A pioneer in Traditional Chinese Medicine education in Canada, an international leader in Chinese Medicine academia, and an expert in gynecology, reproductive health, and cosmetic acupuncture.
Professor Diana Tong Li is one of the pioneers in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine education in Canada and an important promoter of international Chinese Medicine education and academic exchange. As the Co-Founder and President of the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (CCATCM), she has devoted more than forty years to clinical practice, educational innovation, academic research, and international collaboration in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has made outstanding contributions to the development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine education system in Canada, the cultivation of professional practitioners, and the international dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Professor Diana Tong Li currently serves and has previously served in important leadership positions within multiple Canadian and international professional organizations in Traditional Chinese Medicine, including Vice President of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada (CMAAC), President of the Nova Scotia Chapter of the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada, Executive Committee Member of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), Vice Chair of the Psychosomatic Medicine Specialty Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies (WFCMS), and Vice President of the Federation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Colleges of Canada. Over the years, she has actively participated in the development of international Traditional Chinese Medicine professional standards, the establishment of professional education guidelines, international academic exchanges, and global collaboration in Chinese Medicine. She has played an important role in promoting the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Canada and enhancing the international influence of Chinese traditional medicine.
As an educator, Professor Diana Tong Li has always firmly believed that the fundamental mission of Traditional Chinese Medicine education is not only to train acupuncture physicians, but more importantly, to comprehensively preserve and transmit the academic system, clinical thinking, and professional spirit of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has consistently upheld the educational philosophy of “inheriting the classics, maintaining authenticity, and pursuing innovation.” She regards classical Chinese Medicine texts, including Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), Nanjing (The Classic of Difficult Issues), Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases), and Jingui Yaolue (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet), as the academic foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She advocates the principle that “the classics guide clinical practice, and the classics guide education,” emphasizing the cultivation of students’ solid theoretical foundation in Chinese Medicine, diagnostic abilities based on pattern differentiation, and clinical practice skills.
Professor Diana Tong Li has always believed that an excellent acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who continuously cultivates and improves themselves throughout their medical career should pay attention to several important aspects: first, learning from renowned masters, acquiring authentic academic knowledge and clinical experience through traditional transmission; second, studying the classics, using classical theories to guide clinical practice and continuously deepening the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine; third, treating patients with dedication and sincerity, truly achieving the state of “heart, qi, and spirit fully engaged” (“Xin Dao, Qi Dao, Shen Dao”) during diagnosis and treatment.
She believes that acupuncture is not merely a therapeutic technique, but an art that integrates medicine, humanity, and the wisdom of life. Physicians must not only master excellent acupuncture skills but also face every patient with compassion, concentration, and respect for life. In clinical treatment, they should pursue the overall harmony of Mind, Body, and Spirit, fully demonstrating the unique advantages of holistic medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. She believes that Traditional Chinese Medicine can continue to develop, but it cannot become separated from the classics; education can continue to innovate, but it cannot lose its inheritance. Only by truly grounding oneself in the classics can we cultivate international Chinese Medicine professionals who truly understand Traditional Chinese Medicine, are capable in clinical practice, and can carry forward the tradition. She hopes that students from all over the world, regardless of cultural background, can systematically learn the most authentic and traditional theories of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture techniques, truly understand the core philosophy and cultural meaning of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and pass on and promote this precious medical heritage, allowing Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture to continue benefiting the health of people around the world.
Professor Diana Tong Li’s connection with acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine began during her childhood. When she was young, she often accompanied her grandmother to receive acupuncture treatments for an eye condition and personally witnessed the remarkable therapeutic effects of acupuncture. During her teenage years, she herself received acupuncture treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and experienced significant improvement. These two personal experiences enabled her to deeply appreciate the medical wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including the principles of “treating the root cause of disease,” the “holistic view,” and “pattern differentiation and treatment.” They also strengthened her determination to devote her entire life to the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine and to promote the heritage of Chinese traditional medicine.
At the age of sixteen, Professor Diana Tong Li was admitted to a university of Traditional Chinese Medicine, beginning five years of systematic medical education. During her studies, she worked diligently and devoted herself deeply to the study of Chinese Medicine. She maintained a rigorous and serious academic attitude and systematically studied the fundamental theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, formula studies, diagnostics, acupuncture, and modern medical knowledge. She not only focused on accumulating theoretical knowledge but also placed great emphasis on integrating theory with clinical practice. For many years, she followed and studied under several renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine experts, carefully observing pulse diagnosis, pattern differentiation and treatment, herbal prescription and preparation, as well as acupuncture treatment procedures.
With her solid professional foundation, diligent spirit of inquiry, and profound passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine, she gradually developed rigorous medical thinking and unique clinical insights. These experiences laid a strong foundation for her future development in clinical practice, scientific research, and Traditional Chinese Medicine education.
