Dr. Lester Packer, Ph.D.

Dr. Lester Packer, the world's foremost antioxidant research scientist, received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Yale University and has been a Professor and Senior Researcher at the University of California at Berkeley for the past 40 years.

Most recently, Dr. Packer has established an additional research laboratory in the Dept. of Molecular Pharmacology & Toxicology within the School of Pharmacy at the University of Southern California to pursue studies related to the molecular, cellular, and physiological aspects of free radical and antioxidant metabolisms in biological systems.

In addition to his membership in more than a dozen professional research societies, Dr. Packer has held offices as President of the International Society of Free Radical Research, President of the Oxygen Club of California, and Vice-President of UNESCO - the United Nations Global Network on Molecular and Cell Biology.

Dr. Packer is also the recipient of numerous scientific achievement awards and serves on editorial advisory boards for scientific journals related to biochemistry, antioxidant metabolism and nutrition.

Dr. Packer has published over 700 scientific papers and 70 books on every aspect of antioxidants and health, including the standard references "Vitamin E in Health and Disease", "Vitamin C in Health and Disease", "The Handbook of Natural Antioxidants" and "Understanding the Process of Aging:The Roles of Mitochondria, Free Radicals, and Antioxidants".

The Antioxidant Miracle, published in 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, is his first book for non-scientists.

Dr. Lester Packer has an unmatched scientific record on antioxidants, now considered key components in achieving healthy aging and extending human life.

Carl Djerassi, Ph.D.
Scientific Advisory Board Chairman, Professor of Chemistry, Stanford University

The "father of the birth control pill," Carl Djerassi, Ph.D., Chairman of the Pharmanex® Scientific Advisory Board, is both an internationally renowned chemist and a prolific writer.

His writing includes not only scientific works but also best-selling fiction and two autobiographical works: From the Lab into the World : A Pill for People, Pets, and Bugs (Creators of Modern Chemistry) and The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas' Horse/the Remarkable Autobiography of the Award-Winning Scientist Who Synthesized the Birth Control Pill.

A Stanford University professor of chemistry, he has written more than 1,200 scientific publications and seven monographs. The recipient of numerous scientific honors, he is one of the few Americans to have received both the National Medal of Science (for creating the first steroid oral contraceptive) and the National Medal of Technology (for promoting new approaches to insect control).

Dr. Djerassi has also been awarded 17 honorary doctorates and many other prestigious honors, such as the first Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the first Award for the Industrial Application of Science from the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Chemical Society's highest award, the Priestly Medal.

His fiction works, mostly in the genre of "science-in-fiction," illustrate the human side of scientists and the personal conflicts they face. His Djerassi Resident Artists Program, founded in 1982, has assisted more than 1000 persons in the visual arts, literature, choreography, performing arts and music.

Georges Halpern, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.
Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of California Davis, and Visiting Professor, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

The author of Cordyceps: China's Healing Mushroom and of Ginkgo: A Practical Guide, Georges Halpern, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., has written 12 books, 50 book chapters, 118 original research papers and hundreds of scientific reviews and abstracts.

Dr. Halpern serves the Pharmanex® Scientific Advisory Board in the U.S. and Hong Kong. He is a Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Nutrition, University of California, Davis, and Visiting Professor in the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, University of Hong Kong.

He has worked and/or lectured in 71 countries and is recognized worldwide for his many contributions to the field of medicine. Born a French citizen in Warsaw, Poland, he grew up in Paris, where he attended the Sorbonne, then received his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine of Paris.

He received his Ph.D./D.Sc. degree, with highest honors and jury honors, from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Paris-South. Dr. Halpern is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (London) and of 26 other prestigious national, foreign and international academies and scientific societies. Dr. Halpern is also widely recognized for his gourmet cooking, for which he has won various awards.

Lester Mitscher, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of Kansas
Green tea has been found to contain the strongest of all known antioxidants, in research by Lester A. Mitscher, Ph.D., at the University of Kansas, where he is University Distinguished Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, and former chairman of that department.

