In April 2023, Richard Harris, PhD, joined the UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute as the second Susan and Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Integrative Health and a UCI School of Medicine professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Care.
Harris comes to UCI after 21 years at the University of Michigan, where he was previously a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology.
Harris’s background is in basic science and clinical research in integrative medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree in genetics from Purdue University in 1992 and his doctoral degree in molecular and cellular biology from UC Berkeley in 1997. Harris is also a graduate of the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and received a master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis at the University of Michigan. He is the co-president of the Society for Acupuncture Research and a former member of the advisory council for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Harris has investigated the neurobiological mechanisms of both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic (acupuncture/acupressure) treatments for chronic pain and fatigue. He also has focused on the role of brain neurotransmitters and their receptors in humans with chronic pain and will continue this line of research at UCI.
In June 2023, Harris received a five-year U24 grant (funding for resource-related research projects with cooperative agreements) totaling $5.8 million from the NCCIH. Harris will serve as a co-principal investigator to support the creation and curation of a new open-access repository and database for acupuncture research called TARA (Topological Atlas and Repository for Acupoint research). The project will create an important bridge between Traditional East Asian Medical (TEAM) theories and modern understanding of anatomy and physiology.
“I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to this innovative research on Traditional East Asian Medicine,” said Harris. “TARA has the potential of making a significant contribution to TEAM research that can extend into the larger field of biomedical studies. If utilized to its fullest, TARA will benefit people’s health and wellbeing, and the way in which chronic diseases are studied and treated.”
Meditation and its effects on the mind are also at the top of Harris’s interests. “I am a practitioner of meditation myself, including Zen and Qigong meditation, and find them to be very beneficial. I’m interested in studying those techniques and looking forward to exploring the combination of these modalities. Because it’s not just one thing that makes you whole. It’s a combination of things. We’ve been studying these interventions individually, mostly. Now we need to start thinking about studying them in combination.
“Chronic pain also affects more than just one’s physical body,” added Harris. “It affects their emotional body, and it can also impact how you relate to yourself as a living person.
“I also think that there are interventions that can be used to treat the whole person. The field is now moving in the direction of studying and treating the whole person. Spirituality is also part of that. And we don’t really have much strong evidence for the scientific basis for a lot of those practices. I think that is a nice, fertile area for exploration and investigation and gaining new insights and new perspectives.”
Harris is enthusiastic about joining the Samueli Institute. “What I’m really excited about is to branch out into more integrative therapies,” he said. “The first part of my career has been mostly focused on pain, with a bit about integrative care. What I want to do now at UCI is to explore more integrative therapies and spend the rest of my career focusing and delving into integrative techniques. I think they’re very important, and we need to have better access for them.”
On his decision to come to the Samueli Institute, Harris said, “I thought this would be a really good opportunity. The institute is doing great things and growing. It has a brand-new building, and the intent is to hire more faculty. So, I felt like this is a great opportunity to get in on the ground level and be able to make a difference.”
“I have had a number of conversations with Dr. Malik and other folks at UCI and SSIHI,” said Harris. “I am excited about the future, and I feel everyone will work together and be supportive. Coming into the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute on the ground level with other new endowment hires is exciting for me, and I really see our institute being a hub for integrative health teaching, research, and care.”
