Editorial Advisory Board
The American Botanical Council (ABC) is a leading, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to disseminating accurate, reliable, and responsible information on herbs and medicinal plants. Blumenthal is editor and publisher of HerbalGram, an international peer-reviewed quarterly journal. For six years, he served as an adjunct associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, teaching the course Herbs and Phytomedicines in Today’s Pharmacy. He has appeared on more than 400 radio and television shows and has written more than 500 articles, reviews, and book chapters for many major publications. Recently, he was awarded Natural Health Magazine’s Hall of Fame Award for “…opening America’s eye to the healing powers of herbs.” For more than 35 years, he has been a leader for those concerned with establishing more-rational regulations for herbal and natural-product manufacturing, and education on alternative medicines.
George A. Burdock, PhD, founder of Burdock Group, is an internationally recognized authority on the safety of food ingredients, personal care products, and dietary supplements. Dr. Burdock has more than 25 years of experience dealing with regulatory issues related to product safety and risk assessment. He also has over 40 publications in scientific journals and has published three books: two editions of Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, and the Encyclopedia of Food and Color Additives. Dr. Burdock is coauthor of the chapter "Food Toxicology" in the current and previous editions of Casarett and Doull's textbook Toxicology, the standard textbook and reference book in the field of toxicology. Dr. Burdock is a diplomat of the American Board of Toxicology, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and a member of the American Chemical Society, the Society for Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, the Society of Toxicology, the American College of Toxicology, and the Institute of Food Technologists. For more information visit www.burdockgroup.com.
Clouatre is a prominent industry consultant in the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as a sought-after speaker and spokesperson. He earned his AB from Stanford University and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. A Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, Clouatre is a regular contributor to medical journals and various health publications. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including SAM-e: The Ultimate Methyl Donor, Anti-Fat Nutrients (4th edition), two chapters in Tocotrienols: Vitamin E Beyond Tocopherols (Taylor & Francis, 2009), and a chapter entitled “Grape Seed Extract” in the Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements (Marcel Dekker, 2nd edition, 2010). He is also a founding partner of Glykon Technologies Group LLC.
At the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), Dentali’s roles include helping set quality standards for the botanical products industry and providing guidance and advice to AHPA member companies, related organizations, government agencies, scientific publications, and the popular press. He is a United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) convention delegate and a member of the USP Committee of Experts, Dietary Supplements—General Chapters. He is also editorial board chair of AOAC and secretary of the AOAC Presidential Task Force on Dietary Supplements. An advisory board member of the American Botanical Council and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Dentali also chaired the Product Quality Working Group of the National Advisory Council for the Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health from 2005 to 2007. He was trained as an herbalist prior to earning his doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences.
Endres is the chief scientific officer for AIBMR Life Sciences Inc., a leading natural products and functional ingredients consulting firm. He heads a team of highly experienced technical staff comprising naturopathic physicians, nutritionists, biotechnologists, PhD scientists, and library information scientists. He is the author or coauthor of several peer-reviewed academic publications and book chapters, and is a frequent contributing author for the natural products industry trade journals. Endres received a baccalaureate degree in German and philosophy from the State University of New York at Albany and the Julius Maximillians Universität in Würzburg, Germany. In 2004, he earned a board-certified doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. He is a current member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and is licensed as a primary care physician in Washington State. At Bastyr University, Endres conducted research screening complex botanical extractions for their ability to inhibit the growth of a variety of cancer cell lines.
Douglas “Duffy” MacKay, ND, is vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN; Washington, DC). MacKay is a licensed naturopathic doctor and was a co-owner and practitioner in a family-owned New Hampshire complementary and alternative medicine private practice for seven years. In addition to his hands-on experience as a practitioner in the field of integrative medicine, he spent eight years working as a medical consultant for two companies in the dietary supplement industry, including four years as an executive with Nordic Naturals, in charge of clinical research. He previously served as technical advisor for Thorne Research. MacKay has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and serves on the editorial board of two peer-reviewed publications, Alternative Medicine Review and the official publication of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Natural Medicine Journal. He earned his BS in marine sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his ND from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, OR. He is licensed in the state of New Hampshire.
Qureshi is Chief Regulatory Officer for Vitamin Research Products. He earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the University of Washington, as well as a degree in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University. While attending Bastyr University, he pursued further training in South Asia, studying the indigenous Unani system of medicine. Upon graduation, Qureshi practiced naturopathic medicine in Singapore, where he became a noted health columnist for Singapore’s Business Times. He is a current member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), and has maintained a private medical practice in SeaTac, WA, specializing in chronic diseases and autism. Among his prior positions, Qureshi served as vice president of technical and regulatory affairs for AIBMR Life Sciences, a natural-products consulting firm. Qureshi is a frequent contributor to various industry trade journals. He has also served as author or coauthor of several peer-reviewed publications.
Rice is the vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED). He has worked in the ingredient, dietary supplement, functional food, and consumer packaged goods industries for more than 10 years. Prior to joining GOED, he spent over six years at Cargill Inc., involved in the development and execution of global regulatory and scientific strategies for a wide range of functional ingredients. Rice earned an MS and PhD in nutrition from The Pennsylvania State University and a BS in dietetics from Miami University (Ohio).
Shao has an extensive background in human nutrition research and expertise in nutrition policy and dietary supplement regulatory affairs and product development. Prior to joining Herbalife Ltd. as vice president of global product science and safety, he served as senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN). Before joining CRN, Shao was involved in scientific affairs for General Nutrition Corp. (GNC). Prior to that, he worked in research and development for Kemin Health (formerly Kemin Foods). He has authored or coauthored more than 30 peer-reviewed papers, abstracts, trade journal articles, and industry position papers on topics ranging from nutrient risk-assessment to Current Good Manufacturing Practices. He holds a PhD in nutritional biochemistry and a MS in human nutrition science from Tufts University, and BA in biology from Brandeis University.
Welch serves as senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Natural Products Association (NPA; Washington, DC), where she assists natural product industry members in implementing policies in response to government initiatives in the regulatory and policy arena. She also works with members of Congress and their staff, as well as officials of FDA and other agencies, whose actions have direct impact on the natural products industry. Additionally, she is responsible for advising association members on regulatory, safety, nutrition, and health issues. Finally, she directs strategy development and provides guidance to the NPA scientific and regulatory programs, including the association’s natural certification for personal-care and home-care products and dietary supplement cGMP certification. Welch earned her PhD in medicinal chemistry from Rutgers University, her MS in chemistry from the University of Iowa, and her BA in chemistry from Dordt College. She is a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy.
Watson has worked in the natural products industry for more than 13 years and with market researcher SPINS for six years, where she plays a leadership role in the SPINS content-development team. Her industry experience includes managing the supplement department at a local natural foods store and starting her own nutrition-consulting practice in San Francisco, where she met with clients to help them achieve better health through diet and nutritional supplementation. Watson is certified as a nutrition consultant, diet counselor, and nutritional educator through Bauman College. She attended the California School of Herbal Studies located in Forestville, CA, and graduated at the top of her class in 1998, with certificates in Foundations, Therapeutics, and Clinical Herbalism. Her mentors include the respected master herbalists and authors James Green and David Hoffman.
