Gene Bruno

Gene Bruno, OMD, LAc, FNAAOM, was a staff acupuncturist of the National Acupuncture Association’s research team. Acupuncture arrived on the scene in the United States in the early 1970’s, shortly after information about this medicine became available to the general public. James Reston’s surgery in China with the use of acupuncture was the notable event that brought acupuncture to the public’s attention. Te National Acupuncture Associaion, located in Westwood, California, was instrumental in training acupuncturists and research in acupuncture. While acupuncture had been a part of the Chinese communities in the US, most of the public were uninformed of its existence and its use in treating diseases. The National Acupuncture Association (NAA) was the first national association to introduce acupuncture into the United States in the late 1960’s. One of the first major projects of the NAA was to establish an Acupuncture Pain Clinic at UCLA medical school in 1972. The NAA also began several research projects and sponsored the first medical seminars on acupuncture.

In 2007, the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) recognized this seminal work by NAA acupuncturists by awarding its first Founders of the Profession Lifetime Achievement Awards, and creating the Pioneers Honor Roll. Dr. Gene Bruno and Dr. William Prensky were awarded the first “Pioneers of the Field Lifetime Achievement Awards. Dr. Steven Rosenblatt, Dr. James Tin Yau So and Dr. Ju Gim Shek were added to the Founders Honor Roll.

From 1971 until 1974, Dr. Bruno was part of the NAA's two-man team that introduced veterinary acupuncture into the United States for the first time. As a part of the first national organization to introduce acupuncture to western medicine and the public in the US, Dr. Gene Bruno was one of the pioneers in this field in the US. From 1972 to 1974 he worked at the UCLA Acupuncture Pain Clinic. From 1971 until 1974, Dr. Bruno was part of the NAA's two-man team that introduced veterinary acupuncture into the United States for the first time.

As one of the directors of the research team that introduced veterinary acupuncture into the United States, Dr. Bruno and Dr. John Ottaviano were the only two practitioners who were allowed to treat animals in California in the 1970s who were not licensed in veterinary medicine. The result of this work of the NAA's veterinary research team led to the trainging of veterinarians and to the establishment of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Association (IVAS) in 1974. The IVAS is international and now has members in many countries including Italy. The IVAS is a non-profit educational organization.

As a practitioner of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for nearly 40 years, Dr. Bruno has received many awards. In 2006, the American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) recognized his achievements in the field of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in the US by presenting him with the first Founders of the Profession Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2007, Dr. Bruno was elected to the Executive Board of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS). This is the largest group of professional acupuncture and Oriental medicine societies in the world. As a member of the Executive Board of the WFCMS, Dr. Bruno represents the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM), which is the largest and oldest national acupuncture organization in the United States.

Awards

Pioneers and Leaders Award October 2007
:Presented by American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Founders of the Profession Lifetime Achievement Award October 2006
:Presented by American Association of Oriental Medicine

Special Award for Advancing Oriental Medicine in the State of Oregon October 1993
:Presented by the Oregon Acupuncture Association
Special Merit Award for Contributions that led to the Founding of
Veterinary Acupuncture in the US July 1975
:Presented by the National Acupuncture Association

Personal life

Gene Bruno (born April 13, 1948) grew up in the West Los Angeles area, spent a year in Boston, and has lived with his wife. He still has a medical office in Salem, Oregon.

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