After graduating from university, Professor Diana Tong Li joined Shenzhen Huaqiang Hospital (now Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital), where she participated in establishing the hospital’s acupuncture specialty department. She also developed a long-term clinical collaboration with the Acupuncture Research Institute of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing, jointly promoting the development of acupuncture specialty services and clinical research. During this period, she continued to study under many renowned acupuncture experts in China, systematically mastering traditional acupuncture techniques such as plum blossom needle therapy and moxibustion regulation, while continuously enriching her clinical experience and treatment approaches.
During her collaboration with the Acupuncture Research Institute of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Professor Diana Tong Li had the privilege of receiving guidance from the renowned acupuncture scholar and National Master of Chinese Medicine, Professor Cheng Xinnong. Professor Cheng’s academic philosophy of “to study medicine, one must study the classics; to practice clinically, one must follow the classics” had a profound influence on Professor Li’s future academic direction. It further strengthened her academic belief of “learning from renowned masters, studying the classics, emphasizing clinical practice, and pursuing authentic knowledge,” and established the academic path of using classical Chinese Medicine theories to guide clinical practice, research innovation, and medical education development.
Subsequently, Professor Diana Tong Li was admitted to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine to pursue her master’s degree, where she further studied classical Traditional Chinese Medicine theories, including Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), and conducted scientific research focusing on clinical acupuncture treatment. She published academic papers including “Auricular Acupuncture Bloodletting Therapy for the Treatment of Facial Acne” and “A Study on the Compatibility Between the Zi Wu Liu Zhu Theory and Acupuncture Treatment,” gradually developing an academic approach that integrates theoretical research with clinical practice. In 1989, Professor Diana Tong Li immigrated to Canada, beginning a new chapter in her mission to promote the international dissemination and educational development of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In Canada, Professor Diana Tong Li founded Life Care Acupuncture & Natural Medicine Clinic, becoming one of the earliest professional Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture healthcare institutions established in Atlantic Canada. At that time, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine were still in the early stages of development in Canada, and public awareness and understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine remained limited. Through professional clinical treatment, health education, public lectures, and community services, Professor Li continuously introduced Canadians to the core concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including the “holistic view,” “pattern differentiation and treatment,” and “preventive treatment of disease before its occurrence.” She provided safe and effective acupuncture treatments for a large number of patients and gradually increased the social recognition and acceptance of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Eastern Canada.
Recognized for her outstanding clinical abilities and academic contributions, Professor Diana Tong Li actively participated in international academic exchanges. In 1990, she represented Canada at the Second World Conference of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), held in Paris, France, where she presented her clinical research findings, including “Acupuncture Treatment for Fibromyalgia” and “Acupuncture-Assisted Smoking Cessation.”
In 1993, she once again represented Canada at the Third World Conference of WFAS held in Tokyo, Japan, where she presented research findings including “Acupuncture Treatment for Migraine” and “Acupuncture for Weight Reduction.”
For more than three decades thereafter, Professor Diana Tong Li continued to represent Canada at academic conferences organized by the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies and other international acupuncture organizations. Her academic journey took her to many countries and regions, including Beijing, China; Paris, France; New York, USA; London, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Thailand; and many other locations around the world. She has repeatedly presented clinical research papers and engaged in in-depth exchanges with acupuncture experts from different countries, making positive contributions to the promotion of international cooperation in Traditional Chinese Medicine and the advancement of acupuncture scholarship.
Among her various areas of research, Professor Diana Tong Li’s studies on acupuncture-assisted reproductive health and infertility treatment received widespread attention within the international academic community. These achievements established a solid foundation for her later clinical development in gynecology, reproductive health, and assisted reproductive care. At multiple World Acupuncture Conferences and international Traditional Chinese Medicine academic conferences, Professor Li delivered specialized presentations on the application of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of infertility. Her work attracted significant attention from medical experts and clinicians from around the world. Many attending physicians actively participated in discussions and requested her presentation materials in order to further study and apply her clinical experience and treatment methods.
Because of her outstanding contributions in clinical practice, scientific research innovation, and international collaboration, Professor Diana Tong Li was elected as an Executive Committee Member of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS), becoming one of the important representatives of the Canadian acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine community actively involved in international organizations. She actively participated in the development of international acupuncture standards, academic exchanges, and professional advancement, making significant contributions to enhancing the influence of Canadian acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine on the international stage.
In 1998, Professor Diana Tong Li and Professor Shi-Cheng Chen jointly founded the Canadian College of Natural Medicine, which was officially renamed the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (CCATCM) in 2008. The shared vision of the two founders was to establish a professional institution that preserves the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine while meeting international educational standards. Through systematic education, clinical practice training, and the development of professional standards, the college aims to cultivate acupuncture and Chinese Medicine professionals with a solid foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, excellent clinical abilities, and an international perspective.
