http://cargocollective.com Lan Angela Li Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:23:04 +0000 http://cargocollective.com en http://lan-angela-li.com/Contact http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/Contact Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:23:04 +0000 Lan Angela Li 4833383 Contact: lanli@mit.edu 310.592.3168 <img src="http://payload126.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/4833383/DSCF8740_440.png" width="440" height="330" width_o="1024" height_o="768" src_o="http://payload126.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/4833383/DSCF8740_o.png" data-mid="27393594" border="0" align="left"/> Contact: lanli@mit.edu 310.592.3168 http://lan-angela-li.com/ABOUT http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/ABOUT Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:18:00 +0000 Lan Angela Li 5075655 <img src="http://payload138.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/5075655/action3_o.jpg" width="440" height="241" width_o="2048" height_o="1122" src_o="http://payload138.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/5075655/action3_o_o.jpg" data-mid="27222699" border="0" align="left"/> The daughter of Chinese conservatory graduates, Lan Angela Li grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by art, music, and traffic. Now a graduate student at MIT studying the history of science and medicine, Lan is interested in social, cultural, epistemological, and personal narratives that shape how we make sense of health and disease. Dedicated to communicating these narratives through a range of medium, Lan began her career in filmmaking after winning the audience award for the National Geographic Preserve Our Planet Video Contest in 2009. She has since worked extensively with Barnard College, and has also collaborated with the Institute for International Education, Columbia University Department of Neuropsychiatry, International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine, and the Osher Clinic for Integrative Medicine. An abbreviated curriculum vitae follows: _________ EDUCATION MIT, PhD Candidate in History, Anthropology, Science Technology and Society, 2017 Barnard College, BA in History Concentrating in Science and Society, 2010 HONORS & AWARDS NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2012-2015 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships For New Americans, 2011-2013 ExchangesConnect Video Contest Grand Prize Winner, March 2010 National Geographic Preserve Our Planet Film Contest Audience Award Winner, April 2009 Bertha Franklin Vapnek Scholarship Award, May 2009 Gilman Scholarship Award, July 2008 WORK Osher Clinical Center for Complementary & Integrative Medical Therapies: Filmmaker (2013) International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine: Filmmaker (2012) Columbia University Medical Center Department of Neuropsychiatry: Filmmaker (2011) Institute for International Education: Freelance Filmmaker (2011) Barnard Electronic Communications: Videographer, Video Editor (2009-2011) Double Discovery Center: Resident Teaching Assistant (Summer 2008) Barnard Department of Biological Sciences: Supplemental Instructor (2007-2008) Metropolitan Museum: Featured Artist (Summer 2007, Winter 2008) SHORT FILMS "The Lung, The Elixir, and The Lancet: The Personal Paradox of Lu Gwei-djen" (2013) "The Vital Other: Integrative Medicine and India" (2012) Official Selection for the Mass Salem Film Fest 2013 "Rocks, Bands, Logic" (2012) Spotlighted on MIT Video “Living Beyond Landscapes” (2010) Grand Prize Winner in the ExchangesConnect Video Contest “The Tacit Tumor” (2010) Documentary on integrating east-west medicine in 20th century China “The Adventures of Get Up And Go” (2008) Audience Award winner of the National Geographic Preserve Our Planet Film Contest SKILLS Final Cut Pro Geographic Information Systems Chinese (conversational and fourth year fluency in reading) Guzheng and some guitar The daughter of Chinese conservatory graduates, Lan Angela Li grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by art, music, and traffic. Now a graduate student at MIT... http://lan-angela-li.com/The-Lung-The-Elixir-and-The-Lancet http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/The-Lung-The-Elixir-and-The-Lancet Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:26:22 +0000 Lan Angela Li 4755169 THE LUNG, THE ELIXIR, AND THE LANCET Lu Gwei-djen and the Paradox of the Personal "Joseph [Needham] has built a bridge between our civilizations. I am the arch which sustains the bridge." - Lu Gwei-djen (1904-1991) How do invisible actors influence what we overlook in history? Few people have heard of Lu Gwei-djen, and those who have know her as the woman who inspired the Joseph Needham to write the multi-volume series Science and Civilization in China. Yet far beyond a muse, Lu led a highly unusual life, enjoying a successful career as a biochemist in a century that welcomed few women in science, let alone Chinese women in science. She left China during the Sino-Japanese war, received her PhD at Cambridge and later served as the adviser of nutritional science for UNESCO in France. But despite her accomplishments, Lu avoided publicity, refusing requests to interview her or publish