Welcome to the 49th Acupuncture New Zealand Conference
31 October & 1 November
Auckland
Community, Connection and Learning - Join us for a transformative weekend
Registrations are OPEN
Download the Registration form for full pricing details here
Accommodation Conference Offer for Novotel & Ibis Ellerslie, Auckland
You can access the Conference special rate offer via this link Book your accommodation here
Meet the Speakers
We are thrilled with the wonderful line up of presenters for this year's Conference. We have a mix of local and international speakers who will share their knowledge, skills and insights on a range of Chinese medicine topics. Here is a sneak peak! The full list of speakers and the full weekend programme will be up for you to view shortly.
Presentation and Workshop Abstracts available here
Pete Larking 
Pete Larking is a senior practitioner and educator of Chinese medicine with over 25 years of clinicalPete Larking is a senior practitioner and educator of Chinese medicine with over 25 years of clinicaland teaching experience. He holds a BHSc (Acupuncture), diplomas in Tuina, Qigong, and Taijiquan,and is a certified Neuropuncture practitioner and instructor. Pete has taught biomedical sciences,neurological anatomy, and acupuncture theory at the NZ School of Acupuncture and continues to teachacross Australasia. He is Medical Director of Neuromedtec and delivers Neuropuncture services atMasterton Medical. Known for integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern neuroscience,Pete makes complex material practical and accessible for clinicians.
Dr Louis Chan 
Dr Louis Chan is the Principal Dentist at the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre of Sydney and a registered acupuncturist. He holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Sydney and a Master of Applied Science in Acupuncture from RMIT University. Specialising in craniofacial pain, temporomandibular disorders, and sleep-related breathing disorders, Dr Chan bridges Western clinical diagnostics with traditional meridian therapy. As an international lecturer and pioneer of the Hybrid Model, his work focuses on utilising non-invasive photobiomodulation and laser acupuncture to optimise autonomic function, airway health, and patient outcomes.
Huanlin Lynn Huang 
Huanlin (Lynn) Huang is a CMCNZ registered acupuncturist, Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, and Tui Na practitioner, with a specialist focus on education and mental health. With over a decade of experience spanning clinical practice and tertiary education, Lynn previously served as Programme Leader at the New Zealand School of Acupuncture and TCM. She holds a Bachelor of TCM and a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Moxibustion. She has served on the Acupuncture NZ Board. Driven by a passion for professional development, Lynn is dedicated to bridging traditional frameworks with contemporary healthcare, helping peers foster meaningful interdisciplinary communication and achieve truly patient-centred care.
Lori -Ellen (Lorielle) Grant 
Lorielle is a clinician, researcher, and educator in Chinese medicine with more than 20 years of experience. She has worked, lectured and studied in both NZ and Australia.
Originally training in Christchurch, Lorielle now holds a Master of Health Science (Acupuncture) from the University of Western Sydney, recognized with the Dean’s Medal for academic excellence, and a Master of Applied Science (Chinese Herbal Medicine) from RMIT. Over a decade, she taught Chinese Medicine in NZ and Australia and spent five years providing clinical advice to AHPRA. Her scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed papers addressing morning sickness, IVF, mental and emotional health, menopause and frozen shoulder. She currently lives Willunga, SA and runs a busy practise with her partner.
Ada Sobieszczuk 
Ada Sobieszczuk holds a BSc (Hons) in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Middlesex University, London, and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. She completed a six-month internship at the Beijing Massage Hospital before establishing her private practice in Titirangi, Auckland, where she has practised since 2007. Ada has studied the Classical texts as taught by Master Jeffrey Yuen and has trained extensively with Ann Cecil-Sterman in the complete Complement Channel system. She now teaches the Complement Channel series to practitioners in Auckland. Ada is also a Master NLP Practitioner, and integrates this seamlessly with classical acupuncture - recognising, as the Ling Shu reminds us, that all medicine must be rooted in the Shen.
Alice Peifeng Xian 
Lecturer and Acupuncturist specialising in pain management, acupuncture clinical practice and mechanisms, Traditional Chinese Medicine education, and Tai Chi and Qigong-based health promotion. Lecturer at TCM Online and former educator at the New Zealand School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (NZSATCM), teaching TCM, Tui Na, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Experienced in community Tai Chi and Qigong programmes promoting health and wellbeing. Involved in 8 research projects with 13 publications. Member of the CMC Competence Review Committee, and Vice President and 6th Duan Instructor of the New Zealand Tai Chi Association.
