Management & staff
With expertise in research, management, fundraising, policy and more, our team are dedicated to research in homeopathic medicine.
Dr Alexander Tournier BSc DIC MASt Cantab PhD LCHE RSHom
Alex has a First-Class Honours degree in Physics from Imperial College, and a Master in Advanced Study in Theoretical Physics (a.k.a. part III) from Cambridge University. He wrote his PhD on the biophysics of water-protein interactions at the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Alex also trained in homeopathy at the Centre for Homeopathic Education, London and is a registered homeopath.
Alex worked for 10 years at Cancer Research UK (5th institute worldwide for molecular biology) as a researcher working on problems at the interface between biology, physics and mathematics. Alex founded the Homeopathy Research Institute in 2007. Dr Tournier relocated to Switzerland in 2021 to continue his fundamental research as a Scientific Collaborator at the Institute for Research into Complementary Medicines (IKIM), University of Bern.
Rachel Roberts BSc(Hons) MCH RSHom FSHom FFHom(Hon)
Rachel has a First-Class Honours degree in Biological Sciences specialising in Physiology from the University of Birmingham. She graduated from the College of Homeopathy, London in 1997 and was in private practice as a homeopath until 2012. Rachel has lectured in homeopathy and medical sciences at various colleges in the UK and overseas. She held the post of Research Consultant for the Society of Homeopaths from 2008-2012 and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 2013 to acknowledge her outstanding contribution to Homeopathy. Rachel joined the HRI part-time in 2010 and has worked for the Institute on a full-time basis since 2012. In 2018 Rachel was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Faculty of Homeopathy for her highly regarded work in the field of homeopathic research.
Dr Esther van der Werf MSc PhD Dip IACH
Clinical Research Lead
Esther has an MSc in Epidemiology and MSc in Health Policy & Management from Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In 2006 she obtained her PhD on epidemiology and the urinary tract from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Esther is a qualified classical homeopath, trained in homeopathy at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy (Professor George Vithoulkas, Greece).
She has more than 20 years’ experience of clinical research and project management and subsequently worked as an epidemiologist at University of Medical Centre Utrecht and University of Applied Sciences Leiden in the Netherlands. From August 2018 until August 2019, she initiated and led the research group on Integrative Medicine at the School of Medicine of Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, followed by 2 years leading the Integrative Medicine research department at Louis Bolk Institute in The Netherlands.
Esther holds an honorary Senior Lectureship in Primary Care Infection Epidemiology at the Bristol Medical School of the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and is a visiting Research fellow of the Australian Research Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
Dr Angelina Mosley BSc(Hons) Cantab MSc PhD LCHE
Senior Research Associate
Dr Angelina Mosley is an Immunologist and Homeopath with more than 18 years of research experience. Angelina has a BSc(Hons) in Biological Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, UK. In 1999 she moved to Imperial College London where she was awarded an MSc in Virology with distinction in 2000, followed by a PhD in Cellular Immunology in 2004. Angelina spent the following 11 years conducting laboratory-based research as a Research Associate for some of the UK’s top research universities. Angelina graduated from the Centre for Homeopathic Education (CHE) London in 2011 with a licentiate in homeopathy. She held the position of joint Research Consultant for the Society of Homeopaths, UK, from 2013 to 2015, before moving to HRI in November 2015.
Fleur Kortekaas MSc
Fleur Kortekaas, MSC (1968 Minneapolis) has a background in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, publishing, education and research. She studied Evidence Based Practice at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Amsterdam. Before that, she studied homeopathy, nutrition, naturopathy, phytotherapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Academy of Naturopathy and Homeopathy in The Netherlands.
She has been involved in scientific knowledge dissemination and curriculum development in CIM science education at various CIM colleges. For health professionals in complementary care she provides courses in research literacy. She is a scientific consultant for professional associations and editor in chief of two leading Dutch journals in naturopathy.
Armelle Demmers MSc
Armelle has an MSc in Clinical Epidemiology having studied Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Amsterdam. She is a board member of RBCZ, a registering body for highly professionally educated complementary healthcare practitioners in the Netherlands. As part of her role with RBCZ, she also chairs a research group and oversees a number of research projects. Armelle serves as a member of the editorial board and a scientific writer for a Dutch journal. Armelle has 30 years’ experience in the field of Integrative Medicine. After training in naturopathy and homeopathy, she ran her own homeopathic practice. She has since worked for a number of years as a product specialist for renowned brands producing food supplements, phytotherapy and homeopathic remedies.
Christopher Connolly BA(Hons)
Christopher graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a degree in Business and Marketing. He spent 5 years working with the British Homeopathic Association, Faculty of Homeopathy, and European Committee for Homeopathy managing digital communications and operations, in addition to freelance website management and content writing, before joining HRI full time in 2017.
Amy Hurlstone BSc (HOns) Psych, LCHE
Amy joined HRI as Events Officer in 2018. In addition to 13 years’ experience as a senior executive in events, she is also a homeopath, having graduated from the Centre for Homeopathic Education (CHE) London in 2011 with a licentiate in homeopathy.
In addition to our Scientific Advisory Committee, HRI works with academics worldwide who provide expert input on different areas of homeopathy research on a consultancy basis as and when needed.