Guido F. Pauli, PhD, professor at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Norman R. Farnsworth professor of pharmacognosy at UIC College of Pharmacy was awarded the American Botanical Council (ABC)’s Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award.
 
The award is named after Norman R. Farnsworth, PhD, who made significant research contributions in the field of pharmacognosy, which is the study of drugs of a natural origin, usually from plants. Farnsworth was a widely-published and internationally-renowned professor of pharmacognosy, a senior university scholar in the UIC College of Pharmacy, and one of the founding members of ABC’s Board of Trustees.
 
“Receiving the ABC Farnsworth research award is particularly special, as ABC and its community share the same passion for plants that has driven and continues to drive my research,” Pauli said. “The joint goal of enhancing the quality of botanicals for the benefit of human health is another connection that makes this award special for me. Having worked closely and developed a very friendly personal relationship with Norman Farnsworth during my first decade at UIC, being connected to him and his legacy through this award is just wonderful.”
 
Pauli began his work at the UIC College of Pharmacy in 2001. After he joined the faculty as a research associate professor in the Institute for Tuberculosis Research, he became an assistant professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy in 2002 and became a professor in 2012. Pauli was named the Norman R. Farnsworth Professor of Pharmacognosy in 2017, and became a UIC Distinguished Professor in 2019.
 
He is also the associate director of ITR and the director of the UIC Pharmacognosy Institute. His research focuses on innovating methodology for botanical quality control, and enhancing collaborative botanical research. “I think that such contributions can be significant for advancing botanicals in general,” Pauli said. “In my experience, the best products in daily life are created by the combination of two things – inquisitive minds and sense for quality. This highlights the importance of doing botanical research and driving innovation for the future — and explains why I find this ABC research award truly encouraging.”
 
Some of Pauli’s noted research activities include investigations into the usefulness of nuclear magnetic resonance, a method to analyze natural products. He also assessed the residual complexity of plant extracts and isolated compounds by chemical and biological methods, as well as the usefulness of centrifugal partition chromatography as a separation technique for natural products.
 
He was instrumental in the identification of the constituents responsible for the estrogenic (and other) activities of hops (Humulus lupulus), red clover (Trifolium pratense), and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. uralensis), according to AHPA.
 
His most recent publication, co-authored with researchers from UIC and the University of Chicago, investigated the effects of CBD on SARS-CoV-2 in human lung cells and mice. It found that CBD had a significant negative effect on the virus’s replication.
 
“There is no question in my mind that, if Prof. Farnsworth were still alive today, he would wholeheartedly support ABC’s decision to grant this eponymous award to Prof. Pauli,” said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of ABC.
 
“I have always been impressed by the high quality of Guido Pauli’s scientific research. His hard work, passion for medicinal plants, and commitment to scientific excellence have made him one of the most prominent natural products researchers in North America at this time,” Stefan Gafner, PhD, ABC’s chief science officer, said.