Research Team

With 14 years of clinical experience in intensive care and as an oncology nurse practitioner, she is well versed in managing the symptoms of acute and chronic illness, and skilled at identifying clinical needs and designing matching non-pharmaceutical care strategies. In recent years she has guided master’s-level nurse practitioner students in writing and publishing hospital research projects, demonstrating strong mentoring and research leadership. She has led a National Science and Technology Council project and co-led projects with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and foundation-affiliated institutions, with NT$2,345,000 in funding as principal investigator and NT$7,599,619 as co-investigator, reflecting both independent research ability and skill in cross-institutional collaboration and resource building. She has published numerous papers, most as first or corresponding author. Her research spans cancer treatment, inflammation and nutrition, sarcopenia and frailty, using methods from big data analysis to clinical intervention trials, closely aligned with the core mission of the Center.

She currently heads the Nurse Practitioner Track in the Department of Nursing, overseeing the curriculum and clinical practicum supervision, and since 2025 has served on the Nurse Practitioner Committee of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, closely linking teaching, research and clinical practice. She also brings interdisciplinary expertise, with training in Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing, aromatherapy and certified reflexology, and a Level B beautician licence, giving her professional depth and creativity in integrative non-pharmaceutical care. Drawing on her clinical, research, teaching and interdisciplinary strengths, she leads the Center in fulfilling its mission and in advancing clinical evidence, care models and cross-setting adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Role at the Center

1. Plan the Center’s research direction and operations, and set its core themes.
2. Lead clinical trials of non-pharmaceutical care in acute and chronic illness, cancer and the perioperative period.
3. Drive clinical translation and build application models for interventions such as reflexology.
4. Mentor nurse practitioners and graduate students, developing interdisciplinary researchers.

As Dean of the College of Nursing, she combines expertise in nursing education, administrative leadership and policy development. Over the past three years she has led Ministry of Health and Welfare policy projects on nurse practitioners totalling more than NT$18 million, playing a key role in shaping and implementing national nurse practitioner training policy, and maintains a long-standing partnership with the Ministry. Her research covers community nursing, long-term care and Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing, with numerous publications on long-term care and community health. Prof. Peng also serves on major government committees, helping establish national standards for nurse practitioner pre-authorised medical procedures in hospitals, and brings extensive experience in inter-ministerial coordination and policy planning that links policy with education and clinical practice. Her training in aromatherapy and certified reflexology gives her an interdisciplinary understanding of integrative non-pharmaceutical care. At the Center she leads government resource integration, policy advocacy and industry–academia partnerships, strengthening its institutional foundations and ensuring research reaches education and clinical settings.

Role at the Center

1. Integrate government resources and coordinate partnerships with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and related agencies.
2. Advance research in non-pharmaceutical care, Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing, long-term care and community health.
3. Plan domestic and international academic exchange and expand international collaboration.
4. Develop courses and modules that strengthen clinicians’ ability to apply research.

With more than thirty years of clinical experience in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, he has long specialised in head and neck cancer treatment, tinnitus and laryngopharyngeal reflux. In 1998 he founded the first multidisciplinary cancer treatment team in eastern Taiwan, greatly improving head and neck cancer care in Hualien and Taitung, and in 2010 he received the Medical Dedication Award. In recent years he has taken an active part in interprofessional clinical research, publishing several SCI papers with nursing and imaging science teams, demonstrating his scholarly strength in symptom assessment and the design of supportive interventions for head and neck cancer.

His research focuses on post-operative sarcopenia and the management of acute complications in head and neck cancer, the impact of sarcopenia and frailty indicators on adverse events and survival in adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and the benefit of improved parotid surgery incisions in reducing Frey syndrome. These findings have been published in SCI journals, reflecting his extensive research capacity in symptom assessment, validation of post-operative care outcomes and interprofessional supportive intervention design.

As Deputy Superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, he oversees the allocation and coordination of clinical research resources across departments and has extensive experience managing large cross-departmental research projects. This supports the Center’s participant recruitment and collaboration in the hospital’s otolaryngology department and head and neck cancer ward, ensures stable research settings, and strengthens the translation of findings into clinical care, so that the Center’s supportive interventions are both scientifically rigorous and practical.

Role at the Center

1. Integrate resources across hospital departments and advance university–hospital research collaboration and clinical translation.
2. Help establish participant recruitment in the otolaryngology department and head and neck cancer ward, keeping research settings running smoothly.
3. Provide clinical expertise in otolaryngology and head and neck cancer to support symptom assessment and intervention design.
4. Draw on a strong otolaryngology research record to deepen the Center’s symptom management research and raise the quality of its scholarly output.

A professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering at Tzu Chi University, he has an academic background spanning microbiology, immunology and cancer biology, with solid training in basic medical research and extensive laboratory management experience. His research interests include cancer biology, tumour virology, small-molecule drug development and theranostics, with long-standing work on tumour cell apoptosis and photodynamic therapy, and he holds several domestic and international patents.

