ABOUT
THIS
ISSUE
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IMMpress Volume 13 Issue 1 – Traditional Healing and Medicine
About the cover This issue’s cover explores the theme of “Traditional Healing and Medicine” by depicting the dialogue between ancient practices and modern clinical care. Plants and pharmaceutical pills are scattered across the page, visually representing the connection between traditional herbal remedies and contemporary medicine. Across the world, healing practices rooted in native flora and…
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Letter from the Chair, Dr. Jennifer Gommerman – Volume 13 Issue 1, 2025
I’m not going to lie – when I saw the title of this issue of IMMpress “Traditional Healing and Medicine”, I instinctively did a little eye roll. But why was that my reaction? As biomedical scientists, we should be open to new ideas. However, when it comes to traditional medicine, we are reflexively suspicious. And…
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Letter from the Editors – Volume 13 Issue 1, 2025
Modern medicine focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of health and disease at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels, and is characterized by its emphasis on evidence-based approaches. However, human health has been a topic of study since the dawn of civilization. In this issue of IMMpress Magazine, we seek to explore traditional medical heritages…
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Featured Articles
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Tu Youyou and the Discovery of Artemisinin: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Changed the World
In 2015, Tu Youyou, a Chinese pharmacologist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of artemisinin, a novel antimalarial drug. Her discovery was made possible through a combination of techniques from traditional Chinese medicine and modern Western medicine, and her journey to this discovery was far from easy. From leaving […]
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Beyond the stigma: cannabinoids as a therapeutic
With the growing prevalence of marijuana use and legalization across the globe, cannabinoids, the active compounds found in cannabis – otherwise known as marijuana – are increasingly chosen to treat chronic pain and mental health conditions. In fact, cannabis has been used for centuries, dating back to 2700 B.C. in China and 1000 B.C. in […]
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Healing Beyond Borders: Re-conceptualizing Mental Health from a Cultural Perspective
Ukuhlanya means “madness” in IsiZulu, an indigenous South African language. Individuals with ukuhlanya may experience extreme mood swings, display heightened anxiety, withdraw from their communities, or even perceive things unseen by others. To a Western psychiatrist, these would be clear signs of mental illness. Yet, in many Sub-Saharan African cultures, mental distress is not viewed […]
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Alumni Interview
Nazik Hammad – Together We Can Change the World
Dr. Nazik Hammad is from Sudan in East Africa. After graduating medical school at the University of Khartoum, she joined the Department of Immunology at the University of Toronto (UofT) as part of the Master of Science program in Fundamental Immunology under the supervision of Dr. Richard Miller. Today, she is a medical oncologist and…
Articles
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Balancing the Modern and Traditional – Regulation of Traditional Medicine in Canada
When you feel an itch in your throat, do you reach for the medicine cabinet, or do you gravitate towards natural remedies like a hot ginger tea with lemon? The latter might be a more common approach than you would…
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Beyond the Biomedical Model: Embracing Mind, Body, and Spirit in Health
Within Western society, healing is often dependent on the biomedical model of health. This framework relies on diagnostic algorithms, prescriptions, and procedures to identify and mitigate deviations from ‘biological norms.’ Given its reductionist approach to healing, pushback on the biomedical…
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Can Western and Traditional Medicine Co-exist? – A Holistic View of the Reductionist World
Practitioners of western medicine are often taught to view biological systems as being made up of nothing more than its physical constituents. A brain is only seen as a hunk of flesh, albeit heterogenous, made up of nerve cells, supporting…
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The old and the new: combining artificial intelligence with traditional medicine
The history of medicine is a fascinating one – traditional treatments that long precede the modern drugs we are familiar with have been documented across many societies, from the ancient Chinese to the Ayurvedic practices in India, ancient Egyptians, and…
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The Practice of Stone Scraping, or Guā Shā (刮痧) – Scraping Away Fact from Fiction
Maybe you’ve seen influencers online using a flat crystal tool to massage their face, claiming that the at-home spa experience has numerous benefits. Should you try it too? The Legend Begins According to ancient Chinese legend, a worm-like creature named…
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The undiluted truth of homeopathic remedies
Another school day, and I can recall my mom vividly shaking an amber bottle for thirty seconds. Then, I would count ten small pellets and eat them, despite their sharp taste. Could these alcohol-flavoured sugary remedies truly ease my stomachache?…
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Traditional healing methods: are they really pseudo-science?
Cupping, massage, acupuncture— perhaps you’ve tried at least one of these traditional healing methods. Even without understanding the underlying scientific mechanism, you may have experienced some relief, especially for musculoskeletal or sports-related issues like neck and back pain. But was…
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Using the Power of Nature to Tackle Sniffle-Season and More: Easy Home Remedies for Common Illnesses
For many of us, the onset of a runny nose, stomachache, or pounding headache may result in a trip to the pharmacy searching for over-the-counter medications. While the development of pharmaceuticals and synthetic drugs has revolutionized our approach to treating…