Abstract
Emeritus Professor Stephen P. Myers was a beloved international leader whose lifelong mission was to advance the best in medicine. He achieved clinical degrees in natural and conventional medicine and a research PhD. He worked with colleagues all over the world to improve collaboration between both sides of medicine and engaged in cutting-edge research to advance our understanding of health and disease. This editorial is a tribute from his US and UK colleagues who loved and respected him and are devastated by his early passing. Tributes emerged from around the world.
Introduction
Stephen’s passing is devastating to me (JP). He was a dear friend, trusted colleague, and one of my few true academic peers. He made the world better and the emptiness now is so very hard.
I first met Stephen in the late 1980s when I was president of Bastyr University in Washington State. He walked into my office soon after we had changed our name from John Bastyr College of Naturopathic Medicine to Bastyr College. We immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits with a deep love of natural medicine, total commitment to using science to advance our profession, and strong dislike of the term “alternative medicine.” He loved my assertion that we use science to get better, not to prove ourselves to others, and fully agreed that the future of health care was not either/or but rather the best of both natural and conventional medicine. Thus began a decades-long deep friendship.
Perhaps there is no better way to describe his keen intellect and dedication to advancing our medicine than his rigorous critique of my Textbook of Natural Medicine. The textbook was the first substantive work to establish the scientific foundation of naturopathic philosophy and clinical practice. A few years after I first met him, I received by international mail a thick letter with multiple pages listing reference errors. He had personally checked every one of the then 10 000 references in the first 1000-page volume! It wasn’t to critique the textbook but rather to make it better, since he was not only using it to teach students but as part of the scientific documentation he needed to work with the Australian government to advance the legal status of naturopathy.
There are so many stories I can tell about our work, year after year, to bring to fruition the optimal health care system we envisioned. But with the limited space available, We prioritize here his unusual education, key academic achievements, and several of the tributes I received from his US and UK colleagues. A comprehensive article on his life, environmental leadership, research, and academic work in Australia can be found in Advances in Integrative Medicine (2024;11(3):181-182. doi:10.1016/j.aimed.2024.08.020) and from Western Sydney University NICM HRI | Vale Stephen P Myers (https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/nicm/news/vale-stephen-p-myers). This obituary is not meant to be comprehensive but rather focuses on his impact on the US and UK.
My love and appreciation to his wife, Lily Cubrilo, for enriching this precious life.
Education
Stephen had the most diverse education of anyone I have known in medicine. His first degree was an ND in naturopathy in 1982 from the Southern School of Natural Therapies in Victoria, Australia. As we worked together to advance natural medicine, he realized that he would be more effective if he also achieved a degree in conventional medicine. He achieved this (BMed) in 1991 from the University of Newcastle. As the years progressed, he became evermore interested in directly researching natural medicine and realized he also needed a PhD. He achieved this degree in 1997 in clinical pharmacology (cardiovascular health) under the guidance of professor Tony Smith. Obviously, his research was directly relevant to his love of herbalism and nutritional therapy.
As his education became evermore comprehensive, so did the sophistication of our conversations—and disagreements. I cherished our ability to take on the toughest issues in medicine. We always worked our way to mutual understanding and agreement, with one exception: mRNA vaccines. I could not get past the inadequate safety research; he could not get past the urgent need and apparent efficacy. Nonetheless, we fully respected each other’s expert perspectives and were looking forward to reviewing together the outcomes research when it became available. Sadly, we never had the chance.
Leadership
Australia
IndyNR.com, which publishes news local to Stephen’s home town, has written a tribute to Stephen:
Long time Evans Head resident Stephen Myers died on June 27 after a six-week battle with lung cancer, strokes and covid. He was 68 years old. Stephen Patrick Myers was born on April 9, 1956.
He was a leading figure in the world of alternative medicine and healing, commuting to Southern Cross University in Lismore [New South Wales, Australia] where he was an Emeritus Professor. Stephen was one of Australia’s leading academics in natural, complementary and integrative medicine and trained scores of students in research and service. Southern Cross University said Stephen raised more than $8million in research funding, supervised 18 higher degree research students to completion, wrote three books, 13 book chapters, and 145 peer-reviewed research papers. He was a consultant to industry, government and academia across a broad range of issues. He had a delightful sense of humour, was a very down to earth person, the university said. Torrens University in South Australia also paid tribute to Stephen and included an interview with him in the tribute.
‘My interest in natural medicine began in the 1970s when I moved to Darwin to work for the environment movement, armed with some natural medicines recommended by a friend and a biochemistry textbook. After successfully addressing one of my own health issues using natural medicines, and helping some colleagues, I earned a bit of a reputation as a barefoot healer, and at one stage I was doing 30 “footpath” consultations a week. It was about that time I decided that I wanted to study natural medicine seriously,’ Stephen said.
