About Michael Thomsen

Category: Information

Michael Thomsen is an experienced natural products researcher and educator.

He has a PhD from Sydney University Medical School, Master of Science, Graduate School of Integrative Medicine at Swinburne University.

Michael has extensive industry experience as past technical manager of leading herbal medicine companies in Australia. He is the author of the popular Phytotherapy Desk Reference now in its fourth edition having sold 16,000 copies worldwide. The Phytotherapy Desk Reference is now also an online web application with additional features including herb-drug interactions.

Michael is available for telehealth consultations for people interested in optimising their healthspan and live a long, healthy life.

Dr Michael Thomsen PhD, MSc, ND, FNHAA, Adjunct Fellow SCU Faculty of Health

Michael Thomsen has qualifications in nutritional and plant medicines. He has a Master of Science, from the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Swinburne University and a PhD from The University of Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Pharmacology.

Michael has extensive industry experience as past technical manager of leading herbal medicine companies in Australia. He is the author of the popular Phytotherapy Desk Reference now in its fifth edition having sold 15,000 copies worldwide.

In 2024, Michael launched Healthspan Tracker. Biological age testing can predict susceptibility to age-related diseases before symptoms appear, allowing for early intervention and prevention. The Healthspan Tracker reports on 50 blood biomarkers and predicts a person’s biological (blood) age.

His company, Eusano Healthcare, has pioneered whole body and local hyperthermia and water-filtered Infrared A (wIRA) in Australia, importing and distributing TGA listed medical red light and near infrared medical devices.

Present

2017-2022

  • Obtained PhD from Sydney Medical School
  • Consultant to L-Nutra Inc, distributor of the ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet
  • Consultant to SoWell herbal medicine company
  • Peer reviewer: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Phytotherapy Review and various medical journals.
  • Developed Phytotherapy Desk Reference App - an online database advising on safe prescribing of integrative medicines.
  • Published the 5th domestic and 6th International edition of the Phytotherapy Desk Reference

2000-2016

  • International Consultant with UN International Trade Centre (ITC), development of natural products, herbs and herbal medicine products in Bangladesh.
  • Herbal medicine development project Bangladesh with UN development agency, Intercoorporation. Publication of a report concerning the development of a herbal medicine industry in Bangladesh.
  • Obtained a master’s degree by research in applied science (herbal medicine) at the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.
  • Published Fourth Edition, Phytotherapy Desk Reference
  • International lecturing on herbal medicine, manufacturing & quality control
  • Technical Manager of Phytomedicine and HerbResearch. Phytomedicine was a manufacturer and Australasian distributor of practitioner strength herbal extracts.
  • Technical consultant to the herbal medicine industry in Australia and overseas specialising in technical writing, Internet data base and new product development.
  • Manager, Herbal Medicines, Phytomedicine, a leading Australian herbal medicine manufacturer and supplier to health professionals.
  • Manager of Phytomedicine’s practitioner telephone and Internet support service. The service is used by health professionals including naturopaths and medical practitioners from Australia and overseas.
  • Research Associate and course coordinator (Herbal medicine) at the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Swinburne University, Melbourne.

1997-1999

  • Technical consultant to the herbal medicine industry in Australia and Denmark specialising in technical writing and new product development.
  • Managing MediHerb’s practitioner telephone support service. The service is used by health professionals including medical practitioners from Australia and overseas.
  • Lecturing: post-graduate courses and seminars in Australia, Malaysia, NZ and Denmark, including lecturing for the Australian College of Herbal Medicine: a Melbourne based college for medical practitioners.

Topics included:

    • Herbal Biological Response Modifiers: Supporting patients undergoing conventional cancer treatments.
    • Psoriasis: latest medical investigations and herbal treatment options
    • Herbal medicine: lessons from traditions: constructing formulations
    • Herbal prescribing for health professionals
    • Herbal Medicine for Pharmacists
  • Course developer for the Australian College of Phytotherapy: Advanced Diploma of Herbal Medicine, a post-graduate course. Students include medical practitioners and other health professionals.
  • Published Phytotherapy Desk Reference in Australia
  • Senior lecturer, School of Herbal Medicine, TAFE Tasmania
  • Co-author men’s health book for the general public

1994-96

  • Published Kompendium in phytoterapi, Denmark
  • Co-founder Institut for Phytoterapi, Copenhagen, Denmark. Senior lecturer in Phytotherapy
  • Co-founder Scandinavisk Urte Import, herbal import company based in Denmark
  • Ongoing twice-yearly lecturers in Norway and Denmark
  • Natural therapies practice in Hobart.
  • Co-author, women’s health book for the general public: menopause and herbal medicine

1992-93

  • Founder Newdegate Street Health Centre, a multi-modality medical and natural therapies clinic, Hobart, Tasmania
  • Completed first year of a Bachelor of Arts degree, University of Tasmania (obtaining distinctions in sociology and psychology)

1988

  • Co-founder NSW School of Natural Medicine, Coffs Harbour. Principal lecturer in massage therapy.
  • Natural therapies practice, NSW

1986-1988

  • Natural therapies practice, Sydney

1986

  • Graduated from Nature Care College of Natural Medicine with Diploma of Naturopathy and Diploma of Botanical Medicine after 3.5 years of full-time study.

