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SUMMARY:Herbal remedy to Pharmaceutical - the story of botany and medicine
  - Dr Alison Foster\, Director\, Oxford University Botanic Garden
DTSTART:20120119T190000Z
DTEND:20120119T200000Z
UID:TALK34495@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:John O'Toole
DESCRIPTION:The changing relationship between plants and medicine will be 
 explored in this illustrated talk. For the ancients\, all medicines were d
 erived from plants. Modern science has dramatically changed our understand
 ing over the past four hundred years\, and today we tend to regard herbal 
 remedies very differently from pharmaceuticals.\n \nSome of the key figure
 s in the story of plant derived medicines will be introduced\, and how the
 ir work influenced the course of history.\nThe talk will end with an updat
 e about recent plant-based medicines that have been licensed for clinical 
 use\, and reveal how plants are providing us with many modern medicines\, 
 for diabetes\, cancer\, heart conditions and painkillers. We will even lea
 rn how science is beginning to understand how some traditional herbal reme
 dies\, such as Ginkgo and Echinacea\, have an effect.\n \nHaving completed
  her first degree in Chemistry\, Alison Foster worked first as a medicinal
  chemist\, then undertook her PhD and then returned to the pharmaceutical 
 industry as a process chemist. She then decided to move to horticulture\, 
 and studied for the RHS general certificate. She moved to the Birmingham B
 otanical Gardens and Glasshouses as a trainee and since then has not looke
 d back. She moved to the University of Oxford Botanic garden in 2008. In l
 ate 2009 she started planning the new modern medicinal plant collection\, 
 now fully established in the Walled Garden. In March 2011 she took up her 
 current role as Senior Curator and is responsible for the Public Education
  Programme and for managing the portfolio of research collaborations at th
 e Garden.
LOCATION:Pfizer Lecture Theatre\,  Department of Chemistry
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