January 31, 2026 | 6:00 PM ET

This webinar examines research perspectives on the traditional health knowledge of the Guna-Dule Indigenous people of Colombia and Panama, with a focus on ethnomedicine and intercultural healthcare. Drawing on both lived experience and academic research, the session explores how concepts of health, illness, and care are understood within Guna-Dule cultural worldviews.

Key topics include:

• Previous research on Guna-Dule traditional medicine

• Core ethnomedicine concepts and healthcare practices

• Intercultural approaches to Indigenous healthcare

• Future directions for ethical, respectful, and collaborative research

This session is intended for researchers, students, and others interested in Indigenous health systems and complementary and integrative medicine research.

About Our Speakers

Dr. Carlos Alberto Vásquez Londoño is a researcher affiliated with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia whose work focuses on ethnomedicine, traditional health systems, medicinal plants, and intercultural approaches to healthcare in Latin America. His scholarship engages with Indigenous knowledge systems and contributes to broader conversations about cultural relevance, epistemic diversity, and ethical research partnerships in traditional medicine.

Ivan Meléndez Santacruz is a Gunadule nurse and long-standing leader in intercultural Indigenous health in Colombia. He has worked for more than 30 years in the field of intercultural healthcare with Indigenous peoples of Antioquia and is an active member of Asogunadule, contributing to work in ancestral medicine and intercultural health. He is also a retired professor of intercultural health at the University of Antioquia, where his work focused on Indigenous health systems, community care, and culturally grounded approaches to health and wellbeing.

This webinar is part of INCAM’s ongoing commitment to advancing thoughtful, culturally informed dialogue on traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine research.

Hosted by Dr. Maryam Yavari, MD (IMG), PhD, ND, an educator and clinician with a background in Traditional Humoral Medicine and extensive experience in clinical research and integrative healthcare. Dr. Yavari is an academic faculty member at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and has lectured at the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on advancing evidence-informed dialogue across traditional and complementary medicine systems.