Stephen’s Impact and Contributions in the US and Beyond
Stephen had a notable reach, impacting integrative health and naturopathic medicine initiatives in the US and Canada. Many of these North American initiatives were international in scope and well attended by US and Canadian representatives. We’re deeply grateful for his inspiration and comradeship. So what did he do? These are some of his accomplishments from across the globe:
Stephen fostered productive academic and scientific collaboration between Bastyr University, the Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine Education and Research (ACCMER - University of Queensland) and Southern Cross University, while lecturing at Bastyr on philosophy of naturopathic medicine. He engaged in student-led clinical theory symposia and presented at American Association of Naturopathic Physicians conventions. For over 30 years Stephen participated as a valued invitee in national policy, scientific, and philosophy gatherings. He traveled to North American conventions, retreats, and consensus conferences working with integrative, holistic and naturopathic medicine thought leaders to foster the health creating redesign of health we imagined. Stephen was an international stakeholder among integrative and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) health educators, research scientists, and industry leaders at the historic National Education Dialogue (NED) to Advance Integrative Health Care: Creating Common Ground consensus conference (Georgetown University 2005). The NED conference brought together 75 educators and 12 integrative health and medicine professions in a formative gathering. Relationships and findings gained from the conference played a key role in forming and strengthening vital coalitions for our vision of a pluralistic health care system. As the Australian scientific thought leader in the Core group for the NCCAM (NCCIH) funded Naturopathic Medical Research Agenda (NMRA), Stephen’s expertise in whole systems and whole practice research strengthened NMRA’s pragmatic and visionary framework (The Naturopathic Medical Research Agenda: The Future and Foundation of Naturopathic Medical Science (J Altern Complement Med. Standish, L., Calabrese, C., Snider, P. et al.2006;12(3):341-345. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.12.341).
His contributions to codifying how naturopathic physicians think uniquely—evolving and establishing agreement on the foundations of this medicine and its epistemology—brought Australian perspectives and his own brilliant contributions into its coherence, clarity, rigor, and scholarship. As an example, Stephen was an electrifying participant at the Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine First International Editorial Retreat at Skamania Lodge, Washington (2007). He led his breakout group and then the entire gathering to consensus, proposing that naturopathic medicine establish a modern clinical science in Emunctorology. This decision inspired a soon to be published first-ever chapter on this topic (T. Kruzel, SP Myers, J. Zeff, P. Snider et al - FNM Institute); a peer-reviewed article defining Emunctorology as a clinical science (Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019;18(3):40-41); and a robust peer reviewed curriculum in Emunctorology taught to over 1000 naturopathic physicians and students in several countries through the FNM Institute.
He was an adept scholar concerning the relationship between philosophy and science. With his international colleagues, Stephen co-authored publications on contemporary naturopathic clinical theory with the FNM Institute and Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal. 2019. These publications include chapters and peer-reviewed articles he co-auothored on a unifying theory of naturopathic medicine, the naturopathic medicine therapeutic order and the naturopathic model of healing. His contributions advanced naturopathic medicine’s Process of Healing theory and Therapeutic Order (with colleagues Jared Zeff, Pamela Snider, Joe Pizzorno, John Finnell, James Sensenig, Thomas Kruzel and Amy Neil (US); Don Warren (Canada); Roger Newman Turner (UK); and other authors including Assunta Hunter (Australia.) Stephen’s contributions were unique, rigorous, important, and irreplaceable. Stephen will be greatly missed as the work continues.
Pamela’s Story About Stephen
I met Stephen in 1995. Dr. Joseph Pizzorno (Joe) and Stephen met years earlier. In the US, the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, now the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, had been established 4 years earlier by the federal government. Joe and I were in Washington DC, invited to a conference on CAM in medical and nursing education. Two hundred medical and nursing school academic leaders were invited to attend, including 3 university leaders from the regulated CAM-accredited universities: Joe and I, President and Dean at Bastyr University, respectively; and Stephen P. Myers, Head of School at Southern Cross University and Director of ACCMER.
At the end of day one, Stephen strode on to the stage. He announced (as I recall): “I’m an ND first and a medical doctor second. My MD training supports my ND degree and practice.’’ He spoke with originality, passion, precision, courage. The room was riveted as he spoke of medicine’s obligation to change physician and nursing training—and practice—to incorporate CAM. He closed with a stern warning (I paraphrase): Do not fall into the trap of unconscious plagiarism. Like all intellectual content in health care, sources must be named. Attributions made. Permissions sought. Plagiarizing CAM knowledge is emerging and gaining speed. In medicine and nursing we call this behavior “academic dishonesty.” Plagiarism. It’s unethical. Don’t compromise academic integrity through plagiarism around CAM education. Work respectfully with the regulated CAM professions and traditional world medicines, their educators, and universities —and their knowledge base. Do this the right way or we lose our way. We lose the soul of academic standards.
Heads began to nod. Stephen, Joe, and I were questioned (with some hostility) on what exactly WAS our curriculum, our training? The elephant in the room had been revealed by one Stephen P. Myers. A boil had been lanced. A dialogue begun.
