Ann Baldwin, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief
Curriculum Vitae
Ann is a Research Professor of Physiology and Psychology at the University of Arizona and is Director of “Mind-Body-Science” (www.mind-body-science.com). She obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from University of Bristol, UK, her Masters degree in Radiation Physics from University of London, UK and her PhD in Physiology from Imperial College, University of London. Her research focuses on the deleterious physiological effects of mental and emotional stress and how these outcomes may be minimized. She is currently exploring the efficacies of Reiki and of Biofeedback techniques in promoting sympatho-vagal balance, as indicated by analysis of heart rate variability, and thereby reducing the damaging effects of stress. She is also testing whether these techniques enhance mental, emotional and physical performance both in Parkinson’s patients and in otherwise healthy individuals. Dr. Baldwin has quantitatively monitored the effects of Reiki on cardiac function and on peripheral blood flow in humans and in rats. Her work has been featured on KVOA News 4 and on KUAT Arizona Illustrated. With her Reiki training and extensive scientific background, Ann Baldwin hopes to bridge the gap between energy healing and quantitative scientific enquiry. Dr. Baldwin has published over 90 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on these topics and others including arterial disease, physiological testing of blood substitutes and the effects of environmental stressors on laboratory animals and on marine mammals. She has been a member of several review panels for National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and serves on several editorial boards of major scientific journals, such as the American Journal of Physiology. Her work, in a variety of areas, has been funded by NIH, NSF, American Heart Association, Arizona Disease Control Research Commission, and by private and corporate sources. In her spare time Ann likes to ride her horse and she also volunteers as a horse handler for Therapeutic Riding of Tucson.
Harold Bob, MD, CMD
Treasurer
Harold Bob, MD, CMD is a Maryland Family Physician who focuses on care in the
post acute and long term care continuum. He previously served for 7 years as the
medical director of Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Maryland, and utilized
Reiki as part as part of an
integrative approach to symptom management.
He served as secretary of MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society (1987–1991)
and as president of the Maryland Medical Directors Association (2008–2012),
Maryland’s chapter of AMDA the society for post-acute and long term care
medicine. His is a Certified Medical Director (CMD) to 2019 and is Hospice
Medical Director Certified (HMDC to 2020).
Dr. Bob served as a member of AMDA’s Clinical Practice Committee and was
involved in that committee’s
development of national, evidence-based practice guidelines. He was awarded
AMDA’s Clinical Practice Committee Volunteer of the Year award for 2008 in which
he was cited for his “devoted and immeasurable helpfulness in all the clinical
projects he undertook.”
In 2012, he was awarded the Maryland AMDA chapter’s Berman Award, given “in
recognition of a lifetime of service as a physician to patients in long term
care in Maryland.”
Dr Bob currently works for Five Star physicians, and performs Medical Director
services for Augsburg Lutheran Home, Communicare, Mid Atlantic Healthcare, and
Golden Living.
He presented evidence based reviews on Reiki at an AMDA annual meeting (March
2012), at the Hospice Network of Maryland
meeting (Nov 2013), and authored a guest editorial on Reiki for “Caring
for the Ages.” (Oct 2009), spoke on “CAM in the LTC continuum (Maryland Medical
Director’s Association (Nov 2011), and was a panel chair for the Mid Atlantic
Reiki conference (Nov 2014).
Jennifer DiBenedetto, MSN, RN-BC, RMT
Member at Large
Curriculum Vitae available upon request
Jennifer is a Registered Nurse and has been practicing nursing since 2013. She
is currently employed at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA in the
Intensive Care Unit. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Nursing at the
University of Massachusetts- Worcester in Worcester, MA and has completed her
master’s degree in nursing leadership from Framingham State University in
Framingham, MA since 2016. She also obtained her nursing degree from Rivier
University in Nashua, NH in 2013.
Jennifer has been an Usui Reiki Master Teacher since 2015 and has been a Holy
Fire II Karuna Reiki Master with the International Center of Reiki Training
since 2017. Jennifer has been teaching Reiki privately since 2015, and has been
practicing Reiki since 2014. Jennifer is the owner of Balance Restored in
Shrewsbury, MA. You can visit her website at www.balancerestored.org.
Jennifer is a member of the American Nurses Association, Eastern Nurses Research
Society, Phi Kappa Phi, and the Sigma Theta Tau-Rho Phi Chapter.