Dr. Mitscher found in some studies that the antioxidant EGCG, a substance in green tea, neutralized free radicals over 100 times more effectively than vitamin C, and 25 times better than vitamin E. Free radicals are believed to cause cell damage that triggers certain diseases, especially cancer.

When Dr. Mitscher tested green, black, and oolong teas for antioxidants, he observed that green teas had by far the highest amounts of active EGCG, and he believes that is because it is harvested at the right time and immediately steamed. Dr. Mitscher holds B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Wayne University, Detroit.

In addition to Dr. Mitscher's work in academia, he has held research and consulting positions with major pharmaceutical firms. He has published extensively on drug chemistry, antibiotic synthesis and non-traditional medicine. He has written numerous scientific papers and recently co-authored The Green Tea Book - China's Fountain of Youth.

Koji Nakanishi, Ph.D
Centennial Professor of Chemistry, Columbia University

The very first research on ginkgo biloba, 30 years ago, was the work of Prof. Koji Nakanishi, Ph.D., who isolated the active component of ginkgo extract.

A scientist described as one who has "transformed the field of natural products chemistry," Dr. Nakanishi is not only one of the most honored in his field but also the mentor of so many others that a list of his former students reads like a Who's Who in research.

In 1999, a group of these scientists published The Biology - Chemistry Interface: A Tribute to Koji Nakanishi, co-edited by Ray Cooper, Ph.D., Pharmanex® Executive Director, Research and Scientific Affairs. Professor Nakanishi has been on the faculty of Columbia University's Department of Chemistry for 30 years, is a former chairman of the department and since 1980 has held the title of Centennial Professor.

In what has been referred to as "an extraordinarily productive career," he has opened the doors to fuller understanding of natural products by determining the chemical structure of nearly 200 bioactive compounds and how they function to affect human, plant and animal life.

He has been given awards by nearly a dozen nations and numerous scientific organizations. In an unusual international alliance, a major prize was named for him; the Nakanishi Prize of the American Chemical Society and the Chemical Society of Japan.

He has published 700 scientific papers and written nine books, including an autobiography, A Wandering Natural Products Scientist (1991). And, when Dr. Nakanishi appears to receive an award or present a scientific paper, the audience usually is in for an added treat - his famous talents as an accomplished magician.

On November 26, King Faisal Foundation announced that the King Faisal International Award for this year will be given to 6 people including Dr. Koji Nakanishi. This award is the so called Arabian Nobel prize. In the area of science the prize for this year will be shared between Dr. Nakanishi and Prof. Hawthorn of The Univ. of California.

James Rippe, M.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine

An internationally renowned cardiologist and leading authority on health, fitness and weight loss, James Rippe, M.D., supervises the Pharmanex® Institute for Cardiovascular Health and Sports Nutrition at Tufts University, Boston.

He is also Director of the Center for Clinical and Lifestyle Research and Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Dr. Rippe is interested in the practical aspects of health that help make fitness more accessible by motivation, through simplifying it and making it as interesting, pleasurable and painless as possible. He is the author of over 200 academic publications and 12 medical texts, plus 8 books on health and fitness for the general public.

A well-known advocate of health strategies for athletes and older persons, his books include Fit Over Forty, The Exercise Exchange Program and The Rockport Walking Program. He has worked with baseball legend Nolan Ryan, figure skating gold medalist Peggy Fleming and the American Association of Retired Persons.

An honors graduate of Harvard and its Medical School, he received numerous honors in health and fitness and is frequently quoted in the media for his lively, positive and knowledgeable approach to a healthier life style.

Chi-Huey Wong, Ph.D.
Ernest W. Hahn Professor of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute
An award-winning organic chemist trained in both Eastern and Western science, Chi-Huey Wong, Ph.D., is Ernest W. Hahn Professor of Chemistry at the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.

