Carolyn Ee

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PhD, MMed, GradCertMedAcc, BAppSc, MBBS
Jacka Foundation Senior Research Fellow, NICM Health Research Institute
Executive Committee Member, NICM Health Research Institute
Lead, Western Sydney Integrative Health, NICM Health Research Institute                                                          
Steering Committee Member, Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health, NICM Health Research Institute

Associate Professor Ee is an academic GP and was one of the first practicing medical doctors in Australia to gain dual qualifications in Chinese Medicine. She joined NICM HRI in as a Research Fellow in January 2016, was appointed the Jacka Foundation Senior Research Fellow in November 2017, and Associate Professor in 2022. In this role she also leads NICM HRI's Western Sydney Integrative Health, Australia’s first university-based integrative healthcare centre, and develops integrative medicine education for medical doctors. 

Associate Professor Ee completed a Masters and PhD on acupuncture for menopausal hot flushes at the Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne. Her pilot work on acupuncture for hot flushes led to a subsequent NHMRC project grant and publication in a high-impact journal, and she has published more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Her research vision is to have a measurable impact on the lives of people with chronic illness. To do this she leads a research team and program that creates, synthesises and translates scientific evidence on the integration of non-drug therapies and Eastern medicine with Western medicine delivered in primary care.

Associate Professor Ee's research focusses on metabolic conditions, women’s health, and cancer survivorship, and on integrative medicine health services and education more broadly. Her expertise spans randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and qualitative research and is built on a foundation of strong consumer and stakeholder involvement and engagement and translation into practice. Underpinning her research expertise is more than 20 years' experience as a medical doctor.

Associate Professor Ee’s leadership and prominence in the field are reflected in her appointments at international, national and local levels. She is a well-known advocate for work-life balance and health and wellbeing for all. Her work has featured across key media outlets including The Age, New York Times, Reuters Health, ABC National, Prevention, The Conversation, NewsGP, Tonic Magazine, ParkRun International, SBS, Today Tonight, and the Korean Broadcasting Corporation.

Research focus

• Women's health, including polycystic ovary syndrome, and menopause
• Metabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, and obesity
• Cancer survivorship
• Acupuncture
• Yoga
• Mindfulness
• Primary care
• Integrative healthcare
• Culturally and linguistically diverse populations
• Translational research and implementation science

Projects and grants

Associate Professor Ee's research has been supported by numerous external funding agencies including NHMRC, industry and professional associations. 

See a  list of past and current projects.(opens in a new window)

Awards and recognitions

• 2020 Research through Partnerships Award, NICM Health Research Institute
• 2020 Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials (PC4) Training Award
• 2019 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Research (as part of Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit), Western Sydney University
• 2018 Women’s Research Fellowship, Western Sydney University
• 2017 Most Outstanding Junior Researcher Award, Clinical Research, Society for Acupuncture Research Conference (international)
• 2015 Barbara Gross award for best overall research presentation at Australasian Menopause Society congress
• 2015 Winner of Best Research Presentation at Australian Integrative Medicine Association conference

Affiliations

• 2021 Primary Healthcare Cancer Framework Advisory Group member, Cancer Institute NSW
• 2021 Scientific Committee Member and Research Co-Lead, Survivorship, Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4)
• 2021 Council Member, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (representing PC4)
• 2021 Deputy Chair, RACGP Specific Interests Council
• 2020-present NICM HRI Representative, Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine and Health
• 2020-present Member, Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Translational Research Unit (DOMTRU)
• 2016-present Chair, Integrative Medicine Working Group, RACGP National Faculty of Specific Interests
• 2016 Member, GP Advisory Board, Blackmores Research Institute
• 2016 Authorised person, Chinese Medicine Council of NSW
• 2015 Strategic Education Advisory Group member, Integrative Medicine Working Group, RACGP National Faculty of Specific Interests
• 2015 Member, Advisory Board, Anaphylaxis Network Australia
• 2014 Chair, Students in Primary Care Research Committee, The University of Melbourne Dept. of General Practice

Education

• 2016 PhD, The University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2010 Masters of Medicine by Research, The University of Melbourne, Australia
• 2007 Graduate Certificate of Medical Acupuncture, Monash University, Australia
• 2007 Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Australia
• 2004 Bachelor of Applied Science with Distinction – Chinese Medicine/Human Biology, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
• 1998 MBBS, The University of Western Australia, Australia

Publications

For a full listing of publications please see:

• WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY PROFILE (opens in a new window)
• ORCID (opens in a new window)
• GOOGLE SCHOLAR (opens in a new window)
• RESEARCHGATE (opens in a new window)
• THE CONVERSATION (opens in a new window)