At every biennial International Conference on Chiropractic Research (ICCR - formerlyICSM), the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER) presents anaward of recognition to one person who has provided the chiropractic profession with outstanding strides in research--the Researcher of the Year Award. The FCER is pleased to announce that the 2009 Researcher of the Year is Gert Bronfort, DC, PhD. The FCER made the announcement during the 2009 ICCR, held in conjunction with the 10th Biennial World Federation of Chiropractic Congress in Montreal.
Dr. Bronfort graduated from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1969 andReceived his PhD from Vrije University of Amsterdam in 1997. He has performed collaborative research with health care professionals in outpatient and hospital settings in Denmark and the United States for over 20 years.
Dr. Bronfort is an accomplished clinical researcher, having conducted several randomized clinical trials for low back, neck and headache conditions, for which he's received nearly $10 million in federal funding. With investigators from Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota, Dr. Bronfort and his team have conducted the first randomized clinical trial investigating chiropractic care for acute neck pain, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They have also received federal funding from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to investigate exercise and spinal manipulation for neck and back pain in elderly and non-elderly populations.
Dr. Bronfort is an associate editor for the Cochrane Back Review Group and is actively involved in several systematic reviews. He serves as a reviewer for the National Institutes of Health, and is a reviewer and consultant for the CCGPP Chiropractic Best Practices Initiative. His research interests include assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of nonsurgical treatments for back, neck and headache conditions, and the identification of biomechanical and patient-oriented measures that will help identify which treatments are most appropriate for certain patients.
Dr. Bronfort is also dedicated to the application and transfer of research results into clinical practice through the conduct of systematic reviews and promotion and practice of evidence-based health care and best practices in clinical settings. He is presently the principal investigator of a Best Practices Pilot Project that aims to bring clinicians, patients and researchers together to integrate clinical judgment, patient preferences and research evidence in Northwestern's clinic systems.
The FCER's selection for Researcher of the Year comes following discussion of nominees by the Board of Trustees. FCER Director of International Programs and Research Development, Reed B. Phillips, DC, PhD, summarized the rationale for the selection of Dr. Gert Bronfort as the 2009 winner:
"The Researcher of the Year Award represents one of the most prestigious awards given to a doctor of chiropractic. The recipient must have demonstrated performance above and beyond their normal duties, successfully completed research projects with high value to the profession and moved fellow colleagues closer to an appreciation of the value and importance of research to the chiropractic profession".
Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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