Prof. Wong serves Pharmanex® Scientific Advisory Boards, not only in the U.S., but also in Taiwan at the Academia Sinica, where he heads the Bioorganic Chemistry lab and holds the title of Distinguished Chair in Chemistry.

A native of Taiwan and a graduate of its National University, Prof. Wong holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard.

His honors include the American Chemical Society Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, International Carbohydrate Award, Enzyme Engineering Award and the Presidential Young Investigator Award. He recently presented his work at the Nobel Symposium on catalytic asymmetric synthesis. He is the author of more than 400 peer-reviewed scientific papers and holds 60 patents on his discoveries.

Dr. Wong's principal research interests are in carbohydrate chemistry and how chemistry can be used to modify enzymes to increase or decrease enzymatic function and create better biologically active compounds. The work of his research group thus has major implications for improving human health with safer and more effective substances, such as natural products of biomedical importance.

Dr. Wong was elected April 30, 2002 to the National Academy of Sciences, membership in which is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer.

Prof. Benjamin N. Chiang, M.D.
Emeritus Professor, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming University

A specialist in high blood pressure and heart disease, Benjamin N. Chiang, M.D., is a member of the Pharmanex® Scientific Advisory Board, Taiwan.

He is also President of the International Lipids Information Bureau, Taiwan, and of the Research Foundation of Cardiovascular Medicine of Taiwan. For 10 years, Prof. Chiang was Dean of the School of Medicine of National Yang Ming University, Taiwan, and is now Professor Emeritus.

Prof. Chiang's long and distinguished career has also included positions in the U.S. and U.K. He received his medical education at the National Defense Medical College, Taiwan, and at the University of London Institute of Cardiology and the University of Michigan School of Medicine and Public Health.

In Taiwan, he has served as President of the Societies of Cardiology, Lipids and Atherosclerosis and Internal Medicine. He is Editor of the journals Echocardiography (U.S.) and Journal of the American Medical Association (SE Asia Edition). Prof. Chiang is the author of some 300 scientific publications.

Dr. David Chang-Hung Chung , M.D., D.Min
Senior Attending Physician, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan

Cancer prevention and treatment is the specialty of David Chang-Hung Chung, M.D., D.Min., member of the Pharmanex® Scientific Advisory Board, Taiwan.

Described as "a venerable specialist in tumor-related medicine," he is Senior Attending Physician, Department of Radiation Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, and has also served as the hospital's Vice Superintendent and the Superintendent of its Tansui branch.

He also holds a number of consulting positions and is President of the Hospice Organization in Taiwan. Dr. Chung received his M.D. from the National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan, and has been a researcher at the Cancer Center, Washington University and at Webster University, St. Louis.

Because he believes in the importance of combining medical and spiritual care, he studied theology and holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Cohen Theological University, California.

Dr. Chung is very keen on providing cancer information to the public and has written several introductory books, offering perspectives on nutritional and spiritual aspects. He has also published some 100 clinical research papers and a sizable number of teaching materials.

Prof. Myung Hee Chung, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice President (Provost), Seoul National University

Prof. Myung Hee Chung, M.D., Ph.D., is Head of Pharmacology and Vice Dean of Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea, from which he received his Doctor of Medicine degree.

Prof. Chung also holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the State University of New York. He is the former President of the Korean Society of Pharmacology and is Vice President of the Korean Society of Toxicology and the Korean Society of Molecular Biology.

He is a member of the Korean Academy of Science and of the editorial board of the scientific journals Pathophysiology and BioFactor.

Prof. Sam Sik Kang, Ph.D.
Professor, Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University

Over 50 new biologically active substances from Korean medicinal plants have been isolated by Prof. Sam Sik Kang, Ph.D., of the Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University.

Prof. Kang received his Ph.D. in Natural Products Chemistry from the University and studied further at the University of Illinois. His research specialty is the isolation, identification and structure elucidation of biologically active constituents from these plants.

He has published over 160 scientific papers and has received two awards for his research achievements from the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea and another from the Korean Society of Pharmacognosy, of which, more recently, he has been elected President.

