The Executive Committee is comprised of up to 10 members in good standing of DO-Touch.NET and the Network Director and Network Associate Director of the PBRN. Members are appointed by the Network Director for a term of three years. Committee members include at least the following: an academic-based osteopathic clinician, a core faculty member of a residency program, and an osteopathic clinician in full-time, non-academic practice. Committee members may include a member of the international osteopathic community at large, a resident physician, and an osteopathic student. This committee is tasked with the governance, research integrity, and review of all publications and presentations of and by the Network.
Our Executive Committee holds semiannual meetings to guide the direction of the network, offer ongoing monitoring of the protocol and process, share ideas for future developments, and provide direction to the administrative team.
William Brooks, DO
I received my Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) in 1980, completed my rotating internship at Tucson General Hospital in 1981; subsequent to which I entered the private practice of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). From 1979 through 1985 I was closely mentored by Robert Fulford, DO in OMM and became Board Certified OMM in 1991. In 2013 Earlham College awarded me a BA in Philosophy. I have practiced both privately and as a Consultant, Department of Orthopedic Surgery Park Nicollet Medical Center 1986-1988, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery, Section of Orthopedic Surgery University of Arizona COM 1989-1996, and an Associate Professor of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine University of Health Sciences COM 1996-1999. I served as an Adjunct Research Scientist with the A.T. Still Research Institute 2016-22 and currently 2023- serve as a Volunteer Clinical Professor of Neurology U of CA Davis COM. My clinical focus has been on caring primarily for patients with multiregional, chronic, tertiary musculoskeletal pain syndromes and secondarily for pediatric patients with developmental delays as well as patients of all ages with persistent post-concussion syndrome. My creative, academic focus has been on objectification of palpatory diagnosis of somatic dysfunction: The Functional Pathology of the Musculoskeletal System paradigm. I practice privately at the Restorative Care Clinic in Tucson, AZ.
Osteopathic clinician in full-time, non-academic practice, term through 2026.
Amy L. Dean, DO
Dr. Dean is an Associate Professor of Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton Campus. She is Board Certified in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Previously, she served at Trinity Health Muskegon as core faculty for the ONMM residency and as an ONMM hospitalist. She completed her medical education at ATSU – Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, Missouri, her internal medicine residency at St. John’s Detroit Riverview Hospital, and her ONMM residency at Trinity Health Muskegon. Her clinical and research interests include non-musculoskeletal uses of OMM for adults and pediatric patients and cranial Osteopathy.
Osteopathic clinician, academic-based, term through 2026.
Brian F. Degenhardt, DO, C-NMM/OMM
Dr. Brian Degenhardt is a 1989 graduate of the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. He completed his rotating internship at Grandview Medical Center from 1989-90 and was a resident in OMM at ATSU-KCOM from 1991-93. Dr. Degenhardt is the assistant vice chancellor for osteopathic research at ATSU, the past director of the A.T. Still Research Institute, and is the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowed Chair for Research in Osteopathic Diagnostic and Therapeutic Palpation. In these capacities, he oversees numerous areas of research, particularly directing research in the areas of palpatory diagnosis and OMT. He is also the director of DO-Touch.NET, an international practice-based research network assessing the clinical usefulness of manipulative medicine. His published work demonstrates a broad scope of research, including evaluation of the reliability of palpatory diagnostic tests, otitis media, pneumonia in the elderly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, objectification of somatic dysfunction, evaluating the association of biomarkers with OMT, pain, health benefits of wellness programs, and the use of rasterstereography in assessing posture. Based on his research experience, he has developed the Advancing Skills in Osteopathy (ASO) Program, a continuing education program offered to DOs globally that utilizes state-or-the-art instrumentation to provide objective feedback to advance individuals palpatory skills. Dr. Degenhardt is board certified in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine.
Network Director, term does not expire.
Rashmeet Kaur, MPH, OMS II
Rashmeet Kaur received her MPH at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and is a current Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine candidate at LECOM Bradenton. Outside of academics, Rashmeet is a poet and artist who uses creative expression to build community and inspire others. She believes in the power of art as a tool for healing and advancing social justice. As a member of the DO-Touch.NET community, she is excited to deepen her understanding of OMT and share its holistic and transformative potential with others.
