On 21st January 2021, the Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, organized a webinar with a renowned speaker, Prof Geoffrey A. Cordell. His 2-hour talk on “Contemporary Pharmacognosy in Society: Now and for the Future”, delved into the various health care applications, as well as on issues where research and analysis of bioactive natural product is important.
The American Society of Pharmacognosy defines Pharmacognosy as “the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources”. Pharmacognosy is now recognized as a vital part of drug development processes and pharmacy education.
A total of 306 participants attended the webinar, ranging from undergraduates, postgraduates as well as researchers from local universities and research institutes such as Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). The webinar was also joined by international participants from Mae Fah Luang University and Burapha University, Thailand.
The organizers hoped that the webinar was successful in providing a platform for like-minded individuals to gain new knowledge and pursue potential collaboration in the future.