19th Annual Natural Health Products Research Society of Canada Conference – June 2023

The Natural Health Products Research Society of Canada held its 19th annual conference – returning to Montreal, for a third time, for this year’s event. The University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) hosted the event. The conference opened with a reception at the Montreal Botanical Gardens and most of the presentations were held at the university’s downtown campus.

As in previous years, this conference brought together researchers from across the Canadian and international Natural Health Products (NHP) community with participants coming from academia, practitioner groups, industry, and government. Organisations represented included the American Botanical Council, Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health in the United States, the Canadian Health Food Association, Health Canada and the Council for Responsible Nutrition. The conference continued the tradition of presenting research and scientific information of the highest quality covering a wide range of topics including NHPs in health aging; NHP industry innovation; the regulation opportunities for NHP research and the challenges faced in obtaining consistent laboratory tests.

Recognising her immense contribution in the areas of botany, ecology and the importance of indigenous knowledge, the society honoured Dr. Nancy Turner, Emeritus Professor at the University of Victoria with this year’s Dr. Neil Towers Award. Her keynote lecture captured studies in these areas as well as the milestones of her career and professional life. This year, the Dr. Rogers’s sponsored presentation made by Dr. Paul Spagnuolo, from the University of Guelph, who presented his work exploring the metabolic modulation by avocado-derived bioactives in improving cancer outcomes.

As a key player in Canada, ISURA not only was a platinum sponsor but played an active role in the conference with ISURA Scientific Advisory Committee members: Dr. Mary Hardy and Michael Smith, chairing sessions on NHPs in Cancer and NHP industry innovation respectively. In addition, Dr. Hardy together with Dr. Julia Solnier, acted as judges for the student posters and presentations. Together with Lisa Lange from the Natural and Non-Prescription Health Products Directorate, Health Canada and Sonia Parmar from the Canadian Health Food Association, Michael Smith participated in a panel discussion on NHP regulation talking about the role of international regulation.

A highlight of the conference was the session sponsored by ISURA and titled New Frontiers in NHP Analysis. The session and panel discussion were chaired by Dr. Hardy and Michael Smith with two global leaders of the NHP sector, Dr. Robin Marles and Dr. Joe Betz as participants. Bringing their experience from both academia and government, Drs Marles and Betz shared their insights into challenges and opportunities in the area of NHP analysis ad product quality.

More information on the conference and society can be found at www.nhprs.ca

Dr John Thor Arnason, Michael Smith and Dr Julia Solnier

Dr Julia Solnier, Dr Paul Spagnuolo, and Dr John Thor Arnason

Michael Smith and Dr Julia Solnier

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