Osteopathic student, term through 2026.
Cheryl B. Schwartz, DO, PhD
I am a physician who specializes in IM (AOBIM Board Certified) and OMM since 2012. I started my career in the world of Psychology (after completing my MA and PhD in General Experimental Psychology at DePaul University) and taught undergraduates statistics and research methods for 7 years at Northeastern IL University prior to beginning my medical career. I specifically chose to become a DO because the tenet of treating the whole person melded medicine with psychology. When I met the DO-Touch.net folks, I saw a wonderful opportunity to use my skills to further the knowledge base on OMT, its utility, and safety. In my free time I like to garden, craft, attend local summer art “fests”, and spend time with family. I also enjoy surfing the web for anything having to do with cute pets (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses).
Osteopathic clinician in full-time, non-academic practice, term through 2026.
Stephen K Stacey, DO, FAAFP
Dr. Stephen K Stacey, DO is a family physician and Director of Osteopathic Education at the La Crosse-Mayo Family Medicine Residency Program in La Crosse, WI. He is an assistant professor of family medicine and the regional family medicine research chair in the Southwest Wisconsin region of Mayo Clinic Health System. He graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and did his residency in osteopathic family medicine in Colorado Springs. He was active duty in the Army where he was an airborne paratrooper in Vicenza, Italy and a flight surgeon for an Apache helicopter battalion in the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade. He is program director for the Building Research Capacity Fellowship, which teaches business leadership skills to primary care research leaders. His own research focuses on research capacity development, osteopathic workforce development, and the power of fun in education. He loves his current role teaching residents and building clinician-led research programs. He is married to Emily Stacey and is the father of five energetic children. He loves board games, Lego bricks, and all kinds of outdoor adventures, especially trail running in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Core faculty member of a residency program, term through 2027.
Robert Truax, DO
I graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999, after completing the pre-doctoral OMM teaching fellowship. Upon completing my U.S. Army Family Medicine Residency, I served 4 years active duty doing full-scope Family Medicine (in/outpatient & OB). I completed my Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship in 2007 and taught at a Family Medicine residency until 2016, when I joined Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine faculty to teach OMM to Years 1-2. I also shifted my practice to OMM and currently have a solo practice. My research interest is exploring the diagnose of the underlying physiology of what we call the somatic dysfunction.
Osteopathic clinician, academic-based, term through 2027.
Rafael Zegarra-Parodi, DO (France & UK), MEd
Rafael Zegarra-Parodi, of French and Peruvian origin, has been a practicing osteopath since 1997 and is a registered member of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) in the UK. He has been practicing in Paris, France, since 1999. An active figure in both osteopathic education and research, Rafael has authored 31 peer-reviewed publications (h-index = 10) and has been a research affiliate at the A.T. Still Research Institute in Kirksville, Missouri (USA) since 2014, after completing a full-time research tenure there from 2012 to 2014. From 2014 to 2024, he served as Associate Editor of the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (IJOM), the leading journal in the field, and currently contributes to the Executive Committee of DO-Touch.NET, the premier practice-based research network for osteopathic physicians in the USA. Rafael has also collaborated extensively with traditional healers from Native American tribes across North and South America, where health and disease models diverge significantly from Western paradigms. These interactions provide valuable insights and an epistemological framework for exploring the non-physical aspects of the body in both health and disease, as reflected in the body-mind-spirit osteopathic tenet, which has Indigenous origins and was reintroduced in the USA in 2002. In addition to his clinical expertise in managing chronic and acute neuromusculoskeletal conditions and supporting psychotrauma, Rafael seeks to advance person-centered, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based osteopathic practices. To that end, he is also the co-founder of BMS Formation, a French continuing professional development organization dedicated to promoting these values by helping healthcare professionals develop skills within an integrative framework. This approach aims to enhance patient care through contemporary, person-centered management, aligned with current osteopathic principles and scientific developments in the profession.
International osteopathic community, term through 2025