His recent publications cover indocyanine green liposomes for combined photodynamic and photothermal therapy, mechanisms that induce apoptosis and ferroptosis in cancer cells, and the promotion of aerobic glycolysis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by Epstein–Barr virus latent membrane protein. He has received a gold medal at the Taiwan Innotech Expo invention contest, the National Science and Technology Council award for outstanding talent, and several Tzu Chi University paper awards, reflecting his depth and international competitiveness in basic cancer research.

At the Center, Prof. Lee leads the laboratory validation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, handling participant specimens and biochemical analysis and providing an objective platform for physiological and biochemical markers before and after intervention. His expertise fills a key gap between clinical observation and underlying mechanisms, allowing the Center’s research to go beyond symptom-level observation to the molecular and cellular mechanisms of interventions, and greatly strengthening the scientific credibility and translational value of its findings.

Role at the Center

1. Lead saliva specimen collection, biochemical analysis and quality control.
2. Apply expertise in cancer biology and tumour virology to studies of biomarker changes before and after non-pharmaceutical interventions.
3. Help establish standardised saliva analysis procedures, strengthening the rigour of the Center’s biospecimen research.
4. Draw on a background in small-molecule drug development and theranostics to interpret molecular mechanisms and support translation.

A professor at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, he specialises in clinical trial design, statistical analysis, big data research and quantitative methods, and has long worked on modelling and evidence-based research with medical and health data. His work spans statistical methodology, health big data analysis and behavioural science models, published in a number of high-impact international journals, reflecting a deep theoretical foundation and international visibility.

Prof. Hsieh has long collaborated with researchers in clinical medicine and nursing as an adviser on research methods and data analysis, helping teams across disciplines plan study designs, set up clinical trial procedures and handle complex data so that results are scientifically sound and credible. As former executive secretary of the Big Data Teaching, Research and Statistical Consulting Center, he is familiar with advancing research across units, integrating resources and spreading research capacity, and has helped launch many interdisciplinary projects.

He is also committed to developing doctoral students and early-career researchers, guiding them in writing research proposals and submitting to academic journals, and raising the university’s academic competitiveness. At the Center he is responsible not only for the design and analysis of clinical and non-pharmaceutical intervention studies, but also for building a standardised database and cross-setting research platform that encourages data reuse and academic exchange, making the Center an evidence hub for non-pharmaceutical care research.

Role at the Center

1. Lead statistical design and data analysis to ensure methodological rigour.
2. Build a big data platform and develop AI models for health care.
3. Guide quantitative research and model validation, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
4. Provide statistical consulting to raise the quality of research.

With more than twenty years of clinical experience in otolaryngology, he is Director of the Department of Otolaryngology at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, with deep expertise in ear disorders, head and neck cancer treatment and tinnitus management that closely matches the Center’s core research population. He has been active in interprofessional clinical research, publishing several SCI papers as corresponding author or co-author, and leads a current IRB-approved prospective multicenter clinical trial, demonstrating solid independent research ability and growing scholarly output.

His research covers the association of sarcopenia with acute post-operative complications and mortality in patients undergoing surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma, the impact of sarcopenia and frailty indicators on adverse events and survival in adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, refinements to ossicular reconstruction for chronic otitis media, and the benefit of an improved preauricular incision in parotid surgery in reducing Frey syndrome. These findings have been published in SCIE journals, showing pioneering work and depth in the clinical validation of supportive care.

Working on the front line in both outpatient clinics and wards, he has first-hand understanding of the clinical care of patients with tinnitus and head and neck cancer, and helps the Center with participant recruitment and study delivery, ensuring accurate screening and follow-up. With strong clinical expertise, a solid publication record and firm support for supportive care research, he works closely with the Center’s team to build and promote evidence-based models of supportive care in otolaryngology.

Role at the Center

1. Support participant recruitment and delivery of supportive care interventions for patients with tinnitus and head and neck cancer.
2. Bring a front-line otolaryngology perspective so that study designs reflect patients’ real needs.
3. Work with the nursing team to build evidence-based models of supportive care in otolaryngology.
4. Advance the clinical translation and adoption of research on ear disorders and head and neck cancer.

A surgical nurse practitioner at Tzu Chi Hospital and Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at Tzu Chi University, she combines deep clinical experience with strong research delivery. Over the past four years she has led Tzu Chi Medical Mission projects totalling more than NT$2.4 million, covering surgical care, non-pharmaceutical interventions and clinical research, steadily building interdisciplinary research expertise.

Clinically, in addition to general surgery, she specialises in urology, with experience in post-operative care, interstitial cystitis, urinary dysfunction and related symptom management. This expertise allows her to turn patient needs into concrete research questions and develop innovative non-pharmaceutical interventions. In research, she is active in basic research, clinical trials and cross-hospital collaboration, reflecting a complete clinical research pipeline. At the Center she leads non-pharmaceutical care research in surgery and urology, strengthening clinical translation and innovation through cross-specialty integration and clinical trials, so that the Center’s work stays close to patients’ needs and improves real-world care.

