Scientific Advisory Committee
The Scientific Advisory Committee is a panel of independent experts who provide advice to the Homeopathy Research Institute and a peer review process for external commissioners of homeopathy research. The committee has the remit of assessing all types of homeopathy research including clinical, in vitro, in vivo and theoretical research in the field of homeopathy.
Members are appointed as independent scientific experts on the basis of their specific skills and knowledge. Individuals are required to declare any conflicts of interest.
To preserve the integrity of the peer review process, submitting authors will not be informed as to who reviews their application.
To submit a research protocol for peer review, please send a completed review request form along with your full protocol to rachelroberts@homeoinst.org.
Members of the Committee
Dr Stephan Baumgartner PhD
Lecturer, Institute of Complementary Medicine KIKOM, University of Bern and Senior Researcher, Society for Cancer Research, Arlesheim, Switzerland
Dr Baumgartner studied physics, mathematics and astronomy at the University of Basel (Switzerland). He has a PhD in Environmental Sciences from ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Stephans expertise is in basic research into homeopathy, with focus on the potentisation procedure (bioassays and physicochemical investigations). He is a founding member of The International Society of Complementary Medicine Research, founder of the Potentisation Research Group, and member of the GIRI (International Research Group on Very Low Dose and High Dilution Effects). Dr Baumgartner is currently a lecturer at the Institute of Complementary Medicine KIKOM, University of Bern, Switzerland, and senior researcher at the Society for Cancer research, Arlesheim, Switzerland.
Dr Robert Mathie BSc, PhD
Research Development Adviser, British Homeopathic Association, Luton
Dr Mathie studied Physiology at Glasgow University (UK). After receiving his PhD he moved on to the Department of Surgery at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, where he became Senior Lecturer. Over a period of 25 years in the university sector, Dr Mathie published some 80 peer-reviewed papers and wrote many review articles and book chapters. He is currently Research Development Adviser at the British Homeopathic Association and Faculty of Homeopathy, where much of his work over 9 years has been devoted to encouraging and assisting members of the Faculty to improve the quantity and the quality of research output in homeopathy. To this end, he is developing collaborations with university researchers and is leading clinical data collection work with the Faculty’s doctors, dentists and vets. Within a broader aim to highlight and improve the nature and the quality of homeopathy research, Dr Mathie is engaged in a number of systematic reviews of published clinical trials.
Dr Clare Relton Msc, PhD, RSHom, FFHom
Research Fellow, School for Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield
Dr Relton originally studied Philosophy at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). She worked as a homeopath in the NHS 1998-2005 and was made Fellow of the Society of Homeopaths in 2009. She was awarded a Department of Health Pre Doctoral Training Fellowship from 2003 to 2008, obtained her MSc (Health Services Research) in 2004 and received her PhD (Clinical Trial Design) in 2009. Dr Relton is currently a research fellow at the School for Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield. She is involved in research in obesity, chronic pain, IBS, and pragmatic clinical trial design.
Dr Elizabeth Thompson BAOxon, MBBS, MRCP, FFHom
Lead clinician and Academic director, Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
Dr Thompson is a Consultant Homeopathic Physician specialising in oncology and a Fellow of the Faculty of Homeopathy. She is currently Lead Clinician, Academic Director and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine, at Bristol Homeopathic Hospital. Dr Thompson's research interests have been around whether homeopathy can offer a novel approach to symptom control in the cancer patient and in particular managing side effects of cancer treatments. She also has an interest in trial design.
Professor Kate Thomas BA (Hons), MA
Hon Professor of Health Services Research, University of Sheffield
Prof Thomas was appointed as Professor of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research at the University of Leeds in 2005. She previously worked at the University of Sheffield where she was Deputy Director of the Medical Care Research Unit in the Health Services Research Section of ScHARR. Prof Thomas was a member of the UK NIHR Health Technology Assessment Research Commissioning Board for six years and is currently on the Board of the NIHR Health Services Research Programme. Her research interests include the evaluation of complementary therapies for use in the NHS.
Dr Alex Tournier BScCantab PhD LCHE RSHom
Executive Director
Dr Tournier studied physics at Imperial College, London, and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. He wrote his PhD on the biophysics of water-protein interactions at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Dr Tournier qualified from the Centre for Homeopathic Education with a licentiate in homeopathy. He is currently conducting interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between mathematics, physics and biology, as an independent researcher for a major international research organisation.
