Placebo Effects Make Good Medicine Better

Ted Kaptchuk’s multidisciplinary career began with his training as an acupuncturist and herbalist in Macao, China. He then went on to write a classic textbook on Chinese medicine called The Web That Has No Weaver and wrote a BBC documentary series on global healing traditions. Ted was recruited to investigate Asian medicine at Harvard and subsequently trained in rigorous scientific methodology.

He has gone on to lead groundbreaking studies across a variety of disciplines—including clinical science, neurobiology, psychology, anthropology, history, bioethics, and philosophy—all focused on placebo effects and the healing encounter. He is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he directs the Program in Placebo Studies and Therapeutic Encounter, hosted at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.