It is becoming more and more common across the U.S. for Medical Doctors and Naturopathic Doctors to collaborate on patient care and research into natural medicines and “alternative” health care treatments.  An example of this is the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which employs many Naturopathic Doctors at its locations across the nation.

The University of Washington School of Medicine is a frequent collaborator on research projects with Bastyr University; both are in Seattle, WA.  In Portland, Oregon the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) conducts joint research efforts with Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU).

Leanna Standish, ND (faculty member at both Bastyr University and University of Washington School of Public Health) has been the principal investigator for several NIH grants since 1994.

Many more collaborations are currently underway, and mixed ND/MD residency programs are becoming more common.