Hanxue and IT: TCM Qigong Research Areas

TCM Traditional Qigong is linked with other research/scientific areas

Physiology and Metabolism Research

Focal Point: Impact of Qigong on Autonomic Nervous System as well as metabolic indicators.

Research Examples:

2021 research published in Frontiers of Physiology shows that long term Taijiquan practice reduces sympathetic (nervous system) activity, increasing parasympathetic nervous activities (heart rate variability, HRV), reducing metabolic syndromes resulting from chronic stress (e.g. insulin resistance)
Research technique: combine wearable devices (e.g. Empatica E4) for real-time heart rate and galvanic skin response (electric conductivity)

Research Breakthrough: How qigong affect's the brain's Default Mode Network (DMN)

Research Examples:

In 2022, Beijing University uses fMRI proves that Baduanjin practitioners show increased functional connectivity during the brain's resting state, prefrontal cortex increases limbic system coordination. These are related to emotional regulation functions.
Technology used: Deep Learning MRI

New development: Qigong's impact on immune cell epigenesis (e.g. DNA methylation)

America's NIH research grant NCT03925311 shows that after 6 months of Qigong practice by breast cancer patients, CD4+ T cell's FOXP3 gene methylation level significantly reduced, resulting in immunosuppresion relief.
Methodology: Whole Gene Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) combined flow cytometry

Controversy and Exploration: Exploring the physical aspects of Qigong's "External Qi"

Research Cases

Shanghai Jiao Tong University research team using SQUID (Superconducting quantum interference) probing a Qigong master releasing Qi showing that there is an increase of low-frequency electromagnetic field (0.1-30Hz) by 10-100 times compared to a regular person. The frequency characteristics is similar to physiological rhythm.
Challenge: need to exclude environmental interference (for example: geomagnetic interference), there is some dispute on research reproductibility