Role at the Center

1. Lead clinical trials of non-pharmaceutical interventions in surgery and urology.
2. Advance the clinical translation and evidence-based application of findings.
3. Carry out cross-unit clinical collaboration that meets practical needs.
4. Mentor graduate students and nurse practitioners and advance non-pharmaceutical nursing.

An Assistant Professor in the Nursing Program of the College of Nursing, she brings interdisciplinary experience in teaching, research and social engagement, with long-standing work in Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing, health promotion and long-term care. She is qualified to teach Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing, holds a Level 2 aromatherapy certification from the US National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) and a Level B tai chi coaching qualification, and integrates TCM care, aromatherapy and health promotion into her teaching and research. For six consecutive years she has taken part in the University Social Responsibility (USR Hub) program, securing about NT$1.8 million in grants to support community health promotion, elder care and local outreach, demonstrating strong resource integration and interdisciplinary collaboration. She is currently training as a family nurse practitioner to further develop her advanced clinical skills. Her research focuses on TCM nursing care models, health promotion interventions and long-term care, combining aromatherapy, tai chi and holistic care to develop innovative, evidence-based models of care.

Role at the Center

1. Advance research in Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing and community health.
2. Develop courses and modules in non-pharmaceutical care that strengthen clinicians’ ability to apply research.

She is a nurse practitioner in Neurosurgery and the Neurological Intensive Care Unit at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, and Director of the Standardized Patient Center in the hospital’s Department of Medical Education. She is responsible for clinical care and teaching for brain and spinal cord injury and disease, writing SP OSCE cases for medicine and other health professions, and training standardized patients (SP) and standardized patient trainers (SPT). Her research explores clinical conditions using big data databases, as well as humanistic training in medical education. Newly appointed to the university faculty, she helps master’s nursing students connect advanced study with clinical expertise, building integrated knowledge and skills in patient care. As a member of the Center, she will also support policy initiatives and industry–academia collaboration so that its work reaches education and clinical settings.

Role at the Center

1. Apply expertise in standardized patient education to develop teaching and training courses.
2. Draw on a background in big data analysis to support the Center’s research data platform.

A Project Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing at Tzu Chi University, she has long worked in community long-term care, developing evidence-based non-pharmaceutical care strategies with the core aim of improving quality of life for older adults and people with disabilities. Since 2025 she has helped lead foot-care healing courses, systematically turning traditional care techniques into structured teaching resources that make professional skills easier to learn. She believes quality care unites compassionate concern with rational evidence. Using grounded theory, she studies in depth the experiences and needs of professional caregivers and managers. She is skilled at translating complex clinical techniques into simple, practical teaching materials so that professional skills are passed on accurately. At the Center she links hands-on practice with data analysis to build care modules that are both scientifically convincing and highly feasible, helping long-term care facilities and community systems put non-pharmaceutical care into practice.

Role at the Center

1. Develop teaching modules and digital materials, and coordinate and manage assistive equipment for community and institutional settings.
2. Study the psychological and social support needs of care recipients and caregivers and how they interact with their environment.
3. Carry out clinical evidence-building and quantitative outcome evaluation for the Center’s programs.

As Head of Clinical Practicum in the university’s Department of Nursing, she has long been rooted in clinical nursing practice. Leading the practicum team, she is well versed in clinical teaching and integrating teaching resources, and in recent years has been actively involved in Ministry of Health and Welfare research projects. With clinical experience in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine nursing and in reflexology practice, she brings strong project delivery and an innovative research outlook. She will continue to lead her team in turning teaching and practice into fresh momentum for nursing education and clinical care.

Role at the Center

1. Develop teaching modules and digital materials, and coordinate and manage assistive equipment for community and institutional settings.
2. Carry out clinical evidence-building and quantitative outcome evaluation for non-pharmaceutical care programs.

A Project Lecturer in the Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, she is pursuing a PhD at the Institute of Clinical Nursing, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and previously worked as a critical care nurse at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. With a background in critical care practice, her research interests are critical care nursing, behavioural research, and instrument development and validation. She served as a researcher on the Ya-Yang project, and during her thesis research on nurses’ behaviour coordinated 10 hospitals and obtained approval for 7 IRB protocols. Since 2025 she has taken part in the reflexology training program, teaching reflexology, practising healing techniques and developing related materials. At the Center she focuses on integrated care research, behavioural science research and model application, and supporting materials development and equipment coordination, with an emphasis on health behaviour assessment tools and models, innovative teaching materials and hands-on teaching.

Role at the Center

1. Reflexology teaching and materials development
2. Hands-on healing training and teaching
3. Analysis of health behaviour assessment tools and model application