What We Do

The Proposal of IUPHAR Natural Products Section (NPS-IUPHAR) was initiated by Prof. Zhibin Lin from Peking University in 2004. During the 15th IUPHAR World Congress in Beijing in 2006, the NPS-IUPHAR was formally approved. NPS-IUPHAR is composed of international leading experts on the pharmacology of natural products and traditional medicine from all parts of the world. It dedicates itself to promote the research of natural products for drug development and human health, and to recognize the pharmacological actions and mechanisms of natural products, initiation of linkages and discussion between scientists, industry and general public in the promotion of research, application and educational efforts in natural products. It will also advise on topics central to evidence-based pharmacology of natural products and identification and functional description of pharmacological active ingredients. All aspects of natural product research will be taken into account, including, where necessary, issues relating the Nagoya Protocol.

By now, NPS-IUPHAR has organized five World Conferences on the Pharmacology of Natural and Traditional Medicines together with Chinese Pharmacological Society, Pharmacological Society (Singapore), International Conference on the Mechanism of Action of Nutraceuticals, and Indian Pharmacological Society. It has become a series of conferences with international influence at the interval of 2-3 years. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the International Forum for Early Career Researchers on Pharmacology of Natural Products and Traditional Medicines was initiated and has been organized for four times. The ECR forum became a great example of IUPHAR section to maintain regular scientific communications.