Jason Hawrelak

Jason Hawrelak is a Senior Lecturer and coordinator of evidence-based complementary medicine programs at the University of Tasmania's School of Medicine. As a naturopathic physician and Western herbalist with 17+ years of clinical experience, he directs Goulds Natural Medicine—a 136-year-old Tasmanian clinic combining apothecary services, organic herb farming, and acute/chronic care.

His research centers on gastrointestinal disorders including irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. He specializes in evidence-based applications of intestinal dysbiosis management, microbiota manipulation, and prebiotic/probiotic therapies, integrating traditional naturopathic approaches with modern clinical science. His work bridges complementary medicine and conventional gastroenterology through rigorous evidence evaluation.

Publications from 2010-2015 reveal consistent focus on gut-brain axis interactions, herbal interventions for functional GI disorders, and microbiome modulation strategies. Key trends include translating traditional herbal knowledge into evidence-based protocols, particularly for IBS and GERD, while advancing clinical frameworks for prebiotic/synbiotic applications in inflammatory conditions.

• Fellow of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia
• Member of the Medical Nutrition Council, American Society for Nutrition
• Fellow of the American College of Nutrition
• Visiting Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine

With 16 years of teaching experience across undergraduate and postgraduate health programs, Hawrelak develops evidence-based curricula while maintaining active clinical practice. His peer-review work spans leading journals including the British Medical Journal and Journal of Gastroenterology, reflecting his role in advancing methodological rigor in complementary medicine research.

Hawrelak co-directs Goulds Natural Medicine—a fully integrated facility featuring clinical consultation spaces, organic herb cultivation fields, and on-site medicine processing. This unique model combines traditional apothecary practices with modern evidence-based approaches, serving as both a patient care hub and practical training environment for complementary medicine applications.