August 23, 2006

CONTACT: Rick Cushman
(215) 349-5659
rick.cushman@uphs.upenn.edu

Invitation to Cover: Penn to Host Herbal Medicine Symposium
First of its Kind in Philadelphia Area

WHAT: Members of the media are invited to attend Herbal Medicine: Perception, Practice and Rational Use, a symposium hosted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, School of Nursing and the Morris Arboretum. The symposium is the first of its kind in the Philadelphia area and will bring together several world-renowned experts from the field of herbal medicine. Topics to be addressed include the history of herbal medicines and their potential role in future healthcare and the role herbal medicines already play in today’s pharmaceutical industry. The symposium will also focus on: the use of plants in clinical practice; determining benefits and harm; rational approaches for proper use; informing the public; perceptions by healthcare providers and the public; and botanical research.
WHO:

Nationally recognized speakers to include:

  • Mr. Mark Blumenthal, Executive Director of the American Botanical Council
  • Dr. Steven King, Vice President of Ethnobotany and Conservation for Napo Pharmaceuticals
  • Dr. Robert McCaleb, President of the Herb Research Foundation
  • Dr. Marc Micozzi, physician-anthropologist and Penn alum
  • Mr. Simon Mills, Past-President, British Herbal Medicine Association
  • Dr. John M. Riddle, distinguished author, scholar, and professor at North Carolina State University
  • Dr. Chun-Su Yuan, the Cyrus Tang Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care at the University of Chicago
WHEN:

Tuesday, September 19
4:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Wednesday, September 20
9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Timeline: September 19

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm Tour of herbal plants in arboretum’s garden
6:15 pm Dinner
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Keynote speaker: Why Medical Herbal Medicine is Important to the Medical Scientist as well as the Historian

Timeline: September 20

9:00 am – 3:30 pm Day-long symposium
WHERE: September 19: Morris Arboretum
September 20: University of Pennsylvania’s Biomedical Research Building II/III: Lobby and Auditorium

NOTE: Registration is required to attend. If you plan on attending this event, contact Jan McFarlan at (215) 247-5777, ext. 156 or 125, or jlm@pobox.upenn.edu, or Rick Cushman at (215) 349-5659 or Rick.Cushman@uphs.upenn.edu.

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PENN Medicine is a $2.9 billion enterprise dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and high-quality patient care. PENN Medicine consists of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Penn's School of Medicine is ranked #2 in the nation for receipt of NIH research funds; and ranked #3 in the nation in U.S.News & World Report's most recent ranking of top research-oriented medical schools. Supporting 1,400 fulltime faculty and 700 students, the School of Medicine is recognized worldwide for its superior education and training of the next generation of physician-scientists and leaders of academic medicine.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System includes three hospitals, all of which have received numerous national patient-care honors [Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation's first hospital; and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center]; a faculty practice plan; a primary-care provider network; two multispecialty satellite facilities; and home care and hospice.


This release is available online at http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/aug06/herbmedsymITC.htm