The Tanaduk Institute Research Staff (Partial List)
Background of Bradley Dobos
founder of the Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute
The botanical education of Bradley Dobos began in his early years with his grandmother and continued with two years of study with American herbalist John Christopher. He earned his Masters Degree in Clinical Herbology and Botanical Formulation from The Dominion Herbal College of British Columbia. This was followed by studies in Ethnobotany of the Northwest at Western Washington University and Ethnobotany of the Himalayas at the University of British Columbia. Upon completion, he traveled to the Himalayas to further his studies.
Dobos went to Bodhanath, Nepal where he received instruction in Sutra and Tantra from the Venerable Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan monastery. Due to his interests in indigenous and alternative healing practices his teacher, Lama Yeshe, personally inroduced him to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1972. It was proposed that a special course of study in Tibetan Medicine be developed. His Holiness the Dalai Lama supported the idea. A program was developed to accommodate Dobos' botanical, medical and diagnostic studies. After 4 years of in depth research into Tibetan medicine and 12 years of internship, he became the first Westerner to be recognized as a Doctor of Tibetan medicine. A unique and exraordinary accomplishment!
Dr. Dobos was trained in the areas of Sutra, Tantra and indigenous alternative healing practices by many great teachers and doctors, one of whom is the great elder: Dr. Tenzing Choedrak, personal physician to the Dalai Lama. Included among his many teachers (who gave him written as well as oral lineage transmission teachings) are: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Amala Lobsang Dolma, Dr. Yeshe Donden, His Holiness Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Thubten Yeshe,Venerable Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Rapten, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Venerable Kalu Rinpoche, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Lama Tharchen Rinpoche, Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, Khenpo Dorje Gyaltsen, Venerable Deshung Rinpoche, Geshe Tashi Namgyal, Gen Lamrimpa, Venerable Geshe Gyaltsen, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. Over the past 30 years Dobos has received further teachings, instruction and initiations from many other kind and compassionate wisdom holders in the Tibetan tradition.
In 1977 Dr. Dobos returned to the West and began his trials and clinical research of Tibetan formulation in the West at the Tenzing Momo Apothecary and Clinic of Tibetan Medicine at the Pike Place Market of Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. Over the years he worked together with guest Tibetan physicians to administer Tibetan healing methods and practices to over 25,000 patients using a full range of traditional treatment modalities. He educated patients about the nature of their condition, and employed counseling, behavior and lifestyle modification, spiritual practices, dietary therapy, herbal remedies, acupressure massage, cupping and moxabustion. He tutored many students and graduates from Bastyr University for over ten years by offering six-month training apprenticeships, and volunteered his services for nine years as Director of Botanical Medicine at The Savatthi Ayurvedic Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. Later he opened The Tanaduk Clinic of Tibetan Medicine on Orcas Island, Washington.
Concurrently (1973-2006), Dobos furthered his education in Tibetan medicine with apprenticeships under numerous Doctors of Tibetan Medicine, and worked as clinical director and liaison between Tibetan doctors and their Western counterparts to assess the efficacy of Tibetan Medicine in the variety of treatments administered. Thus Dr. Dobos acquired an advanced familiarity with Tibetan formulas for Western use and in some cases reformulated traditional Tibetan formulas to better fit the Western constitution. Now after thirty years of study, apprenticeships and practice Bradley Dobos has earned the title of "Amchi," the Tibetan title for a Doctor of Tibetan Medicine. Among the Tibetan world community he is known as Amchi Thubten Lekshe.
Amchi Lekshe's (Dobos) ongoing research and studies have been analyzed with scrutiny by several elder Tibetan physicians, most recently Dr. Tenzing Choedrak, head of the botanical department and supreme head of H.H. The Dalai Lamas Institute of Tibetan Medicine know as Mens Tsee Khang. After going through all of Dr. Dobos' reformulation of traditional Tibetan formulas, Dr. Choedrak not only approved but expressed delight with Dr. Dobos' insight and creative use of botanicals. He was also delighted with the fact that the reformulations did not have any bug or animal parts included yet carried the traditional formulas energetic nature. His approval was a huge validation in the eyes and heart of Amchi Thubten Lekshe (Dr. Bradley Dobos).
It was in 1972 that Dr. Bradley Dobos began discussing possible conservation and cultivation projects with officers and resident physicians of His Holiness The Dalai Lama's Institute of Tibetan Medicine in MeLoed Ganj, India. The meeting resulted in a long-term plan for conserving medicinal herbs used in Tibetan and Himalayan traditional medicines. This was done partly by establishing a conservation platform in the areas where they naturally grow and by creating several other conservation sites working to save the vital botanicals used in Tibetan medicines. During his fieldwork in the Himalayas, in areas well known for their medicinal herbs, Bradley Dobos concluded that many Tibetan and Himalayan botanicals needed stewardship in their natural habitat and also noticed that many varieties were similar to those of Washington State and may easily be established in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Dr. Dobos subsequently formed The Tanaduk Botanical Research Institute of Tibetan Medicine. Its officers include botanists, botanical research scientists, botanical field researchers, Tibetan medical lamas and Tibetan doctors.
