URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2018_Melissa-McCarthy

URI Natural Products Research Group.

health is the central theme to most of what we do, but we do research that is more ecologically relevant as well.” The medicinal garden on URI’s Kingston campus, established by Youngken and now bearing his name, features 400 different medicinal plants from which many natural products research studies are conducted. The scientists also maintain a seed repository for medicinal plants. In their laboratories, they extract medicinal compounds from these plants, analyze their chemistry, and test molecules for their ability to prevent infection, kill bacteria or provide health benefits. But pharmacognosy is not the only area in which URI College of Pharmacy researchers excel. Faculty also have tremendous expertise in pharmaceutical development — taking pharmaceutical compounds and turning them into tablets, capsules, solutions, injectables and other drug delivery devices. In addition, researchers have made breakthroughs in the development of a drug to combat alcohol addiction, alternative antidepressants with reduced side effects, and many other areas. A major research advance occurred in 2001 when Professor Zahir Shaikh was awarded an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish a statewide biomedical research network. Since then, more

Seeram, Rowley, and the newest member of the Natural Products Research Group, Assistant Professor Matthew Bertin, are continuing the legacy established by Youngken and Shimizu. “Our strength is that we are able to find molecules that can solve problems for biologists, pharmaceutical companies and food companies,” says Rowley. “Human

Professor David Rowley, Professor Navindra Seeram, Assistant Professor Matthew Bertin