I am a pharmacist with a PhD in Pharmacognosy from Gazi University, Faculty of Pharmacy (Ankara, Türkiye), with more than two decades of experience in medicinal plants, botanical ingredients, and natural product research. My academic background spans pharmacognosy, phytotherapy, pharmaceutical botany, and the application of pharmacopeial methods to botanical materials.
I began my academic career at Gazi University in 2002, where I worked as a research and teaching assistant, lecturer, and later as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacognosy. I was promoted to associate professor in 2013 and to professor in 2018. During this time, I taught in graduate and doctoral programs, supervised research projects, and conducted pharmacognostic studies on medicinal plants, including my PhD research on Juniperus species traditionally used for diabetes management. I also contributed to the development of a traditional herbal medicinal product derived from Helichrysum stoechas ssp. barellieri for urinary tract stone disease. I resigned from academia in 2020 to focus on applied research, consulting, and international collaboration.
Since 2021, I have been working closely with the ABC–AHP–NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) as an author and co-author of peer-reviewed publications addressing the adulteration of botanical ingredients. I am the lead author of several key BAPP documents, including Laboratory Guidance Documents on Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s wort) and Boswellia serrata, as well as a Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletin on nigella, bacopa, and ginseng. I also serve as BAPP’s social media coordinator and as a consulting editor for the American Botanical Council’s HerbClip research service.
My research and consulting interests focus on the authentication of botanical ingredients and the detection of adulteration, qualitative and quantitative analysis of plant materials and extracts, and the practical application of pharmacopeial and regulatory standards. I have long-standing, hands-on expertise in the microscopic examination of botanical raw materials—an increasingly rare but critical skill for identifying adulteration and quality issues in herbal products.
I have authored or co-authored 48 scientific articles and six book chapters, and I have presented my work widely at international and national scientific meetings. I have also served as an associate editor and editorial board member for several scientific journals and regularly review manuscripts for leading journals in pharmacognosy, ethnopharmacology, and natural product research. In recognition of my contributions, I received the Encouragement Award from the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association Academy of Pharmacy.
Today, my work bridges science, quality, and real-world application, supporting industry, researchers, and organizations seeking reliable, evidence-based expertise in botanical authentication, adulteration prevention, and medicinal plant research.