Emily Rosa

Emily Rosa (born February 6, 1987) is an American scientist who became the youngest person to have a research paper published in a peer reviewed medical journal. At age 9, Rosa conceived and executed a scientific study of therapeutic touch which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998.

Early life and education

Emily Rosa was born in Loveland, Colorado, to Linda Rosa, a registered nurse, and Larry Sarner, an advocate for science-based medicine. She was homeschooled by her parents, which allowed her the flexibility to pursue her own interests in science and research.

Therapeutic touch study

Rosa's study focused on the practice of therapeutic touch (TT), a type of energy medicine where practitioners claim to manipulate a "human energy field" without actually touching the body. Rosa designed a simple experiment to test whether TT practitioners could actually detect a person's energy field.

In her experiment, Rosa had 21 TT practitioners place their hands through a screen and asked them to identify which of their hands was near Rosa's hand. The results showed that the practitioners were unable to correctly identify the location of Rosa's hand at a rate better than chance.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998, making Rosa the youngest person to have a research paper published in a peer reviewed medical journal.

Later life and career

After her study was published, Rosa continued her education and pursued a career in science. She earned a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver and a Master's degree in psychology from the University of Cambridge in England. She is currently a research scientist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Legacy and impact

Rosa's study has been widely cited in the medical literature and has contributed to the skepticism surrounding the practice of therapeutic touch. Her work has been praised for its simplicity and clarity, and she has been recognized for her contribution to science at a young age.

Emily Rosa in 1998, the year her study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

See also

• List of child prodigies
• Skepticism
• Energy medicine