Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences is hosting a Virtual Research Night to share the latest discoveries in evidence-based botanical research from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 11 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The free event, which is sponsored by Standard Process Inc.. is led by SCNM’s Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research department faculty and students to share findings and impacts on topics ranging from the common cold to COVID-19, according to a press release.

“Some of today’s most important medicines originated from plants – cancer drugs like Taxol, the anti-malaria medicine Artemisinin, or the anti-inflammatory aspirin,” said Dr. Paul Mittman, President & CEO of SCNM, in a prepared statement. “Our hope is that the discoveries made by our faculty and students can help develop the next generation of safe and effective medicines.”

The event features the following presentations:

• Unlocking the secrets of botanicals at the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research. Bill Chioffi, VP Strategic Partnerships and Business Development-Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research, will share details on how the newly constructed labs will further the advancement of botanical medicine.
• Combating antibiotic resistant bacteria with propolis. Student researchers Daniel Clark and Melissa Bellman will discuss the effectiveness of bee propolis, often referred to as ‘bee glue’, against antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
• Echinacea pupurea: The importance of proper extraction methods to combat the common cold. Johanne Gerstel, NMD and Adjunct Faculty, will share how her findings can help to standardize the optimal extraction method and plant part used for Echinacea to address rhinovirus infections.
• Botanical treatment of canine infections: warts and kennel cough. Student researcher Chelsea Barranco will discuss which herbal compounds are effective against the canine papilloma virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica, the causative agent of kennel cough.
• Are botanicals the answer for COVID-19? Jeffrey Langland, Ph.D., Chair of Department of Research at SCNM and Research Director at the Ric Scalzo Institute, will discuss the potential of botanicals as therapies for SARS-CoV-2 infections and specific botanical extracts that inhibit virus replication.
• Protective and preventative effects of Apiaceous plants against neuro- and cardiotoxic agents: a series of in vitro studies. Yalda Shokoohinia, Ph.D., PharmD, Senior Scientist at the Ric Scalzo Institute and Professor of Pharmaconosy and Phytochemistry at SCNM will share how the Celery family plants may be used as protection against neurodegenerative agents which can cause diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s.

Go to scnm.edu/events-calendar