“Who IS this man?” I thought. He’s so bold! I tracked him down. Stephen and I were fast friends by the next break, sitting together—joined by several educator comrades. We talked, dreamed, strategized passionately, ate ravenously, drank a bit, and laughed a lot. Stephen named us “The Mixed Nuts.” The name stuck. We became ardent colleagues and “heart friends” from that moment on.
Why this story? It captures Stephen’s courage, honesty, vision, brilliance, humor, persuasiveness, and his heart. His impact. His genius. He was a friend of justice as a citizen of the earth, a consummate professional and warmhearted fun and loyal friend. He was a humble and spiritual man. He said—often—that Americans take themselves too seriously.
A Few More of Stephen’s Publications
Southern Cross University (SCU)Professor; Senior Editor, Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine Institute (FNMI).
Myers SP, Vigar V. The state of the evidence for whole-system, multi-modality naturopathic medicine: a systematic scoping review. J Altern Complement Med. 2019;25(2):141-168. doi:10.1089/acm.2018.0340. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2018.0340
Finnell JS, Snider P, Myers SP, Zeff J. A hierarchy of healing: origins of the therapeutic order and implications for research. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019;18(3):54-59. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7217399/pdf/imcj-18-54.pdf
Myers SP, Kruzel T, Zeff J, Snider P. Emunctorology: synthesising traditional naturopathic practice with modern science. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019;18(3):40-41. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7217398/pdf/imcj-18-40.pdf
Zeff J, Snider P, Myers S. Naturopathic model of healing: the process of healing revisited. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019;18(4):26-30. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7219459/pdf/imcj-18-26.pdf
Zeff J, Snider P, Myers SP De Grandpre Z.. A hierarchy of healing: the therapeutic order: a unifying theory of naturopathic medicine. In: Pizzorno J, Murray M, eds. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2018:11-28.
Tributes
Pamela Snider, ND
My heart aches. Stephen’s passing leaves a void for my husband Bruce and I that can’t be filled. Stephen was—is—our friend beyond measure. A gifted Renaissance person, Southern Cross University’s Dr. Paul Orrock described him aptly as a polymath. A brilliant teacher, orator, scholar, physician, philosopher, scientist, change agent, mentor, and advocate, Stephen’s accomplishments are legion. His legacy spans every front of naturopathic medicine and integrative health—and the movement to create a healthier world.
Stephen is deeply respected by his colleagues and friends on the board of the FNM Institute for the person he was and for his many gifts and talents. He was a tremendous collaborator and such a delight to work with. His critical thought leadership, rare talent for bringing philosophy and science together, and genius made a lasting impact in codifying naturopathic medicine.
My colleagues and I had such hope that Stephen would pull through. There was cause for hope. Holding him in the light around the world, many skilled providers rallied quickly to his side with love, medicine, and practical support, reaching for Stephen’s innate viriditas, his vitality.
Lily, our enduring respect and appreciation to you for how you were fiercely by his side; true, loving, brave, holding the vision for us to rally to. You fought so hard for your beloved husband, our precious friend and incredible colleague. We stand with you.
Stephen, I know you’re with us but I can’t send you a postcard. The fact of you intact in different form in this beautiful universe remains such a comfort to me. I love you dearly and can’t wait to hear your big laugh again. Meanwhile I shall miss you terribly—my heart friend, inspiration, and irreplaceable comrade in health creation.
Our hearts are with you every day: Lily, Paul, Jon, and George; the Southern Cross University community; his family, local mates, and loved ones; and his global colleagues. And of course, forever, with Stephen. In great loss and sadness.
Rick Kirschner, ND, VNMI
I am deeply saddened at the passing of our brilliant friend and colleague, Stephen Myers, ND, PhD, BMed. I only got to know Stephen through his FNM work. I enjoyed his intelligence, his ready smile, and his honesty, and I will miss him. We will cherish his memory and his diligent work to make our world a healthier and better place for all. May his memory be a blessing to us all.
Roger Newman Turner, ND, DO, BAc & Birgid Newman Turner
My mind flashes back to when I first met Stephen, a keen young naturopath, in 1984 when, as an employee of Blackmores, he helped to organise a series of conferences in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne that Blackmores sponsored on the science of complementary medicine, to which I had been invited as a keynote speaker. He certainly kept me on my toes then!
Many years later (around 2007, I believe) came his phone call to recruit me to the FNM textbook project to which his contribution has been immeasurable. We shall feel his loss most keenly, as will his many colleagues and friends around the world.
May Stephen find whatever it is that he seeks.
Words cannot express our feelings at the devastating loss of Dr. Stephen Myers. We can only evoke the words of Kahlil Gibran, below.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Kahlil Gibran, “On Death”
John S. Finnell, ND, PhD, MPH, MS, MSAOM
Stephen was my respected colleague and mentor. Upon learning of his death, with great sadness I dedicated my PhD dissertation, “Whole Person Pain Care,” to him. I had aspired to learn so much more with him and from him.
Dedication
“To Stephen P. Myers, ND, PhD, BMed. One can take steps toward understanding the ephemeral but dare only approach the infinite.”
Biography