Jennifer’s goal is to conduct and disseminate nursing and Reiki research and
spread awareness of complementary therapy benefits in hospital settings. She
hopes to target all members of the interdisciplinary team to provide the highest
quality patient care and improve their outcomes.
Jennifer is a Taekwondo enthusiast and enjoys jogging, weight lifting,
meditation, mindfulness, and yoga.
Her research interests include Reiki, Acupuncture, Mind-body practices,
post-operative care, and congestive heart failure and diabetes management.
Robin Fuerst, PharmD
Member at Large
Curriculum Vitae available upon request
Robin is a Licensed Reiki Master Teacher with the International Center for Reiki Training
since 2009 and currently teaches and practices Reiki as founder of Healing
Journey Options in Bend, OR. She has been teaching Reiki since 2001. Robin is a
Reiki master teacher and practitioner in Usui and Holy Fire II Karuna Reiki®
Master through the ICRT and also in Sekhem/Seichim Reiki (non-ICRT). She has
written several articles for the Reiki News Magazine.
Dr. Fuerst also received her PharmD from the University of Minnesota in 1985 and
completed a research fellowship in Neuropharmacology and Pharmacokinetics. She
spent 2 years working in a joint position as assistant professor at North Dakota
State University and clinical pharmacist & experiential rotation preceptor at
St. Luke’s Hospitals - MeritCare, in the areas of Neurosurgery, Rehabilitative
Medicine, Seizure Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Pharmacokinetics. Dr.
Fuerst also spent 3 years as Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy,
Washington State University, Pullman, WA and Clinical Pharmacist & experiential
rotation preceptor, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA in Rehabilitative
Medicine, Brain Injury, Seizure Disorders, & Pharmacokinetics. She also served
as a Nursing Home Consultant & experiential rotation preceptor at Good Samaritan
Village, Moscow, ID. Robin left academics after her daughter was born.
Dr. Fuerst then served as Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at St. Joseph Regional
Medical Center, Lewiston, ID and as a Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor,
College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Acute Care Clinical
experiential rotation preceptor at SJRMC in Lewiston for 18 years. During this
time she was elected as a Fellow into the American Society of Health-System
Pharmacists (FASHP) in recognition for sustained clinical pharmacy practice
excellence. She was responsible for establishing and training for 3 clinical
pharmacist positions on the medical/oncology, surgery and intensive &
progressive care units in this 120 bed rural referral center.
After moving to Bend, OR in 2009 Robin was a Reiki volunteer at St Charles
Oncology Clinic as well as growing her Reiki business. Dr Fuerst worked from
2011-2014 as an on call as a Clinical Pharmacist at St Charles Healthcare System
and co-preceptor for PharmD students from Oregon State University & Pacific for
experiential rotations.
Robin has been teaching and practicing Reiki full time since 2014. She is also
certified as an Aromatherapist, 200 hour yoga teacher, labyrinth facilitator and
Ordained Minister in the Temple of Light Ministry. Robin enjoys exploring the
beautiful outdoor opportunities around Bend, music, essential oils, yoga,
labyrinths, spending time with friends & family as well as volunteering as a
mentor for the Reiki prayer team at First Presbyterian church and at 3 Sisters
Equine Outreach.
William Lee Rand
Founder
William Lee Rand is president of The International Center for Reiki Training, which he founded in 1991. He is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Reiki News Magazine and the online Reiki Newsletter. He founded and developed the Reiki in Hospitals web site, forerunner of the Center for Reiki Research. William began practicing Reiki in 1981 and has taught full-time since 1989. He has studied Reiki with six teachers, three of whom are Japanese Reiki Masters. He has made three trips to Japan for the purpose of researching the history and practice of Reiki, and he continues to maintain close contact with other researchers and teachers. William has developed a number of Reiki techniques, including Reiki Aura Clearing and the Healing Attunement. Over a two-year period beginning in 1993, he and some of his students developed the Karuna Reiki® system of healing. In 1997 he traveled to the North Pole to place a Reiki World Peace Grid, which is dedicated to furthering world peace. He placed a Peace Grid at the South Pole in 1999 and one in Jerusalem in 2004. The Peace Grid system is the basis of a monthly world peace meditation William leads with Reiki practitioners around the world. William continues to teach Reiki classes internationally and has recently established a new Reiki Training Center in Hawaii.
