Who we are
The Australian Institute of Pharmacognosy is an independent, not-for-profit research and education institute based in Cardwell, in the wet tropics of far north Queensland.
Pharmacognosy is the scientific study of medicines that come from natural sources, especially plants. Our work looks at three things: the plants themselves, the traditions that have used them, and the evidence behind what is claimed for them. We document plants in the field and in the library, share what we learn plainly, and label the strength of the evidence in everything we publish.
Leadership
Dr Luke Iggulden, ND
PhMN; BHSc. WHM; Adv. Dip. WHM
Founder, Chair and Chief Scientific Officer
Medical herbalist and pharmacognosist. Dr Iggulden founded the Institute, chairs it, and leads its research as Chief Scientific Officer.
“I practice evidence-based natural medicine, learning from tradition but avoiding the ‘woo woo’ that much of modern natural medicine employs.”
Our team
The Institute is a small team organised into departments. Each name below heads or works within one of those departments.
Research and science
Thomas Ridley
Head of Education and Research
Literature reviews, evidence summaries, study design and the Institute's educational material.
Samuel Oduya
Research and Development Lead
Works through the Institute's own records for research leads and questions worth testing.
Eleanor Whitcombe
Head of Medicine
Checks the health information in the Institute's publications against the published evidence, across mainstream and traditional systems.
Fiona MacAllister
Head of Botanical
Plant identification records and the Institute's botanical reference library.
Hana Suzuki
Head of Botanical QA
Quality assurance for the Institute's botanical work, including misidentification and adulteration concerns.
Ambrose Fenwick
Head of Esoteric Studies
Historical, ceremonial and manuscript sources on plants, kept clearly apart from clinical evidence.
Beatrice Holloway
Librarian, Education and Research
Files and catalogues the books, papers and monographs the research draws on.
Marta Silva
Archivist, Education and Research
Keeps the Institute's records connected, so findings can be traced back to their sources.
Matilda Nguyen
Laboratory Assistant
Laboratory notes and records.
Governance and operations
Rosalind Pemberton
Secretary of the Institute
Correspondence, minutes and the Institute's governance records.
Geoffrey Larkin
Head of Legal and Compliance
Regulatory research and compliance review of what the Institute publishes.
Grace Okafor
Head of Finance
Grants, funding applications and financial oversight.
Sandra Beaumont
Head of HR
Roles, onboarding and the working life of the team.
Manuel Alvarez
Head of Operations and Facilities
Supplies, equipment records and facilities for the Institute's work.
Priya Raghunathan
Head of IT
The Institute's systems, websites, backups and cyber security.
Malcolm Rourke
Head of Security
Security arrangements for the Institute's work.
Anaïs Moreau
Head of International Relations
The Institute's contact with organisations outside Australia.
Outreach
Jesse Kirby
Head of Marketing
The Institute's public voice, publications and outreach.
Leah Bianchi
Web and Digital Designer, Marketing
Design and upkeep of this website.
Theo Karras
Graphic Designer, Marketing
Illustration, layout and the Institute's visual identity.
Zoe Bennett
Social Media Specialist, Marketing
The Institute's social media channels.
Cameron Blackwood
Head of Sales and Customer Relations
Enquiries from the public and from organisations.