Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products

Verena Dirsch studied Pharmacy at the University of Munich, Germany (1984-1989) and received her Ph.D 1993 in the group of Prof. Hildebert Wagner. As a fellow of the German Research Council (DFG) she joined for one year the group of Prof. Koji Nakanishi as a postdoc at the Columbia University, New York, USA (1994-1995). From 1995 to 2004 she held several positions in the group of Prof. Angelika Vollmar, first at the Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy of the Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine (1995-1998) and later at the Department of Pharmacy (1998-2004), both at the University of Munich. She received her venia legendi for Pharmaceutical Biology and Pharmacology in 2002/2003. Since 2004, she is full professor at the University of Vienna and since 2006 head of the Department of Pharmacognosy. Currently she serves also as Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Life Sciences (2008 2010).Her main research fields are the molecular mechanisms/target identification of natural products that affect vascular smooth muscle cell growth or nitric oxide production in endothelial cells as well as the identification of new anti-inflammatory compounds using various targets/signaling pathways for cell-based screening programs in collaboration with phytochemical groups.

Nicholas H. Oberlies, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorDepartment of Chemistry and BiochemistryThe University of North Carolina at GreensboroNicholas H. Oberlies, Ph.D. received his B.S. in Chemistry from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy from Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) in 1997, where he studied under Professor Jerry L. McLaughlin. He then spent a year as a postdoctoral chemist at American Cyanamid (Princeton, New Jersey), where he investigated leads with insecticidal, herbicidal, and fungicidal properties from natural sources. In 1998, he joined the Natural Products Laboratory at Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in North Carolina, specifically to be mentored by Dr. Mansukh C. Wani and the now late, Dr. Monroe E. Wall, who are most well known as the co-discoverers of taxol and camptothecin. He rose progressively through the ranks of RTI and eventually directed the Natural Products Laboratory. In 2009, he re-located his research group to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He leads a mulidisciplinary effort to identify, isolate, and characterize new drug entities from natural sources, such as plants, fungi, and bacteria. His lab also examines herbal drugs, especially for the development of reference standards.There are several actively-funded projects being conducted concomitantly in his laboratories, all of which are supported by various institutes within the National Institutes of Health, including the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Current projects in the realm of natural products drug discovery are focused on discovering anticancer leads from filamentous fungi collected from all over the world. Current projects in the herbal drug arena are focused on the development of reference standards and study materials for investigating the chemopreventive properties of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and the evaluation of potential drug-diet interactions via the consumption of cranberry juice (Vaccinium marcocarpon). All of these projects include close collaboration with a team of multidisciplinary investigators with diverse areas of expertise, such as metabolism, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, and mycology. More information about his research group can be found here: http://www.uncg.edu/che/faculty/NicholasOberlies.html.Dr. Oberlies has received several awards that speak to his accomplishments. In particular, he was honored in 2005 with the Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Pharmacognosy, their highest distinction for young scientists. He was recognized in 2004 by the Triangle Business Journal with their 40 under 40 Leadership Award, which honors accomplishments both in business and in the community. Dr. Oberlies has published over 40 peer reviewed manuscripts of original research, 8 reviews of the literature, and 7 book chapters.

Department of Natural Products ChemistryShanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM)Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Tel/Fax: +86-21-50806726Email: yye@mail.shcnc.ac.cnBorn in 1965, Yang Ye has got his Ph. D. in Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1992. He was an Alexander von Humboldt fellow and made his postdoctoral stay in the Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Munich. He is now a full professor and deputy director of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also in the editorial/advisory board of several international journals and book series, including Planta Medica, Phytochemistry Letters, Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products, etc.Dr. Ye studies mainly secondary metabolites from traditional herbal medicinal plants. His goal is to disclose the chemical essence of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as to find potential pharmaceutical lead structures.