Bernadette is an author and lecturer and was awarded a Doctorate in Education from Dublin City University, following 4 years of a taught programme, (2010 – 2014). Her doctoral research explored the demand, history, teaching, practice and regulation of a range of Complementary and Alternative medicine therapies, in Ireland, Europe and in countries around the world.
Previously she had studied for and achieved a Master of Sciences in Middlesex University, London (2008 – 2009) in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her masters research explored attitudes, opinions and experiences of patient`s seeking CAM treatments and practitioners who delivered them.
The focus of her Masters research was the clinical impact for both patients and practitioners seeking and delivering CAM treatments in an unregulated and unsupported environment, in both the UK and Ireland.
Her book CAM, An Irish Solution for a Global Question, Analysis of the CAM Sector expands on her doctoral research which explored this sector in Ireland and internationally.
She lectures internationally on Chinese Medicine topics, presented papers and delivered presentations on Chinese medicine clinical subjects to conferences in Lisbon, Prague, Vienna and Vilnius. Her lecture topics are the Traditional Chinese Medicine Classics, and the Chinese Medicine approach and management of a range of disorders. She has also lectured on on adult education, the TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) Core Curriculum, Lifelong Learning and the Bologna Agreement on adult and higher education to conferences in Manchester, Nanjing, Beijing, Guangzhao, Brussels, and Paris.
As a board member of the WFCMS (World Federation of TCM Societies) Education committee (EIC) she is a co author of the WFCMS handbook on World Standard of Chinese Medicine Undergraduate (Pre -CMD) Education (2009) Ref.EIC WFCMS 2009 Vol 3 No 4).
She holds a Professional Licentiate in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture and professional Diploma in Chinese Herbalism. She has served as Director and Principal of Acupuncture Foundation of Ireland for many years. In 2006 she was awarded the title of Visiting Professor to Nanjing University of TCM, China, and visits the university regularly, with student groups.
She is Vice President of PEFOTS (Pan European Federation of TCM Societies), Chair of the PEFOTS Education Committee, and a board member of WFCMS, (World Federation of TCM Societies) an international acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine federation.