Zuobiao Yuan

Founder of Yi Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine

Dr. Zuobiao Yuan, Lic. Ac, PhD, is a licensed acupuncturist, physician, researcher, educator, and founder of Yi Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine in Woodbury, Minnesota. He is also a current board member of the Minnesota Acupuncture Association. With more than 30 years of experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine, integrative medicine, biomedical research, and higher education, Dr. Yuan brings a rare combination of classical Chinese medicine and modern scientific research to patient care.

Dr. Yuan began practicing acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1993 after earning his medical degree from Jiangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. He later completed his PhD in Surgery at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2000. He received advanced clinical training at Longhua Hospital in Shanghai, one of China’s leading Traditional Chinese Medicine hospitals and a nationally recognized center for cancer treatment. His early medical career included extensive experience in internal medicine, pediatrics, digestive surgery, and surgical residency training.

Over the course of his distinguished academic and research career, Dr. Yuan held appointments at internationally respected institutions, including the University of Minnesota Medical School, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, the University of Virginia, Shanghai Jiaotong University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, where he served as a faculty member. He was also honored as a Shanghai Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar).

Dr. Yuan’s scientific research has focused on inflammation, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cardiovascular disease, molecular biology, and integrative medicine. He participated in numerous NIH-funded research projects and authored more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications in internationally recognized medical journals, including Gastroenterology, Gut, PLoS One, and the American Journal of Physiology. His work included research on Minnelide, an active compound derived from the Chinese medicinal herb Lei Gong Teng, and its potential role in pancreatic cancer treatment.

In recent years, Dr. Yuan has focused on developing the “Siege Therapy” approach in Chinese medicine for cancer support and integrative care. Throughout his clinical career, he has helped many patients with complex and serious health conditions, including individuals with advanced-stage cancer and patients previously referred to hospice care.

Dr. Yuan is certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and remains active in numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Acupuncturists and the Society for Acupuncture Research. His clinical philosophy combines evidence-based medicine with individualized Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches to restore balance, support healing, and improve quality of life for his patients.