Welcome to Virtual Research Night 2021 – Sonoran’s premiere event showcasing the latest discoveries in evidence-based botanical medicine. (CE credits available)

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Presentation Schedule:

Unlocking the secrets of botanicals at the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research
Presented by: Bill Chioffi, VP Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, Ric Scalzo Institute

Bill Chioffi has been working within the dietary supplements industry for over 20 years and is well versed in current botanical research methodologies and the botanical supply chain. Over the course of his career, he has visited manufacturing sites, analytical labs and farms across every continent.

Combating antibiotic resistant bacteria with propolis
Presented by: Daniel Clark and Melissa Bellman

Daniel Clark has been involved in scientific research for the past 5 years and hopes to continue to contribute to scientific literature throughout his professional career. His research began focusing on developing diagnostic concussion tools during his undergraduate degree which led him to pursue his undergraduate thesis on exogenous ketone salt supplementation and whole-body cooling on exercise metabolism and performance. This passion and drive for research will make him an effective health detective allowing him the opportunity to help endless patients on their wellness journey.

Echinacea purpurea: The importance of proper extraction methods to combat the common cold
Presented by: Johanne Gerstel, NMD, Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Gerstel has been performing research since 2009. She first started in her undergraduate degree at ASU where she was exposed to animal studies in the area of testing proteins and treatments that could potentially reverse the effects of recreational drug use. When she started her Naturopathic degree program at Sonoran in 2015, her research focus switched over to botanical medicine, infectious disease agents, and cell culture system models. She continues to expand her research techniques and knowledge of antiviral and antimicrobial botanicals while she is obtaining her PhD at ASU in the field of Molecular and Cellular Biology. She has presented at multiple integrative conferences nationally and is submitting publications to peer-reviewed journals.

Botanical treatment of canine infections: warts and kennel cough
Presented by: Chelsea Barranco

Chelsea Barranco has been involved in many areas of scientific research for the past 8 years. She has conducted both laboratory and field based research in the Public Health field. Her strong interests in nature cure and botanical medicine brought her to naturopathic research at Sonoran. Her unique experiences can contribute to the field of plant medicine from the perspective of both a Public Health researcher and a physician.

Are botanicals the answer for COVID-19?
Presented by: Jeffrey Langland, PhD, Chair, Department of Research, Sonoran  |  Research Director, Ric Scalzo Institute 

Dr. Jeffrey Langland has been a research scientist studying viruses and host-virus interactions for over thirty years.  He has been studying antiviral and antimicrobial botanicals for the past 13 years.  Dr. Langland is highly recognized in the field of naturopathic medicine and in the scientific community.  He has nearly 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has presented his research at national and international conferences.

Protective and preventative effects of Apiaceous plants against neuro and cardiotoxic agents: a series of in vitro studies
Presented by: Yalda Shokoohinia, PhD, PharmD, Senior Scientist, Ric Scalzo Institute |  Professor, Pharmaconosy & Phytochemistry

Dr. Yalda Shokoohinia has been a researcher and instructor in natural products and pharmaceutical sciences for the last fifteen years. She had discovered over 90 pure constituents, among them, 20 were recorded to be new compounds. She has over sixty publications on natural products and has supervised more than 40 grad theses in Pharmacy and Natural Medicine.