Prof. Kuk Hyun Shin Ph.D.
Director (Dean), Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University

A major research interest of Prof. Kuk Hyun Shin, Ph.D. is how various Cordyceps mushroom species affect the immune system, stress, fatigue, aging and cancer.

Prof. Shin, the Director (Dean) of Natural Products Research Institute, Seoul National University, is a graduate of the University and also holds a Ph.D. for Tohoku University, Japan.

Another of his principle research interests is isolating, identifying and determining the chemical structure of substances in natural products that have an effect in the human body. He is also working with biological evaluation of natural products, with particular interest in Aloe vera and Aloe arborescens.

Prof. Shin has been Editor of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea and Editor in Chief and Vice President of the Korean Society of Pharmacognosy. He is also a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.

Hin-Wing Yeung, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University

Prof. Hin-Wing Yeung is Director, Institute for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University.

The Institute, established in 1997, is a research and consultancy unit having five major objectives in advancing Chinese medicine: to promote and conduct research, train high-level personnel and offer graduate degrees, establish local and international ties, educate the public on the value and validity of this health care system, and support the University's Chinese Medicine undergraduate degree program.

The Institute already has established collaborations in Hong Kong, on the Chinese mainland, and at Stanford, Cambridge (England) and Sydney (Australia) Universities, the University of British Columbia, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a number of commercial firms locally and abroad.

Lars Bohlin, Ph.D. (Pharm)
Professor, Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmacy, BCM, Uppsala University, Sweden

The author of one book and 86 scientific publications, Dr. Lars Bohlin has spent the last 30 years studying, researching, and teaching Pharmacy.

Dr. Bohlin began his career with a Masters of Science in Pharmacy at Uppsala University in Sweden, and went on to receive his Doctor of Pharmacy there as well. He currently serves as the Deputy Head of the Department of Pharmacy at Uppsala, while maintaining his status as Professor on the faculty.

He is widely consulted as an expert by both private and public organizations, and sits on numerous research councils. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Dr. Bohlin has contributed on many levels--both his own community, serving as the Chairman of the Board for the Department of Pharmacy at Uppsala, and internationally.

He sits on editorial or advisory boards for such scientific journals as Phytotherapy Research, Phytomedicine, J. Ethnopharmacology, Planta Medica, and others.

Kim A. Jobst, M.D.
Consultant Physician and Medical Homeopath, Glasgow Nuffield Hospital, Scotland, and Visiting Professor in Health Care and Integrated Medicine, Oxford Brookes University, England

Author of 10 books and over 100 other scientific works, Dr. Jobst studied medicine at Oxford University and at St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London.

He has also been nominated for and received numerous distinctions from such organizations as United Oxford Hospitals and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine.

He was recently appointed as Consultant Physician and Medical Homeopath at the Glascow Nuffield Hospital, and concurrently serves as a visiting Professor in Healthcare and Integrated Medicine at the School of Healthcare, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.

His extensive research in integrated medicine has lead him to numerous consultancies with private companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb College, DuPont Pharma, and Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

Hildebert Wagner, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Institute of Pharmacy at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Center for Pharmaceutical Research, Munich, Germany

Author of Immunmodulatory Agents from Plants (Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, 1999), Dr. Hildebert Wagner has studied Pharmacy since 1950.

He is the author of 7 other books including: Plant Drug Analysis (Springer Verlag Heidelber, 1996), and Drugs and Drug Constituents (Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 1998), as well as authoring over 900 other scientific publications.

Dr. Wagner was made a Full Professor of Pharmacognosy in 1965, and later served as Director of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology in Munich until 1999. He has been distinguished by many international scientific institutions including the Universities of Ohio, Budapest and Debrecen, Dijon, and Helsinki for his work in Pharmacy.

Dr. Wagner sits on advisory/editorial boards for Phytochemistry, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the Journal of Natural Products, as well as serving as Editor for the International Journal of Phytomedicine.