Selected Publications
Articles
Rand has written more than 150 articles about Reiki. The following are a selection from those which have appeared in Reiki News Magazine and the online Reiki Newsletter:
“Enhance Your Reiki Energy with a Healthier Diet,” Fall 2008.
“The Origin of All Is Pure Consciousness,” Summer 2008.
“Growing Whole with Reiki,” Spring 2008.
“Living a Meaningful Life,” Winter 2007.
“What Makes Reiki Symbols Work?” Fall 2007.
“Reiki for Happiness and Success,” Fall 2006.
“What Is Reiki Energy?” Winter 2005.
“Science Validates Spiritual Healing,” Fall 2003.
“Creating a Reiki Class,” Summer 2002.
“Why Do We Need Reiki,” Summer 2002.
“Reiki in India,” Summer 2000.
“Working with Japanese and Western Reiki,” Winter 2000.
“Discovering the Roots of Reiki,” Spring 1998.
“Reiki in Hospitals,” Summer 1997.
“A Personal Healing Program,” Spring 1996.
“Reiki and the Shadow Self,” Fall 1995.
Books
Reiki, The Healing Touch. Southfield, Michigan: Vision Publications, 1990 and 2008.
Reiki Master Manual, Including Advanced Reiki Training. Southfield, Michigan: Vision Publications, 1990 and 2003.
Reiki for a New Millennium. Southfield, Michigan: Vision Publications, 1998.
The Spirit of Reiki, with Arjava Petter and Walter L¸beck. Twin Lakes, Wisconsin: Lotus Press, 2001.
The Reiki Touch Kit. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True, 2005.
Publisher
Spiritual Healing, Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution by Daniel Benor, M.D. Southfield, Michigan: Vision Publications, 2001.
Ann Thompson
Resident Agent
Ann received Reiki training in 1994 and practiced Reiki for 10 years
while working as a massage therapist. She is an Usui Reiki Level III
practitioner, a Certified Medical Reiki Master, a Certified End-of-Life Doula,
and an Ordained Interfaith Minister. She also has had a long career as a
writer-editor for the State Department and various healthcare agencies and is
also a published poet. She currently practices Reiki at the Bethesda Salt Cave
and volunteers at the Yoga Heights Studio in Washington, D.C.
Natalie Dyer, Ph.D.
President
Curriculum Vitae available on request
Natalie L. Trent, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, sponsored by
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, at Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and
Women’s Hospital, where she investigates the mind-body practices of yoga and
mindfulness on health and wellbeing. She also conducts research on Reiki,
universal love, psychedelics, and other mind-body practices. Natalie is a Reiki
Master and incorporates aspects of shamanic traditions into her practice. She is
a key participant in the Campaign for Open Sciences and the movement toward a
Post-Materialist Science. Natalie is a contributing author to The Beacon of
Mind and co-editor of Expanding Science: Visions of a Post-Materialist
Paradigm, both published by Param Media. You can visit her website at
www.drnatalietrent.com.
Nikki Ward
Member at Large
After many years in the legal field in Washington, D.C. as Legislative
Analyst, paralegal, consultant and Operations Manager, Nikki is now a full time
Reiki teacher/practitioner and meditation teacher. She completed her Reiki
Master Teacher training in Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki in June 2010 and most recently
received her Shihan Kaku certification in Jikiden Reiki® in May 2014. She offers
Reiki classes in both styles.
Nikki began her professional Reiki treatment practice at one of Washington,
D.C.’s top holistic spas in June, 2011 and since her first Reiki class in 2009,
she has maintained her daily personal practice. She also served as Team Captain
on a Distance Reiki Volunteer Hotline for the first four years.
In 2013, she founded Mid-Atlantic Reiki and began planning and hosting an
annual conference for Reiki practitioners with a good friend and co-organizer.
In 2015 their conferences went international with the addition of an event in
Toronto, Canada. These events have been commended as professional,
well-organized, informative, and wonderful community-building opportunities for
Reiki practitioners of any level or lineage.
www.midatlanticreiki.com
Nikki has a deeply intuitive practice and offers her clients and students
other valuable components to enhance their wellbeing in addition to Reiki,
including mindfulness meditation training and chakra balancing. She has an
international practice through her distance work and upcoming retreats. She
finds sharing these practices with others both a rewarding and fulfilling
mission and is grateful to her teachers for their foundation & guidance. More
information on Nikki’s practice and background at www.NikkiLWard.com