1981

  • Born in Denmark 1960
  • Emigration to Australia

Presentations

  1. Michael Thomsen, ACNEM Annual conference: Fasting in autoimmune disease and for longevity, July 2024
  2. Michael Thomsen, NHAA Symposium Translational Medicine for Natural Products May 2024
  3. Michael Thomsen, Longevity Webinars, April-May, 2024
  4. Michael Thomsen, Fasting for health and longevity – from calorie restriction to intermittent fasting and the fasting-mimicking diet, 11th Herbal and Naturopathic International Conference, 29-23 March, 2019, Melbourne, Australia
  5. Michael Thomsen, Fasting for health and longevity – from calorie restriction to intermittent fasting and the fasting-mimicking diet. Australasian College for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. Webinar April 2019
  6. Michael Thomsen, Fasting-mimicking diet: Case presentaion. Australasian College for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. Annual Conference, Melbourne May 2018
  7. Michael Thomsen, The Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics in Chemoradiotherapy-induced Mucositis. Poster NIIM Integrative Medicine: The art & science, 4th Annual Symposium 2017. Friday 24th November. Richmond, Melbourne
  8. Michael Thomsen, The Intestinal Microbiome, Chemotherapy and Adjuvant Treatments with Probiotics November 2017 Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA) 44th Annual Scientific Meeting, Enhanced Supportive Care, Preconference Workshop, 13–15 November 2017, In: Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology Volume: 13 Supplement 4:98
  9. Michael Thomsen, Know Your Options Annual Conference, Hyperthermia in the Australian Setting, Sydney, November 11-12, 2017
  10. Michael Thomsen, Know Your Options Annual Conference, Hyperthermia in Cancer Therapy, Sydney, September 24-25, 2016
  11. Thomsen, M, Schmidt, M Commercialisation of Saffron, 3rd International Symposium on Medicinal Plants, Their Cultivation and Aspects of Uses, 2013
  12. Epigenetics, Nutrigenomics and Cancer, Danish Association for Phytotherapy, Copenhagen, May 2012
  13. Epigenetics and Cancer, NHAA, Hobart Chapter Meetings 2011
  14. Nutrigenomics and herbal medicine, NHAA, Hobart Chapter Meetings, 2011
  15. John’s wort Interactions, 7th International Conference on Phytotherapeutics, 21-23 September, 2010, Tweed Heads, Australia

