Dr. Meredith O’Loughlan CMD
(Cofounder of Spring Health & Founder of Neurobiome & Neurobiome Method (www.neurobiome.com.au)
Registered acupuncturist, Chinese medical herbalist (BAppSc(HB)/BAppSc(CM), Nutritional & Functional Medicine practitioner (ACNEM), counsellor (BSW), researcher (MAppSc.Res).
Meredith has a well developed, working understanding and appreciation of the body, illness and disease and how to support individuals to restore and maintain their bodies to participate fully in life. Meredith has been a private practitioner for 25 years.
Meredith studied a double degree in medical sciences & Chinese medicine at RMIT University, completed Master of Applied Science in Pharmacology on properties of a Chinese herb, Salvia miltiorrhiza (dan shen), used in women’s health, and study on herb-drug interactions. Postgraduate studies in Nutrition and Environmental medicine (ACNEM) with focus on digestive and immune system disease.
Initial studies and practice in Social Work/ mind-body counselling. Senior IVF counsellor for Ballarat IVF for the 8 years (2012-2020)
Active member of the community providing talks for the general public and health care practitioners on Chinese medicine, acupuncture and the possible role of food as medicine for prevention and better disease management. Born and raised in Ballarat, enjoys working and being a part of the Ballarat community. Full-time mother, practicing part-time, enjoys learning mandarin, meditation & playing violin.
Meredith has special interest in working with all kinds of disease including various autoimmune disease conditions, digestive complaints including Inflammatory Bowel Disease and conditions including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia and many more. Importantly, strong emphasis and interest in working with the body to prevent conditions becoming chronic.
Meredith now practices with individuals in pursuit of performance enhancement, namely in the sporting field.
Dr. Meredith O’Loughlan CMD
Health Practitioner/Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine & Functional Medicine & Nerve Stimulation Therapy/ Workshop Facilitator/ Presenter. Founder of NeuroBiome.
MAppSc(Res),BAppSc(HB),BAppSc(CM),BSW, ACNEM
Meredith’s practice is the culmination of over 25 years of personal and professional experience — grounded in Western medical science and enriched by Eastern wisdom. Her method of practice is shaped by 25 years of clinical practice (internal medicine soley/ approxiately 20,000 patients), extensive studies in Western medical sciences, combined with Meredith’s own journey of living with and healing from Multiple Sclerosis after decades of gut health challenges and surgical intervention.
Meredith’s practice emerged from her own personal search for answers to significant physical & cognitive health challenges that affected every aspect of her life. Drawing on Eastern and Western medical sciences - combined with breathwork, meditation & energy practices - her method is designed to restore whole-body health balance and inner harmony to maximise energy, function & potential.
Meredith has continually used her body as a `template’- seeing clearly the cause & effect of influences on the body, to then establish what leads to dis-ease of the body and in turn, what promotes healing of the body. This unique integrated approach enabled Meredith to heal and maintain wellness of her body over the past 25 years whilst living with the debilitating neurological conditon of Multiple Sclerosis and overcoming many intense and debilitating symptoms. The experience has guided and led to the development of her practice, NeuroBiome.
Through Meredith’s journey, she gained the insight needed to recognise and map the BioPatterns, which now form the foundation of the NeuroBiome™ Method that she lives by and teaches today (www.neurobiome.com.au).
For more than 25 years, Meredith has researched and used Chinese herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and food-as-medicine principles. Her illness has been her greatest teacher, revealing what it takes to heal, prevent relapse and cultivate long-term vibrant health to create an edge in how we think and feel, and what we ultimately do in life.
In a world where modern living disrupts our biology and increases vulnerability to chronic and autoimmune conditions, Meredith brought together Chinese Medicine & Functional Medicine - the East & the West, the old & the new, wisdom & science - to create the NeuroBiome™ Method, a modern approach for whole-body healing and long-term wellbeing.
Meredith completed a Master’s degree in Applied Science (Laboratory Pharmacology), where she was the first to demonstrate that the Australian-grown herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) protects nitric oxide (NO) — a key molecule involved in cognitive function, including decision-making, memory and learning. Her research was supervised by Professor Chun Guang Li, an internationally recognised leader in Pharmacology, Complementary Medicine and NO science.
