This morning we hear from a leading medical ethnobotanist to tell us the story of her quest to develop new ways to fight illness and disease through the healing powers of plants. Dr. Cassandra Quave's groundbreaking research is helping to provide clues for the next generation of advanced medicines.
In her new book, "The Plant Hunter," (Viking) Dr. Quave weaves together science, botany, and memoir to tell us the extraordinary story of her own journey. As a person born with multiple congenital defects of her skeletal system, she has traveled the globe in search of natural compounds, long-known to traditional healers, that could help save us all from the looming crisis of untreatable superbugs.
Dr. Quave is Curator of the Herbarium and Associate Professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, where she leads anti-infective drug discovery research initiatives and teaches courses on medicinal plants, microbiology, and pharmacology.