Zhen Zheng

Dr Zhen Zheng has two main research areas: 1) translating research into practice and knowledge translation; and 2) identifying the optimal acupuncture protocols for acute and chronic pain.

Teaching and administration
In the past 15 years, Dr Zheng has taught, coordinated and developed courses and programs in Chinese medicine.

Dr Zheng’s key areas of interest are teaching students to develop critical thinking skills and make informed clinical decisions. She is committed to improving School of Health and Biomedical Sciences students’ knowledge of pain.

Research interests
On average, it takes 17 years to put evidence into practice. Translational medicine facilitates this process and aims to implement quality evidence into clinical practice in a timely fashion and to improve health care.

Dr Zheng has deep interests in translating research into practice or knowledge translation. As a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Fellow, Dr Zheng collaborates with Northern Health to co-lead the implementation of acupressure as part of the management plan of postoperative nausea and vomiting. As the interim group leader for musculoskeletal pain research, Dr Zheng leads a team of staff from seven health disciplines to implement evidence for pain management into clinical practice at the primary care level.

Another research focus of Dr Zhneg's is individual responses to pain therapies. In Dr Zheng’s laboratory, staff and students have developed methods to examine the key factors that contribute to varied responses to pain and pain therapies. They have also studied the optimal acupuncture treatment protocols for pain.

Recognition
Dr Zheng’s expertise is well recognised by her peers and the broader healthcare community. She was a member of the Primary Care Group for the development of the National Pain Strategy, and was invited to update two units in the “Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence” that was published by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and endorsed by NHMRC. She has been invited to deliver lectures to Chinese medicine practitioners, chiropractors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, general practitioners, osteopathic practitioners, pain specialists, rheumatologists, surgeons and complementary medicine practitioners.

Awards:
2016–2017: NHMRC TRIP Fellow
2013: Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Team member), Office for Learning & Teaching, Australian Government
2012: Innovation in Curriculum Learning and Teaching Award (Team member), RMIT University

Research affiliations:
• National Ageing Research Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria
• Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria
• Caulfield Hospital, Victoria
• Northern Health, Victoria
• St Vincent’s Hospital, Victoria
• Australian Acupuncture Research Network, National Institute of Complementary Medicine, New South Wales
• Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
• Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
• European Cooperation in Science and Technology Action TD1005

Journal reviewer:
Acupuncture in Medicine
Anaesthesiology
Australasian Medical Journal
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine
BMJ Open
Chinese Medicine
Clinical Journal of Pain
European Journal of Integrative Medicine
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Journal of Nursing
Journal of Pain
Menopause
Neurochemistry International
Pain Medicine
Plos One
Research in Sports Medicine

Conference presentations (delivered) since 2010:
Dr Zheng has delivered more than 20 keynote or invited presentations at national and international conferences, including the Annual Conference of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association (AACMAC), International Symposium for Acupuncture Research (South Korea), International Symposium on Acupuncture, and World Pain Clinic Congress.

She has also given conference presentations at the International Association for the Studies of Pain (IASP), Annual Conference of Society for Acupuncture Research, International Congress on Complementary Medicine Research, and Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Pain Society (APS).