Moderator Bios
Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, is vice chancellor of research and health policy at Palmer College of Chiropractic. She received her DC degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University and her PhD in Health Services Research, Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Goertz came to Palmer in January 2007 with more than 15 years of experience as a scientist and in science administration. She has extensive experience in the administration of federal grants, as a PI and as a NIH program official. Prior to joining the PCCR, she spent four years as an independent scientist and in research administration positions of increasing responsibility at the Samueli Institute.
Before joining the institute, she was a program officer at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), National Institutes of Health (NIH), managing a $50 million portfolio focused on musculoskeletal disease, pain, and health services research.
Prior to the NIH, she was vice president of research and policy at the American Chiropractic Association and an NIH-funded post-doctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests have focused on CAM treatments for cardiovascular disease and acute pain syndromes.
Dr Goertz currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, is a member of the American Medical Association PCPI Measures Advisory Committee, and chairs the American Chiropractic Association Performance Measurement Task Force. She is a senior scientific advisor to the ACA.
Dr Goertz formerly served on the American Public Health Association (APHA) Action Board; as president of the Bethesda Chapter Board of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS), and as chair of both the Chiropractic Health Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA); and the Minnesota Chiropractic Association’s Legislative and National Health Policy Committees.
Dana Lawrence, DC, M. Med. Ed., MA, is the senior director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at Palmer College of Chiropractic and interim senior director for continuing education and events.
Dr. Lawrence is past editor for several professional scientific journals for the chiropractic profession, and has published a number of textbooks. He serves on numerous editorial boards. He was a member of the Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council of NCCAM.
In addition to his DC degree, Dr. Lawrence has earned master’s degrees in medical education (M. Med. Ed.), and bioethics and health policy (MA). He is a co-investigator on Palmer College’s R25 grant, “Expanding Evidence-Based Medicine Across the Curriculum,” for which he has helped coordinate faculty training designed to enhance the use and understanding of evidence-based practice by both faculty members and students. In addition, he also teaches a course in evidence-based chiropractic practice.
In 2013, Dr. Lawrence was named “Academician of the Year” by the American Chiropractic Association for his service to the profession.
James Boysen, DC, MS, CCSP, has more 19 years of clinical experience and holds a master’s degree in clinical research. His research experience includes serving as study coordinator and currently as a research clinician at the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research. He assists in refining and standardizing clinical management protocols, performs examinations, provides care to research participants and is a member of the eligibility determination panel. Dr. Boysen also teaches in Palmer’s Master’s in Clinical Research program.
Dr. Robert Cooperstein is a professor at Palmer Chiropractic College West in San Jose, Calif., where he also serves as director of the Departments of Technique and Research. Dr. Cooperstein serves on the PACE Review Committee of the FCLB, and has served many occasions on NBCE committees. He peer reviews for several journals and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine and the Journal of Chiropractic Education. He has authored numerous journal articles, as well as several textbooks and textbook chapters. Dr. Cooperstein is also in private practice in San Leandro, Calif.
Dr. John Stites is professor and director of Community Clinics at the Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, Iowa campus. He has a DC degree with diplomates in both radiology and orthopedics. He is a past editor, editorial board member and reviewer for a number of peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Stites is past-chair of the Chiropractic Health Care section of the American Public Health Association and currently sits on the Governing Council. He has participated multiple times in the “How to Teach Evidence-Based Clinical Practice” training program at McMaster University and is currently a tutor in the program.
Robert Vining, DC, has over 24 years of clinical experience in private practice, academic and research settings. He now serves as director of Palmer’s Research Clinic, a position he has held since 2008. His role includes oversight of clinical staff, development and implementation of clinical and diagnostic protocols for clinical research studies, case management, and eligibility determination for all research participants. He also performs examinations and provides care for clinical trial participants.