In 2005, Meredith was part of the delivery of acupuncture services at The Northern Hospital - the first public hospital in Victoria to do so. This joint RMIT - Northern Hospital initiative aimed to provide non-drug pain relief in the Emergency Department, and has continued for more than 20 years, supported by evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness in pain management.
Meredith previously worked for many years across mainstream hospital settings (Allied Health) and private healthcare, providing one-to-one counselling and health mentoring. She later moved into complementary medicine practice integrating the two streams before launching into her new venture, NeuroBiome.
Clinical & professional experience
NeuroBiome - Wellness & Performance Enhancement Health Consultancy (2025 - current)
Spring Health - Chinese Medicine/ Functional Medicine/ Nerve Stimulation Therapy (Melbourne & Ballarat, Australia)(2006 - 2026)
Integrative Complementary Medicine Practitioner: 2005-current
Ballarat IVF Counsellor: 2011-2020
Private Counsellor: 2005 - current
Public Presenter: 2005-2015; (Melbourne CBD/ Corporate & Regional): Wellness in the workplace.
Monash Medical Centre - Allied Health (1990-2005)
Royal Melbourne Hospital - Allied Health (2000-2002)
The Northern Hospital: Acupunctur/ Emergency Department Acupuncture Pain Relief/ Pilot Program (2009-2010)/ Allied Health (2000-2005)
Qualifications
Certificate, High Performance Leadership & Culture (Frank Ponissi) (March 2026 TBC)
Certificate, Player Development & Wellbeing Accelerator - Apogee Sports (Dec 2025)
Master of Applied Science (Laboratory Pharmacology) (RMIT): 2009 - 2012 (RMIT Scholarship)
Postgraduate/ ACNEM (Environmental, Nutritional/ Functional Medicine) (Primary Course) (Melbourne): 2006
Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Biology)/ Bachelor of Applied Science (Chinese Medicine) - RMIT Melbourne. Aus. 1999 - 2005
Bachelor of Social Work (VUT) Melboure/ Aus.: 1994-1996
Bachelor of Applied Sciences - (Psychology/ Statistics/ Music) Incomplete - Federation Uni Ballarat/ Aus. 1992-1993
Vipassana Meditation Training: 10 day Silent Retreat (Vic, Aus. 2019)/ 5 day Silent Retreat (Wales, UK. 1994)
Publications
Zheng, Z. Bai, L. O’Loughlan, M. Li, CG. Xue, C. (2019). `Does electroacupuncture have different effects of peripheral and central sensitization in humans: A randomised controlled study’. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 13(61):e collection. https://10.3389/fnint.2019.00061
Cohen MM, Smit V, Andrianopoulos N, Ben-Meir M, Taylor DM, Parker SJ, Xue CC, Cameron PA. (2017). Acupuncture for analgesia in the emergency department: a multicentre, randomised, equivalence and non-inferiority trial. Med J Aust, 206(11): 494-499. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja16.00771
Davidson, M. Smith, R. Dodd, K. Smith, J. O’Loughlan, M. (2008). Interprofessional pre-qualification clinical education: a systematic review. Australian Health Review, 2(1):111-20.https://10.1071/ah080111
Professional Registration & Membership
AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency)
AACMA (Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Association)
AASW (Australian Association of Social Workers)
ACNEM (Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine)
FSA (Fertility Society of Australia)
Course/ Conferences
Introduction to scalp acupuncture in the treatment of pain relief/ multiple sclerosis (Prof. Jian Jun Wang): Melbourne 2020
J Dispenza - Advanced Retreat: Malta 2019/ Aus. 2023
Scalp Acupuncture (Dr Zhu Training): Melbourne 2019
Medical Hypnosis (Dr Alan Fahey): 2017
Drug-Herb Interactions and Chinese Medicine (China Med): 2013
Mood Disorders in Chinese Medicine: Depression/ Anxiety (Tony Reid): 2011
Working With It: Managing Anxiety & Depression (Bev Aisbett): 2011
Chinese Medicine & IVF (Kathryn Taylor): 2011
Pregnancy, Maternity & Beyond (Tabitha McIntosh): 2010
Immunotherapy (Michael Ash: Bioceuticals): 2008
Dousing the flames: (Michael Ash: Bioceuticals): 2006
All Diseases Begin in the Gut (Michael Ash: Bioceuticals): 2005
MEDIA: (Body&Soul) May 2021News.com.au