The University of Florida has established the American Society of Pharmacognosy, or ASP, Gator Chapter for the 2024-25 academic year, marking a milestone for students interested in natural products research.
Under the leadership of UF College of Pharmacy graduate student Tam Pham, the new ASP Gator Chapter aims to connect students with a global network of scientists dedicated to pharmacognosy — a field focused on studying specialized metabolites from natural sources for health benefits. Pharmacognosy features multidisciplinary research from many diverse areas, including medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, pharmacology, botany, and many more.
Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., a professor of medicinal chemistry and the Debbie and Sylvia DeSantis Chair in Natural Products Drug Discovery and Development in the UF College of Pharmacy, will serve as the inaugural faculty advisor for UF’s ASP chapter. The student organization will initially focus on building its membership and provide opportunities for members to connect with the ASP community through seminars and other events. Its membership is open to natural products researchers across UF, including the flagship campus in Gainesville, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter, and the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience in Marineland.
ASP was founded in 1959 as an outgrowth of the Plant Science Seminar and has a global scope with active members representing more than 60 countries throughout the world. More information regarding the society can be found at the official ASP website.