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Dr Jessica Bayes | School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney | 2023 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Prof Kelvin Chan, Dr Valentina Naumowsk | NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia | 2023 |
| 03 |
Acknowledgement |
Prof Þóra Jenný Gunnarsdóttir | Department of Nursing, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland | 2023 |
14th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Porto, Portugal
September 30 – October 1, 2022
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Prof Wasana Ruaisungnoen | Adult Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand | 2022 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Dr Ann-Kathrin Lederer | University Medical Centre of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany | 2022 |
13th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, London, United Kingdom
November 4-7, 2021, online
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Prof Michael Moore | Primary Care and Population Science, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Aldermoor Health Centre, Southampton, UK | 2020 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Elisabeth Buhlmann | HanseMerkur Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University Medical Center Eppendorf (UKE) Hamburg, Germany | 2020 |
12th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
September 13-15, 2019
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Dr Christian Keßler | Charite´ – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany, Department for Complementary Medicine, Immanuel Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany | 2019 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Prof Yvonne Samstag/ Dr Jie Liang | Section Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany | 2020 |
11th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Ljubljana, Slovenia
September 21-23, 2018
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Dr Mohammad Mahdi Parvizi | Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, Molecular Dermatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran, Department of Traditional Persian Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran | 2018 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Prof Vitaly Napadow | Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129; USA Department of Radiology, Logan University, Chesterfield, MO, 63017, USA | 2018 |
| 03 |
Acknowledgement |
Dr Martin Hitziger | Section of Epidemiology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 270, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland | 2018 |
| 04 |
Acknowledgement |
Prof Hugh MacPherson | Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK | 2018 |
10th ECIM & 12th ICCMR Congress, World Congress Integrative Medicine & Health 2017, Berlin, Germany
May 3-5 2017
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Dr Elad Schiff | Internal Medicine B Department, Bnai Zion Medical Centre, Haifa, Israel, Complementary Medicine Department, Bnai Zion Medical Centre, Haifa, Israel, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel | 2017 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Elvis O. Ameyaw | Department of Biomedical and Forensic Sciences, School of Biological Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana | 2017 |
9th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
September 10-11 2016
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research prize |
Christine Wade | City University of New York and the Institute of East West Medicine, US | 2016 |
| 02 |
|
Prof Chenchen Wang | Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street, Box 406, Boston, MA | 2016 |
| 03 |
Basic research prize |
Petra Bäumler/ Dr Dominik Irnich | Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany | 2016 |
| 04 |
|
Dr Anthony Booker | Research Cluster Biodiversity and Medicines/Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, Brunswick Square, London, UK | 2016 |
| 05 |
Acknowledgement |
Dr Sunita Vohra | University of Alberta, Canada | 2016 |
8th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Copenhagen, Denmark
September 25-27 2015
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Prof Fan Qu | Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, China | 2015 |
| 02 |
Basic research Award |
Dr Jeanne Drisko | KU Integrative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA | 2015 |
| 03 |
Acknowledgement |
Tobias Sundberg | Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Research Group Integrative Care, Huddinge, Sweden; 2 I C – The Integrative Care Science Center, Järna, Sweden | 2015 |
7th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia,
October 10-11 2014
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Prof Hugh MacPherson | Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom | 2014 |
| 02 |
|
Prof Benno Brinkhaus | Charité University Medical Center, Luisenstrasse 57 and Charitéplatz 1, 10098 Berlin, Germany | 2014 |
| 03 |
Basic research Award |
Dr Michael R. Irwin | Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, US | 2014 |
| 04 |
Basic research/public health |
Tobias Sundberg | Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Research Group Integrative Care, Huddinge, Sweden; 2 I C – The Integrative Care Science Center, Järna, Sweden | 2015 |
6th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Berlin, Germany
October 4-5 2013
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Dr Holger Cramer | Chair of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany | 2013 |
| 02 |
|
Dr Arvind Chopra | Center for Rheumatic Diseases, 1988 Convent Street, Camp, Pune, India | 2013 |
| 03 |
Basic research Award |
Dr Carsten Gründemann | Centre for Complementary Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Germany | 2013 |
| 04 |
Basic methodological Award |
Andrew J. Vickers | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, US | 2015 |
5th European Congress for Integrative Medicine, Palazzo dei Congressi, Florence, Italy
September 21-11 2012
| # | Award Category | Recipient | Affiliation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |
Clinical research Award |
Prof Daniel E. Furst | Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, CA | 2012 |
| 02 |
|
Prof Peter Kooreman | Department of Economics, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, 5037 AB Tilburg, The Netherlands | 2012 |
| 03 |
|
Prof Erik W. Baars | Department of Care, University of Applied Sciences, Zernikedreef 11, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands | 2012 |
| 04 |
Basic research Award |
Prof Purusotam Basnet | Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway | 2012 |