Chandra Prakash Kala, Ph.D: Dr. Kala earned his Ph.D. in Forestry in 1998 from the Forest Research Institute in Dehra Dun, India, and his Masters in Botany from H.N.B. Garhwal University in Srinagar, India. He has worked as a Research Fellow (1992-1997), an Ethnobotanist (1997-1998 & 2001-2002), and an Ecologist (1999-2000). Some of his earlier associations were with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun; Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Bangalore; International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal and G.B. Plant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development Kosi-Katarmal, Almora. Dr. Kala has widely surveyed the Indian Himalayan and trans-Himalayan region for medicinal plants, plant ecology, and indigenous practices prevalent in various ethnic groups. He has published more than 40 scientific papers and articles in various national and international journals. He has ten scientific reports to his credit, as well as two books on the medicinal plants and conservation of the Himalayan biodiversity.
Tsewang Jigme Tsarong: Mr. Tsarong is a Tibetan medical specialist who for the past thirty years has been working toward the preservation, propagation, and development of the ancient Buddhist system of medicine known technically as "gSo-wa Rig-pa" (Skt.: Cikitsa Virya) or the Knowledge of Healing. He was born in Lhasa, Tibet, and has a Bachelors Degree from St. Joseph's College and another Bachelors from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. From 1974-82, Mr. Tsarong was the Executive Director of the Dalai Lama's Tibetan Institute of Medicine and Astrology (Dharamsala, Dist. Kangra, India) and was instrumental in turning this center into one of the most successful Tibetan refugee organizations in India and Nepal. Mr. Tsarong is the proprietor of Tibetan Medical Publications and he Himalayan Herbal Co. (Pvt.) Ltd. and uses these two companies to produce books and herbal products to create awareness of and interest in the promotion of this profound medical culture. Presently, he is involved in a pioneer project of manufacturing selected Tibetan medical formulations whose ingredients are organically cultivated.
Ban An Khaw: Ban An Khaw has a Ph.D in immunology, with undergraduate studies in International Relations. Ban An is the Director and Behrakis Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Center for Drug Targeting and Analysis; Bouve College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. He is also Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital-East.
His research is primarily focussed on bringing the oral tradition to the scientific laboratory. Ban An Khaw wants to gather all the oral testimonies that these herbal formulas work. He believes you have to rely on testimonials to "prove" to the National Institute of Health that these formulas work. "We have to prove it," he said. "We have to tease it apart and put it together. Then the scientific community will accept it. You have to bring the proof of efficacy in line with modern scientific proof. You have to show that this herb has this active ingredient, that herb has that active ingredient, etc. When one puts them together, they function in a synergistic nontoxic manner. "It is a lot harder than a traditional clinical trial, where you give patients medicine, then record the results," he said. "Most of our modern medicine came from herbal origins. It's only recently that we started doing synthetic molecules. These aren't as effective as the herbal formulas are however."
Ban An is interested primarily in the heart. He had tested three Chinese herbal combinations on the functions of the heart, and he was excited about testing the Tibetan strategies for the heart. He wants to tease out the components that are working and identify them. Ban An's work is primarily cardiovascular, using an unconventional approach and diagnosis. His work is published in the scientific journal "Nature Medicine" as well as other journals, but he believes his work is not necessarily accepted by the scientific community, because he believes it is most definitely ahead of its way of thinking.
Shailendra Bahuguna - Field assistant
Sanjay Nautiyal- Field assistant
Asha Ram Bangwal- Researcher
Jo York, M.A.: Ms. York has a Bachelors in journalism and a Masters in Communication Sciences, both from the University of Montana. She is in charge of all communications and grant management for the Tanaduk Institute. Utilizing over 45 grants, she currently serves as the office manager for The University of Montana Rural Institute on Disabilities; A Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Service in Missoula, Montana.
She manages the front office that serves over 80 personnel and assists the executive director, including helping with the preparation, editing and proofreading of the core grant and annual and semi-annual reports. She is responsible for reporting the Rural Institute's project information to the Association of University Centers on Disabilities National Information and Reporting System (NIRS). She also helps with web page dissemination efforts, the maintenance of employee records, minutes of staff and committee meetings.
May All Beings Be Happy
May All Beings Be Free
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