Eric J. Rayner

Background

About Eric J. Rayner

As a medical anthropologist and biology graduate, I have had the opportunity to participate in anthropological research within numerous African, Asian and South American communities and gain first-hand knowledge of the diverse way of life in these distinct regions. As a biology student, I developed a strong understanding of biological systems and their functions within the human body. My background has provided me with knowledge of two distinct disciplines. Master of Arts in Anthropology:*Completed research projects as a research assistant and photographer for a University of Utah’s ethnomedical service-learning program among the Quechua-speaking peoples in the Peruvian Andes exposed me to the realities of international medicine and education.*Researched Tibetan medicine in Men-Tse-Khang, the Tibetan academy of medicine and astrology in Dharamsala, India.*Researched the basic concepts of Tibetan medicine observing Tibetan medical practitioners treat patients.*Studied why both Indian citizens and Western patients accepted and applied Tibetan healing traditions broadening my understanding of non-Western approaches of healing. Bachelor of Arts in Biology:*Assisted with a research project investigating the physiological and behavioral roles of oxytocin within the GI tract of test animals identifying a correlation between the cephalic phase of digestion and a massive surge of oxytocin release into the GI tact.*Worked as a medical volunteer within hospitals, clinics and villages and remote field vaccination projects in the Peruvian Amazon where numerous infectious diseases are researched and treated.*As medical anthropologist and biology graduate I have gained experience in both qualitative and quantitative research.*As a result, I am familiar with the healing traditions of several societies and possess a strong understanding of the realities of international medicine and infectious disease.