PROJECTS

Primary Investigator for NCCIH-Funded K01 Project

the MAGIC study

Scaling-up Integrative Pain Management in Federally Qualified Health Centers

Dr. Isabel Roth, DrPH, MS, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s Program on Integrative Medicine, was awarded a K01* career development award from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in July 2022. Her mentorship team is led by Dr. Jennifer Leeman from the School of Nursing, Dr. Shabbar Ranapurwala and Dr. Justin Trogdon from the Gillings School of Public Health, Dr. Susan Gaylord from the School of Medicine, and Dr. Paula Gardiner from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Integrative Medical Group Visits

Dr. Roth’s project, Scaling-up Integrative Pain Management in Federally Qualified Health Centers, will seek to develop implementation strategies to effectively integrate Integrative Medical Group Visits into community health centers. Integrative Medical Group Visits provide training in mindfulness, nutrition, and other self-care techniques to patients with chronic pain, and are led by a billing provider and mindfulness or yoga instructor. Together with Dr. Jessica Barnhill and others, Dr. Roth helped launch Integrative Medical Group Visits at the UNC Center for Rehabilitation Care in 2020. Roth argues that they have the potential to make non-pharmacological pain management more accessible to underserved communities, which is particularly important in light of the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Lead Researcher for the UNC Pediatric Integrative Medicine Circle of Care Evaluation

CIRCLE OF Care: Caregiver Insights and Evaluation of Integrative Health Resources

Funded by the 2025–2026 Dhillon Jordan Shah Innovation Fund in Congenital Heart Disease

Launched in response to strong family interest, the CIRCLE OF Care initiative brings together an interprofessional team from the UNC School of Nursing and UNC Lineberger Cancer Center to evaluate and strengthen integrative health services for pediatric hematology-oncology patients.

Pediatric Integrative Medicine at UNC

The Pediatric Integrative Medicine (PIM) Service at the UNC Cancer Hospital offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to symptom and pain management for children and families navigating chronic illness. Located within the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Clinic, our team provides evidence-informed therapies that support healing, comfort, and resilience.

Services Offered

Yoga and movement-based therapies

Mindfulness and stress-reduction practices

Reiki and energy-based modalities

Pediatric pharmacy consultation

Additional integrative health resources tailored to family needs

Evaluation Purpose

This initiative aims to formally assess and sustain the consult service by examining:

  • Who is accessing the service and how

  • How well the service fits into clinical workflows and family routines

  • How we can expand and improve CIH offerings for children with cancer and non-malignant hematological conditions

Research associate and site PI for the Community Engagement Supplement to the

OPTIMUM Clinical Trial

The OPTIMUM Trial hopes to determine if an 8-week group-based pain management program can help patients with chronic low-back pain. The group-based intervention is modeled on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program which is now recommended for treating chronic low back pain by the American College of Physicians.

Low Back Pain

Integrative Medicine for Pediatric Pain Management

In 2017, Dr. Roth conducted an ethnography to learn more about how complementary therapies were integrated into the pediatric hospital environment.

Integrative Medicine for Pediatric Pain Management