her biography. Why was such an ambitious woman so shy? PART 1 In 1971, Lu Gwei-djen wrote an essay on “The Inner Elixir,” a Taoist physiology that could be applied to reverse the state of aging tissues. Lu explained that this technique was “physiological through and through,” not to be confused with the “spiritual alchemy” of the West. But as we uncover drafts of "The Inner Elixir," we discover that Lu had censored her own ambivalence towards this inner alchemy. PART 2 Lu ultimately described Chinese medicine as paradox—clinically proven, yet theoretically antiquated;innovative, but entirely medieval. Despite having and argued for an alternate materiality of the body in her writings on the inner elixir and acupuncture, no references to the Chinese body appeared in Lu's description of the decay of her own body. PART 3 How do we make sense of the ways in which the body of an author shapes—or even distorts—her body of work? What is the nature of the visible and invisible, the personal and political, the internal and external, that shapes the perception of medical theory and practice? Written by Lan Angela Li, MIT Special thanks to the Needham Research Institute Advised by Shigehisa Kuriyama, Christopher Leighton, and Harriet Ritvo Special thanks to Nathan Sivin, Christopher Cullen, and John Moffett THE LUNG, THE ELIXIR, AND THE LANCET Lu Gwei-djen and the Paradox of the Personal "Joseph [Needham] has built a bridge between our civilizations. I am the arch... http://lan-angela-li.com/THE-VITAL-OTHER http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/THE-VITAL-OTHER Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:35:58 +0000 Lan Angela Li 3473587 India's vast religious, ethnic, urban/rural, socioeconomic, and political landscapes set a fascinating and deeply entangled context for different schools of medical practice and different ways of being. How does one seek internal and external harmony in this massive democratic state? What (or who) determines the standards for health and disease? How does this change the ways in which Indians experience their own bodies? This film introduces medical care in northwest India through the perspective of three doctors working to integrate ayurvedic medicine with biomedicine. While navigating among different theoretical mappings of the body, the doctors also confront sociopolitical challenges that prevent communication among existing medical systems in India. <img src="http://payload58.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/3473587/MRC13-OfficialSelection-Laurel 1_440.png" width="440" height="255" width_o="2048" height_o="1187" src_o="http://payload58.cargocollective.com/1/3/115884/3473587/MRC13-OfficialSelection-Laurel 1_o.png" data-mid="27390133" border="0" align="left"/> Featuring Dr. Narendra Bhatt is a 4th generation practitioner of Ayurveda having 38 years of academic, research, industrial and clinical experience. He is an expert in clinical research and product development. Dr. Bhatt is Vice-president of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicine and President of its Indian Chapter. Dr. Bhatt specializes in chronic and metabolic disorders like arthritis, diabetes, liver & bowel disorders. He has lead and participated in fruitful deliberations & delegations on Ayurvedic research, policy, industry regulations. Dr. R.B. Gogate, Professor Emeritus of Ayurvedic Surgery, is a reputed scholar, beloved teacher and practicing surgeon of Ayurveda. Dr. Gogate specializes in optical surgery, burn therapies and is an expert on a number of ancient Ayurvedic texts, mainly the Sushrut Samhita. Dr. Swati Mohite heads the department of obstetricians and gynecology at the BVDU College of Ayurveda. She specializes in treating infertility and has authored a number of articles on the efficacy of integrative practices using ayurvedic medicine and methods on treating patients of infertility. Produced in collaboration with the International Association for the Study of Traditional Medicine (IASTAM) Filmed and edited by Lan Angela Li, MIT Note on the title: While "The Vital Other" is a direct reference to complementary and alternative medicine, in this case it is meant to be ironic and a play on words. "Vital" is intended to be taken literally in that thinking about integration as a vital component in medical system. Meanwhile, "Other" can be referenced in the anthropological sense of the exotic other, something unlike what one is familiar with; but in this case, "other" is used in the sense of re-thinking expectations of alternative medicine in terms of medical integration to avoid the polarization of ayurveda and biomedicine. So together, "vital other" is an indication of what we are missing in medicine, and making familiar the unfamiliar: integration. Another meaning of "vital other" is supposed to reference Dr. Narendra Bhatt's quote of why Ayurveda had a bad reputation--if we do not properly understand the fundamental theories of Ayurveda and take the route of the vital others, it will do harm to the system. So this is again ironic in that the title uses the same words that it warns the audience to avoid. India's vast religious, ethnic, urban/rural, socioeconomic, and political landscapes set a fascinating and deeply entangled context for different schools