Tram Pham 
As the former Owner and Lead Acupuncturist of the historic Santa Barbara Herb Clinic (USA), Tram Pham brings 12 years of expertise in women’s health and fertility to New Zealand. Having managed over 100 natural labour induction cases, she is recognized for developing high-frequency, results-driven protocols within an integrative care model. Her work bridges classical Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern clinical standards, emphasizing collaboration with midwives and medical providers. Tram is dedicated to delivering evidence-informed, clinically effective, and holistic care within the New Zealand healthcare landscape.
Dr Rebecca O'Cleirigh (PhD) 
Dr. Rebecca O'Cleirigh holds a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Portsmouth, alongside an Msc in Herbal Herbal Medicine (University of East London, researched at Kew Garden's Jodrell Laboratory) and two BSc degrees in Neuroscience (University of Sussex) and Acupuncture (University of Portsmouth).
Her undergraduate research focused on cell types and connections of the basal ganglia in Neuroscience, and on comparing deep brain stimulation with electroacupuncture in the treatment of tremor in Acupuncture. She used HPLC-MS to analyse different forms of herbal medicines for her MSc. Rebecca’s doctoral work examined the influence of Chinese Herbal Medicine on metrics of endometrial receptivity. With over 20 years in clinical practice, Rebecca has developed a specialist interest in neurology alongside fertility, including nine years in a multi-practitioner Harley Street clinic. She currently works as a Research Supervisor at the Northern College of Acupuncture and as a Professional Advisor to the Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand. Her career spans clinical practice, research, and program development and leadership across several New Zealand and UK institutions in Chinese medicine education.
Dr Jeremy Stevens 
Jeremy Stevens is a UK-trained medical doctor and Specialist Anaesthetist who has been practising medicine in New Zealand for the past 24 years, after 20 years in the UK. With more than 30 years of experience integrating acupuncture into western clinical practice, he combines a strong foundation in Western medicine with extensive expertise in both Western medical acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Jeremy's Chinese style acupuncture journey began with a postgraduate study at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2018. Committed to lifelong learning and advancing his understanding of Chinese medicine, he undertook a further degree programme at the former ‘New Zealand School of Acupuncture’ in Auckland, under the main educator and organizer, Debra Betts. He completed his advanced degree in Acupuncture in 2024. His unique combination of specialist anaesthetic practice and comprehensive training in both Western and Chinese acupuncture enables him to bridge two medical traditions, offering an evidence-informed and clinically integrated approach to patient care. Jeremy is passionate about education and enjoys sharing practical insights into the integration of acupuncture within modern healthcare.
Jean-Paul Staats 
Jean-Paul Staats has practiced Acupuncture and Chinese medicine for 33 years in private practice in Australia and in Europe. He is Australian trained with postgraduate studies from hospitals in Beijing, Nanjing and Nanning in China, in Japan, as well as the USA and UK. He has lectured at the Australian College of Natural Medicine (now Endeavour College) for 6 years and has since also been appointed Australian branch director of the Institute of Classics in East Asian Medicine (ICEAM) after completion of a Diplomat of Canonical Chinese Medicine Training and further studies towards a clinical fellowship. He is currently a lecturer and clinical supervisor for ICEAM in Australia.
Paddy McBride 
Paddy has been in clinical practice for the past 37 years, initially in Australia then in Nelson since 2002. She holds a Masters of Health Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. Paddy runs a busy practice in Richmond, just south of Nelson. A large number of her patients are from the various retirement villages and rest homes around the Top of the South, including many in their 80’s and 90’s. Paddy was formerly the President of Acupuncture NZ (2007-2015) and is currently the Chair of the Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand.
Dr Victoria Choi (PhD) 
Dr Victoria Choi is a senior acupuncturist and research fellow at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, and a clinical lecturer at the University of Sydney. She specialises in integrative oncology, using acupuncture to help manage symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Her research focuses on the mechanistic effects of acupuncture in oncology and health services research. Victoria is the principal investigator of a clinical trial exploring electroacupuncture for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Her goal is to better understand the underlying mechanisms of CIPN and develop effective acupuncture protocols to improve the quality of life for cancer patients.
Shelley Moana Hiha 
Ngati Kahungunu, Ngai Tahu, Ngati Rangitihi
Mataora / Cultural Policy Advisor and Educator. I was fortunate to be mentored in my early years in Whanganui a Tara by several people critical to the shift to Te Tiriti o Waitangi based organisational structures and the implementation of Kawa Whakaruruhau Cultural Safety within healthcare in Aotearoa in the first instance. My work in unions developed my political curiosity and engagement in activities advocating for social justice and equity and this passion continues in my mahi today.
After retiring from most of my Sports Massage Therapist mahi I continue to provide support and education to future health practitioners and provide cultural supervision and support to those who have been working in healthcare, education and sport. I am passionate about the potential of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a positive way forward for our nation, for us all - Kotahitanga.
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We Look Forward to Welcoming You
