C. Benjamin Naman, Ph.D.
Medicinal Plants Research at San Diego Botanic Garden and Beyond
Dr. Ben Naman will discuss historical and current aspects of the spectrum of traditional and western medicines. Medicinal plants have been used worldwide for thousands of years, and pharmaceutical studies of medicinal plants in the last few centuries have led to the first Western medicines and many more since. Come to learn more about some of the exciting discoveries that have been made in this awesome area, hear some cautionary tales about ecological impacts, and find out about some of the ways that San Diego Botanic Garden is now leading medicinal plant studies and serving as a responsible and trusted resource for the local and national biomedical research community!
Ben obtained his B.S. degree in Chemistry and Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2006 before joining Givaudan Flavors Corp. in chemical industry discovering new natural flavors and fragrances for the food, beverage, and perfumer markets for 4 years before deciding to go back to school. Ben went on to earn his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with Specialization in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (natural product-based drug discovery) from The Ohio State University in 2015. He moved to San Diego to do postdoctoral research at UC San Diego and the Center for Marine Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 2015-2017. During that time, Ben participated in international exchanges in India for about 2 months and in China for about 3 months before accepting a position as Associate Professor and later additionally Deputy Director to help establish the new Department of Marine Pharmacy in the new College of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ningbo University, China. Ben is now the Director of Medicinal Plants Research at San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a fantastic team dedicated to Science and Conservation, Communications and Public Education, Horticulture, and making the Garden an award-winning event hosting, recreational, and tourist destination.