of medical... http://lan-angela-li.com/BOLD-Parenting http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/BOLD-Parenting Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:24:34 +0000 Lan Angela Li 2014854 BEHAVIORAL ORGANIZATION LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT (BOLD) PARENTING Columbia University Autism Treatment: Scientific Basis Autism Treatment: BOLD (Behavorial Organization Leading to Development Made in collaboration with Dr.Suzanne Goh at Columbia University Department of Neuropsychiatry, this video series introduces BOLD Parenting (Behavioral Organization Leading to Development), a program for children on the spectrum. BEHAVIORAL ORGANIZATION LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT (BOLD) PARENTING Columbia University Autism Treatment: Scientific Basis Autism Treatment: BOLD (Behavorial... http://lan-angela-li.com/rocks-bands-logic http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/rocks-bands-logic Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:33:27 +0000 Lan Angela Li 2555992 "Rocks, Bands, Logic," is a short film exploring themes in visual representations of science and perceptions of self through three graduate students at MIT. Converging experiences in geosciences, theoretical physics, and computer science, this documentary presents an intimate perspective on the professionalization of science as students confront challenges in articulating randomness and order in their academic research and in their own lives. Featuring: Ben Mandler, Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Jean Yang, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Tim Hsieh, Center for Theoretical Physics Special appearances by: Karan Mehta, Joseph Near Filmed and edited by: Lan Angela Li, History, Anthropology, Science, Technology and Society Special thanks to: Chris Boebel & Christine Walley DV Lab, 2011 Submitted to the AFO International Film Festival of Science Documentary Films Additional Features "Office in Character" Jean Yang gives a tour of her office. "Wilczek & Chaconne" Dual performance with Frank Wilczek and Timothy Hsieh "Rocks, Bands, Logic," is a short film exploring themes in visual representations of science and perceptions of self through three graduate students at MIT. ... http://lan-angela-li.com/Living-Beyond-Landscapes http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/Living-Beyond-Landscapes Sun, 29 May 2011 18:20:24 +0000 Lan Angela Li 1515872 LIVING BEYOND LANDSCAPES Two sisters reminisce the achievements of their grandfather, artist Li Xing Bai. A highly accomplished scholar, educator, and intellectual, Li was one of the first artists to build cultural bridges between China and North America in the 20th century. Dedicated to connecting with people and protecting environments through art, Li as a grandfather always reminded his children to contribute to society and leave landmarks that will last beyond their lifetime. Narrated by Xuan and Lan Li Directed, filmed, and edited by Lan Li ~~ Grand prize winner of the ExchangesConnect 2010 Video Contest, "Change Your Climate, Change Our World" Contest description: Small changes in your local community can make a big difference in our world. Your “climate” is not only the air you breathe but also the people, places, and relationships that affect your daily life. Tell us in a video no longer than 2 minutes what you or someone you know is doing to make your community a better place, and in the process contributing to a healthier, safer, cleaner, and more peaceful world for all of us and you could win an all-expense-paid international exchange program! LIVING BEYOND LANDSCAPES Two sisters reminisce the achievements of their grandfather, artist Li Xing Bai. A highly accomplished scholar, educator, and... http://lan-angela-li.com/The-Tacit-Tumor http://lan-angela-li.com/following/lan-angela-li.com/The-Tacit-Tumor Sun, 29 May 2011 18:15:38 +0000 Lan Angela Li 1515499 THE TACIT TUMOR With all the buzz surrounding forms of “alternative medicine,” little attention is given to the different ways in which doctors understand treatment that combines both native and non-native forms of medicine. What is medicine that is neither fully familiar nor fully foreign? How does this influence a doctor’s understanding of the body? How does this influence a doctor’s understanding of a disease? The Tacit Tumor examines this elaborate phenomenon in China, introducing the historical, political, medical, and theoretical layers underlying “integrative” medicine in treating cancer tumors. What we discover is that there is no single answer to how integration can take place–instead, we are left with a variety of answers that ultimately questions the nature of modern medicine. Featuring: Dr. Cheng Baixian, professor of Tong Ji University Dr. Li Xiuzhi, former Vice President of Chengdu Second People’s Hospital Dr. Zhang Hui, ontologist at Chengdu Second People’s Hospital Narrated by Lan Angela Li Film Location: Shanghai, China Chengdu, China Sponsored by the Bertha Vapnek Scholarship Barnard College 2010 Written, filmed, directed, and edited by Lan Angela Li THE TACIT TUMOR With all the buzz surrounding forms of “alternative medicine,” little attention is given to the different ways in which doctors understand...