AHPA's Dentali an expert for proposed NCCAM grants

American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Chief Science Officer Steven Dentali, Ph.D., served as a first-level reviewer for grant proposals submitted to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) for the Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) Program from Jan. 16-18.

“Research drives CAM understanding and new product development. It’s an honor to serve on an National Institute of Health Special Emphasis Panel as an expert for the evaluation of proposed research involving botanicals and natural products,” said Dr. Dentali, who is widely recognized as a foremost expert in the natural products industry and is considered an authority on botanical product quality issues.

NCCAM is the federal government's lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. It supports research centers to conduct multidisciplinary research not readily supported through other funding mechanisms.

The Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary Alternative Medicine Program, part of NCCAM’s Research Centers Program, support three or four major research projects each year and are focused on elucidating mechanisms of action of CAM. NCCAM’s advisory board takes the results of the first-level review in its consideration of the grant proposals to determine which centers focused on elucidating mechanisms of action of CAM are ultimately funded. The centers can receive funding for up to $1.25 million per year for up to five years.