Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D.
Dr. Muhammed Majeed is a first-generation entrepreneur who has successfully introduced new products in the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and pharmaceutical markets in the US. His is a story of self-belief, perseverance and hard work. Born and raised in Kerala, India, the then 23-year-old emigrated to the US in 1975 with a degree in pharmacy from Kerala University and just $8 (the maximum amount emigrants were allowed to carry in 1975). He began working for top pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Carter Wallace and Paco Research in progressively responsible research positions. Meanwhile, keen on academics, he pursued his graduate studies. While working for Pfizer, he received his Master’s Degree in 1980. Six years later, in 1986, he obtained his Ph.D. in Industrial Pharmacy from St. John’s University, New York. With rich knowledge in research and development and more than a decade of hands-on experience, Dr. Majeed decided to venture out on his own. In 1988, he founded Sabinsa Corporation, which manufactures and supplies high-quality herbal extracts, cosmeceuticals and nutraceutical ingredients, minerals, and fine and specialty chemicals for global markets. Since its inception, Sabinsa has introduced more than 30 standardized botanical extracts for use in various supplements and products. To cater to the growing needs of the global market, Dr. Majeed established Sami Labs Limited in Bangalore, India, in 1991, which includes an intensive R&D center and a sophisticated manufacturing facility. The company’s first export, Gugulipid – a standardized extract – set the ball rolling. In Dr. Majeed’s words: “once the first product was accepted, the first road block was cleared and it was a stepping stone to opening more doors.” Dr. Majeed has received several awards including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor presented by the U.S. based National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations in 2004 and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the National Federation of Asian Americans in 1996. Currently, Dr. Majeed oversees overall corporate initiatives for Sabinsa and spearheads major research efforts. He has been granted 18 US patents and six international patents and has 25 pending patent applications worldwide. He is also the author/coauthor of over 50 scientific and popular scientific articles, including the recently peer-reviewed article on Tetrahydropiperine.

Kalyanam Nagabhushanam, Ph.D.
Dr. Kalyanam Nagabhushanam obtained his PhD from Baylor University, Texas, with a Robert A. Welch Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in 1978. He continued his research in Organic synthesis and stereochemistry for two years with Prof. Dave Lightner before relocating to India to join Indian Petrochemical Corporation (now part of Reliance group) in the Corporate R&D Center, wherein he concentrated on metal and polymer catalysis, sequence determination in synthetic polymers. He later became a Scientist in Medicinal Chemistry research of erstwhile Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis), Mumbai, India, developing candidate molecules for drug screening until 1985. He then joined SPIC Pharma, Chennai, and subsequently became Head of R&D and Bulk Drug Operations in the Pharma division. After a 20 year hiatus, he returned to the US to become President (R&D) of Sabinsa. His primary efforts are directed toward new process development, chiral chemistry, new structures for screening and structural determination of natural products of interest, as well as exploration of new business opportunities for Sabinsa. He has authored fifty patents and publications.

Lakshmi Prakash, Ph.D.
Lakshmi Prakash is Director of Technical Services at Sabinsa Corporation. Dr. Prakash received degrees in Chemistry and Food Technology from the University of Mumbai, India, and a doctorate in Food Science from Rutgers University, New Jersey. Dr. Prakash has over 20 years of research, formulation development, and technical writing experience. Furthermore, she is also a registered patent practitioner and helps with intellectual property matters and technology licensing. Dr. Prakash has authored/co-authored several scientific and popular scientific articles, booklets, US and International patents, and a book chapter related to functional foods, nutraceuticals and personal care products.

Bharat B Aggarwal, Ph.D.
Dr. Bharat B Aggarwal received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, did his postdoctoral fellowship in Endocrinology from the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, and then worked in a biotechnology company (Genentech Inc.) where he discovered TNF, an essential component of the Immune System. In 1989, Dr. Aggarwal accepted a position as a Professor and Chief of the Cytokine Research Section at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He currently holds the Ransom Horne Jr. Endowed Professorship in Cancer Research. Since 2001, Dr. Aggarwal has been listed as one of the world’s most highly cited scientists by the Institute of Scientific Information. He has published over 350 original peer-reviewed articles and reviews, edited eight books and been granted almost 35 patents.

Michael P Godard, Ph.D.
Dr. Michael P Godard earned his Ph.D. in Human Bioenergetics from Ball State University in 2000. He reached faculty status at the University Southern Maine‘s Department of Sports medicine, while working as a research scientist at the Bioscience Research Institute of Southern Maine. At the University of Kansas, he received multiple teaching awards and was the Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory in the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences and held a secondary appointment in Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He is currently a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology at Western Illinois University where he is continuing his research in obesity. Dr. Godard has published over 20 refereed articles.

Shishir Shishodia, Ph.D.
Dr Shishir Shishodia is currently an Assistant Professor at the Texas Southern University, Houston. He earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India, and conducted his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. His research interests include cytokine signaling, the role of transcription factors in tumorigenesis, and regulation of transcription by natural products. Dr. Shishodia has identified several natural compounds that exhibit anti-cancer properties. Dr. Shishodia is also a recipient of the BHU Gold Medal and the Theodore N. Law Award for outstanding scientific achievements. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers and edited a book on the role of Resveratrol in health and disease.