Prof. Dr. Michael Heinrich

Professor of Ethnopharmacology (Pharmacognosy) at the UCL School of Pharmacy and from 2016 to 2023 the co-chair of UCL's Research Ethics Committee. Since August 2022, I have been a Yushan Fellow, at China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. Until 2017 I was the head of the research cluster 'Biodiversity and Medicines' at the UCL School of Pharmacy and previously head of the Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, School of Pharmacy, Univ. London. In 2011 I acted as the founding director of Southern Cross Plant Science (Southern Cross Univ.), Australia. I obtained an 'MSc' in Biology and Dr. rer nat. from the Univ. Freiburg, Germany as well as a MA in Anthropology from Wayne State University, USA both with a focus on Mexican ethnopharmacology.

My group's research is based on a transdisciplinary perspective integrating approaches from the natural and social sciences with an overall aim of tackling the fast changing global health needs focusing on the use of plant derived products as 'medicinal plants', 'health foods' or nutraceuticals, botanicals and the like. It integrates methodological approaches from ethnopharmacology, Plant sciences, natural product research, public health research, and anthropology. For many years the research centered around understanding the chemical complexity of (medicinal and food) plants and how this is linked to uses and pharmacology. More recently my group's research has centered on value chains of herbal medicines in a globalized context (incl. their impacts on livelihood and quality of products) and on the use of herbal medicines in the management of chronic diseases. A key focus throughout my career has been the focus on a sustainable and equitable use of resources also in the wider context of societal and economic needs.

I am, among other responsibilities, Specialty Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Pharmacology, Ethnopharmacology, and until 2020 as well as Reviews Editor of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Since 2022, I have served as the president of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural product Research (www.ga-online.org). Well over 480 full papers (incl. reviews) have been published so far and our work is highly cited. In 2023 I was awarded the Norman Farnsworth Award in Botanical Excellence (ABC, Austin, Texas) and the Varro E Tyler Award of the American Society of Pharmacognosy 2025/26. I am fluent in Spanish (and German).