Natural Products Research Training in Complementary and Integrative Health

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Founded 125 years ago, the Oregon State University (OSU) College of Pharmacy is one of the oldest in the United States and has been a leader in natural products research since our predoctoral training program in Pharmaceutical Sciences began in 1952. Founded in 1973 by two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling and housed in the state-of-the-art Linus Pauling Science Center on the OSU campus, the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) remains focused on using micronutrients, phytochemicals, and dietary supplements to prevent disease and maintain human health. Our graduates occupy leadership positions in academia, industry, and government in the United States and throughout the world. Historically, natural products have accounted for over half of all therapeutic agents and are still the inspiration of nearly 40% of new drugs. Training young scientists for careers in natural products and dietary supplements research is a core mission of our College of Pharmacy and is the focus of this T32 training program. Addressing the need to train a new generation of experts in natural products and dietary supplements research, we established the first T32 training program in the history of the OSU College of Pharmacy in 2019 that currently enrolls five predoctoral trainees. In just four years, six trainees have graduated with Ph.D. degrees from this highly successful T32 program. Our leadership team includes co-Program Leaders with experience leading T32 training programs (Dr. van Breemen), experience serving as a director of graduate studies for our department (Dr. Mahmud), and experience mentoring dozens of Ph.D. and postdoctoral trainees (both co-Program Leaders). Our mentoring team has been expanded from 10 to 12 faculty with expertise in a variety of natural product and dietary supplement disciplines including marine, microbial, and botanical natural products and dietary supplements, natural product genomics, machine learning, natural products biosynthesis and chemical synthesis, natural product and dietary supplement nano-formulation and delivery, as well as natural product-based cancer therapy, chemoprevention, and pharmacology. This T32 training program is enhanced by exceptional institutional commitment in the forms of administrative, personnel, and financial support from the OSU College of Pharmacy, the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the OSU Graduate School. Based on our on-going success of graduating six Ph.D. students in just four years, experienced Program Leaders, expanded mentoring team, strong institutional support, and a successful recruiting approach that has increased the number of T32-eligible applicants each year, we propose to renew this T32 training program.