Biographies for 2010 Featured Speakers

Giovanni Maciocia

Giovanni Maciocia is one of the most highly respected practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in Europe. Originally from a medical family in Italy, he trained in England at the International College of Oriental medicine graduating in acupuncture in 1974 after a three-year course. He has been in practice since then. In 1980, 1982 and 1987 he attended three postgraduate courses in acupuncture in China at the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the duration of three months each, gaining invaluable knowledge and clinical experience. He reads Chinese and has therefore access to all the Chinese medicine textbooks, old and modern, published in China.

Giovanni Maciocia is the author of "Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine", "The Foundations of Chinese Medicine", "The Practice of Chinese Medicine" and of "Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Chinese Medicine" which have become textbooks for all major acupuncture colleges in the world. Both the "Foundations" (often called by students the "silver book") and the "Practice" (the "golden book") are recommended textbooks by the California Acupuncture Board. Giovanni also studied Western herbalism and graduated from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists in 1977: he has been practising herbal medicine since then. In 1996, Giovanni Maciocia was appointed Visiting Professor of the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a foremost teaching institution in China.

Giovanni is the author of many articles published in professional journals and his article on M.E. (post-viral fatigue syndrome) has been published in a Chinese medical journal, an honour rarely bestowed on foreign writers in China. Giovanni has extensive experience in teaching having taught acupuncture and Chinese medicine since 1974 in several schools all over the world. He is well known for his rigorous and meticulous style combining a thorough knowledge of Chinese medicine with 28-years clinical experience. While firmly rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, Giovanni's ideas are often innovative as the theories of Chinese medicine need to be adapted to Western conditions and new Western diseases. For example, Giovanni ha formulated an innovative and original new theory on the aetiology and pathology of asthma and allergic rhinitis. He also formulated a theory on the aetiology, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of M.E. (Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome) entirely from scratch as this, being a new disease, did not exist in the Chinese literature.

In 1995, Giovanni Maciocia produced 38 herbal formulae, the Three Treasures, for the treatment of common complaints. These formulae represent the culmination of his many years of research and clinical practice. In 1996 he produced 26 formulae for gynaecological complaints (the Women's Treasure), the first line of Chinese herbal formulae dedicated exclusively to women's problems. In 2000, Giovanni created seven new formulae to add to the Three Treasures range and one new Women's Treasure formula.

Giovanni has been practising Tai Ji Chuan, Ba Gua and Xing Yi since 1975. He currently lives and works in Amersham, England where he runs a clinic of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

From Dr Ted Kaptchuk's foreword to Giovanni's book Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Chinese Medicine.

Giovanni Maciocia is a respected guide in this transition period of East Asian medicine to the western arena. His accomplishments as a teacher and writer have made him a major force in this successful movement from one world to another. "Foundations of Chinese Medicine", "Practice of Chinese Medicine" and "Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine" are all outstanding contributions of scholarship and clinical acumen, and this present volume "Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Chinese Medicine" significantly adds to his accomplishments. Indeed, one begins to see the outlines of a Maciocia transmission or tradition existing within our very own generation.

Giovanni's Chinese name is Ma Wan Li which means "horse of ten-thousand miles".

Giovanni is currently on faculty at the Pacifc College of Oriental Medicine. Additionally he teaches continuing education courses at the New York Campus and in San Francisco. View current offerings here: http://www.pacificcollege.edu/store/ceuIndex.php

Giovanni Maciocia is speaking on Sunday and Post Symposium Workshop Monday & Tuesday.