As the Co-Founder and President of CCATCM, Professor Diana Tong Li has been dedicated for many years to the establishment and advancement of the Traditional Chinese Medicine education system in Canada. She has contributed to curriculum development, the construction of clinical education systems, the writing of English-language Traditional Chinese Medicine textbooks, and the cultivation of professional practitioners, making significant contributions to the development of Chinese Medicine education in Canada and internationally. Together with Professor Shi-Cheng Chen, she has co-authored multiple English-language Traditional Chinese Medicine textbooks, including Traditional Chinese Medicine Foundations, Dr. Li-Chen Acupressure Massage for Relaxation and Health, Dr. Li-Chen Acupressure Massage Treating Pain Conditions, Dr. Li-Chen Acupressure Meridian Massage, and Dr. Li-Chen Acupressure Massage Treating Common Illness. These works have provided important educational resources for international students seeking systematic study of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and clinical practice.
In the clinical field, Professor Diana Tong Li has more than forty years of extensive professional experience and has long specialized in gynecological disorders, reproductive health, infertility treatment, pain management, and facial cosmetic acupuncture. She is dedicated to integrating traditional Chinese Medicine theories, acupuncture techniques, and clinical practice to explore the applications of Chinese Medicine in women’s health, reproductive regulation, natural beauty, and chronic health management. With her extensive clinical experience and profound theoretical foundation, she has developed distinctive clinical expertise in the fields of gynecology and reproductive health.
In the field of infertility and reproductive health, Professor Diana Tong Li has worked closely with Professor Shi-Cheng Chen for many years in clinical research and treatment. Through the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine pattern differentiation, acupuncture regulation, and comprehensive natural therapies, they have provided professional treatment and health support for many patients experiencing infertility challenges. Over the years, they have jointly helped more than 560 families welcome new lives, accumulating extensive clinical experience in assisted reproductive health and achieving positive social impact and recognition from patients. Every new life represents their deep clinical research in Traditional Chinese Medicine, their responsibility and care for patients, and their strong belief in the effectiveness of traditional medicine.
In addition, Professor Diana Tong Li has long conducted professional acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine training programs and academic lectures in various countries and regions around the world, educating a large number of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine students from different cultural backgrounds and countries. Through teaching, clinical demonstrations, and international academic exchange, she has actively promoted the theories and practical experiences of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, contributing to the global development and application of acupuncture techniques.
In the field of facial cosmetic acupuncture, Professor Diana Tong Li combines traditional meridian theory, the principles of regulating Qi and Blood, and modern aesthetic and wellness needs to conduct research and education in cosmetic acupuncture. She has made positive contributions to the development of natural health and beauty concepts. For many years, she has been dedicated to the research, teaching, and international promotion of cosmetic acupuncture. Through professional training programs offered in multiple countries and regions, she has educated numerous international students, integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine meridian theories and Qi-Blood regulation concepts with modern beauty and wellness needs, thereby promoting the development of cosmetic acupuncture worldwide.
For several decades, Professor Diana Tong Li has consistently upheld the philosophy of “Honouring the Classics, Maintaining Authenticity, Advancing Innovation, and Serving Society,” integrating the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, and international academic leader into one lifelong mission. She has not only advanced the development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine education system in Canada and cultivated generations of outstanding Chinese Medicine professionals, but has also built an important bridge connecting the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine with the global healthcare community, leaving a profound and lasting impact on the worldwide dissemination and development of Chinese Medicine.
In 2024, Professor Diana Tong Li participated in the 5th Canada International Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the series of events celebrating the centennial anniversary of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. She received the Alumni Achievement Award from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in recognition of her significant contributions to promoting the development of Chinese Medicine education overseas and advancing the international dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the same year, under the joint efforts and leadership of Professor Diana Tong Li and Professor Shi-Cheng Chen, the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine received the World Integrative Medicine Excellence Education Innovation Award, reflecting the college’s outstanding achievements in innovation within international Traditional Chinese Medicine education.
In January 2025, Professor Diana Tong Li was invited to Beijing to participate in the 2025 Global Chinese Spring Festival Gala and received the “Chinese Role Model 2024 Outstanding Female Achievement Award.” This honour recognized her outstanding contributions over more than forty years in the fields of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, international Chinese Medicine education, academic exchange, and the overseas promotion of Chinese traditional medicine.
For more than forty years, Professor Diana Tong Li has consistently upheld the philosophy of “Honouring the Classics, Maintaining Authenticity, Advancing Innovation, and Serving Society,” integrating the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, and international academic leader into her lifelong dedication. She has not only promoted the development of the Traditional Chinese Medicine education system in Canada and cultivated generations of outstanding acupuncture and Chinese Medicine professionals, but has also established an important bridge connecting Traditional Chinese Medicine with global healthcare. Through her continuous efforts, she has made profound and lasting contributions to the inheritance, innovation, and worldwide dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine.