About
Tim Sharpe DACM, MS, LAc
Doctoral training in Chinese medicine, a graduate degree in functional medicine, a decade of graduate teaching, and published research in exercise physiology.
Dr. Sharpe holds a doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine and a master's in human nutrition and functional medicine. He is board certified nationally in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and licensed in New Jersey for both. Practitioners holding graduate credentials in two distinct medical traditions are uncommon. He specializes in difficult to treat diseases that have not responded well to other therapies, integrating Chinese medicine and functional medicine.
Elite sport
Dr. Sharpe was head of sports nutrition at the Institute for Human Kinetics, which works with professional and elite athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, UFC, rugby, track and field, the X Games, and multiple Olympic sports.
Teaching
For ten years Dr. Sharpe taught in the graduate Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program at the University of Western States, covering sports nutrition, exercise metabolism, and the capstone course. The program is built on the clinical framework established by the Institute for Functional Medicine, the organization that developed much of the model now in general use.
Research
He is a published researcher in exercise physiology and sports nutrition, with work on topical peptide delivery and a contribution to an International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. The publications page lists the papers in full.
Education and training
Acupuncture training in the United States is more demanding than most people expect. It is a graduate program of three to four years covering Chinese medical theory, physiology, pharmacology, interpretation of laboratory work, gynecology, and other clinical disciplines, followed by one to two years of supervised internship and a series of national board examinations spanning acupuncture, herbal medicine, and biomedicine.
Dr. Sharpe completed his doctorate at Pacific College of Health and Science, and his Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine at the University of Western States.
He has lived and studied in China, including clinical training in Chinese hospitals, and has continued to study with senior practitioners in both Eastern and Western traditions since.
Licensure in New Jersey
Acupuncture is a licensed profession in New Jersey, regulated by the Acupuncture Examining Board under the State Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Sharpe is licensed in both acupuncture and herbal medicine.