Publications

  1. Thomsen M, Vemuri R, Huygens F, Clarke S, Vitetta L. An exploratory study of a multi-species probiotic formulation and markers of health in a real-world oncological cohort in the time of covid. Inflammopharmacology. 2024 Aug;32(4):2317-2335. doi: 10.1007/s10787-024-01503-1. Epub 2024 Jun 26. PMID: 38926298; PMCID: PMC11300539.
  2. Vitetta L, Nation T, Oldfield D, Thomsen M. Medicinal Cannabis and the Intestinal Microbiome. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Dec 17;17(12):1702. doi: 10.3390/ph17121702. PMID: 39770543; PMCID: PMC11678570.
  3. Thomsen M, Schmidt M. Health policy versus kava (Piper methysticum): Anxiolytic efficacy may be instrumental in restoring the reputation of a major South Pacific crop. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020 Nov 12:113582. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113582. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33189846
  4. Kuchta K, Thomsen M, Scior T, Schmidt M. Interaction with St. John's wort due to exposure with blackcurrant aroma? How not to present a case report of an adverse event. Pharmazie. 2019 Oct 1;74(10):595-597. doi: 10.1691/ph.2019.9491. PMID: 31685083
  5. Thomsen M, Vitetta L. Zinc deficits, mucositis, and mucosal macrophage perturbation: is there a relationship? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2019 Sep;22(5):365-370. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000588.
  6. K. Kuchta, M. Thomsen, T. Scior, M. Schmidt Interaction with St. John’s wort due to exposure with blackcurrant aroma? How not to present a case report of an adverse event Pharmazie 74 (2019)
  7. Thomsen, M., S. Clarke and L. Vitetta (2018). "The role of adjuvant probiotics to attenuate intestinal inflammatory responses due to cancer treatments." Benef Microbes: 1-18.
  8. Thomsen, M. and L. Vitetta (2018). "Adjunctive Treatments for the Prevention of Chemotherapy- and Radiotherapy-Induced Mucositis." Integr Cancer Ther: 1534735418794885.
  9. Saltzman, E.T. Palacios, T. Thomsen, M. Vitetta, L. Intestinal microbiome shifts, dysbiosis, inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Frontier Immunology. Front. Microbiol. | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00061
  10. Vitetta L, Saltzman ET, Thomsen M, Nikov T, Hall S.Adjuvant Probiotics and the Intestinal Microbiome: Enhancing Vaccines and Immunotherapy Outcomes. Vaccines (Basel). 2017 Dec 11;5(4). pii: E50. doi: 10.3390/vaccines5040050. Review. Erratum in: Vaccines (Basel). 2018 May 15;6(2)
  11. Saltzman E.T, Thomsen, M., Hall, S. Vitetta, L. Mar Drugs. Perna canaliculus and the Intestinal Microbiome. (2017) 15 (7)
  12. Coulson, S. Thomsen, M. Vitetta, L. Clinical research with probiotics: methodological and regulatory Probiotics, D–Lactic Acidosis, Oxidative Stress and Strain Specificity. Gut Microbes. Gut Microbes. 2017 Jan 12:1-12
  13. Thomsen, Michael Integrative oncology in Australia E-poster presentation 2014 World Cancer Congress (#1095)
  14. Schmidt M, Thomsen M, Kelber O, Kraft K Myths and facts in herbal medicines: Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng) and its contraindication in hypertensive patients Botanics: Target and Therapy 2014:4 Pages 27—32
  15. Schmidt M, Thomsen M, Schmidt U. Suitability of Ivy Extract for the Treatment of Paediatric Cough. Phytother Res. 2012 Apr 25.
  16. Schmidt M, Thomsen M, Bone, K Tribulus terrestis-induced nephrotoxicity? Nephrol Dial Transplant (2011) 0: 1–2
  17. Thomsen M, Gennat, H. Phytotherapy Desk Reference, 4th Edition, 2010, published by Global Natural Medicine
  18. Thomsen M, Schmidt M, Vitetta L, Sali A Do herbs increase the risk of herb–drug interactions for patients with arthritis? Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2005;64:1527-1528
  19. Thomsen M, Flannery G, Vitetta L, Schmidt M Herbal preparation – ginseng and dang gui ten combination (PS10) and immune response in humans. Poster presentation International Congress on Natural Products Research July 31 – August 4, 2004 Phoenix, Arizona USA
  20. Thomsen M, Schmidt M: Hepatotoxicity from Cimicifuga racemosa? Recent Australian case report not sufficiently substantiated. Alt. Compl. Med. 9(3), in press (2003).
  21. Thomsen M, Schmidt M: Hepatotoxizität durch Cimicifuga racemosa? Die Kausalität in einem aktuellen Verdachtsfall aus Australien ist nicht ausreichend begründet [Hepatotoxicity from Cimicifuga racemosa? Recent Australian case report not sufficiently substantiated]. Phytother. 24: 11-14 (2003).
  22. Vitetta L, Thomsen M, Sali: A Black cohosh and other herbal remedicies associated with acute hepatitis MJA 2003; 178 (8): 411-412
  23. Thomsen M: Andrographis paniculata. Natural Pharmacy 2003; July/Aug 10-11
  24. Thomsen M: John’s wort, Turmeric and Olive leaf extracts. Natural Pharmacy 2003; Sept/Oct 18-19
  25. Thomsen M, Vitetta L, Sali A: Acute liver failure associated with the use of herbal preparations containing black cohosh MJA 2004; 180 (11): 598-600
  26. Thomsen M, Vitetta L, Sali A Fatal fulminant hepatic failure induced by a natural therapy containing kava. Med J Aust. 2004 Feb 16;180(4):198-9
  27. Schmidt M, Betti G, Thomsen M: The WHO guideline on Traceability: A chance for the amelioration of quality and safety of medicinal plant raw material
  28. Thomsen M, Schmidt M, Betti G, Casabiancad H, Omidbaigie V: Ferula gumosa: phytochemical variability in iran R: Poster presentation International Congress on Natural Products Research July 31 – August 4, 2004 Phoenix, Arizona USA
  29. Thomsen, M: In the surgery — working with a complementary therapist. J Comp Med 2(1): 2003
  30. Thomsen M: Quality Control in Herbal Products. Natural Pharmacy 2001; Oct 16-19
  31. Thomsen M: Herbs for Infants. Natural Pharmacy 2000; May 6-9
  32. Thomsen M: Botanical Brain Boosters. Natural Pharmacy 2000; June 10-11
  33. Thomsen M: The Herb-Nutrient Connection. Natural Pharmacy 2000; March 13-15