This site is part of a research project of theHarlem Health Promotion Center of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in collaboration with faculty members from the Center for Family Medicine, Department of Medicine, and Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. The project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The utilization of complementary therapies, by both the lay public and medical professionals, has recently exploded. While the validity of some approaches has been well-studied, the bulk of promising complementary medical therapies remain unproved or unexplored. Particularly in the area of lethal or debilitating chronic disease, where the economic costs are high and treatment options may not be available, the need to identify safe, effective, and inexpensive therapies is great. There is an urgent need to provide patients, physicians, and other health-care providers with guidance in the use of new or unexplored therapies. The goal of this web site is to help to identify and catalog promising Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies for further research.