After five years with the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB) as Practice Section editor, the Massage Therapy Foundation (MTF) has announced that Karen Boulanger, Ph.D., C.M.T., has accepted the position of editor in chief. The MTF would also like to welcome Niki Munk, Ph.D., L.M.T. in her new role as the Practice Section editor.
Boulanger earned her doctorate degree in community and behavioral health from the University of Iowa in 2012 and has been a nationally certified massage therapist since 1999. She has served as the practice section editor for the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork since its inception in 2008. Boulanger has also served as a volunteer on several committees for the MTF, including the Community Service Grant Proposal Review Committee, Research Synthesis Workgroup, Writing Workgroup, the Case Report Contest Committee, and the Scientific Advisory Board for the 2013 International Massage Therapy Research Conference. In addition to her office in San Jose, California, Boulanger provides care to children and pregnant women at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto. She conducts research at Stanford University to examine the benefits of massage therapy for children.
Munk received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, her massage training from the Lexington Healing Arts Academy, and her doctorate in gerontology from the University of Kentucky. Munk has practiced massage therapy for 12 years, specializing in older adults. She is currently holds the position of Research Protocol Manager for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Kentucky until June of 2013. Beginning in August of 2013, she will take on the position of assistant professor of Health Sciences in the School of Rehabilitative Sciences at Indiana University. Her research focus has been on the functional decline in older adults and the role that massage therapy serves in preserving, maintaining and improving physical and cognitive functioning across the lifespan. Munk is looking forward to serving as IJTMB‘s Practice Section editor because it will allow her to stay involved with and mentor practicing massage therapists who are interested in contributing to building the evidence base for the profession.
The International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (IJTMB) is an open access, peer-reviewed publication intended to accommodate the diverse needs of the rapidly-expanding therapeutic massage and bodywork community. Principal sections of the journal span the areas of research, education and clinical practice. For more information and to subscribe for free, visit www.ijtmb.org.
About the Massage Therapy Foundation
The Massage Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity, with a mission to advance the knowledge and practice of massage by supporting scientific research, education, and community service. Learn more at www.massagetherapyfoundation.org.