Human-Plant Relations and Future Drug Discovery

The ongoing exploration of medicinal plants has revealed crucial information about potential pharmacological targets, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimers disease, malaria, and inflammation. A number of natural product drugs derived from plants have been successfully commercialized as dietary supplements or chemo-preventive agents, while others are currently undergoing clinical trials.

This book sheds light on the innovative approach of integrated drug discovery, which combines traditional wisdom and documented use with the discovery of drugs from plant sources.

Prof Yash Pal Sharma, born on January 01, 1969 in a remote village of District Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir, is presently working as a Professor and Coordinator in the Department of Botany (UGC-SAP DRS II), University of Jammu, Jammu which is one of the India's leading academic and research Universities with NAAC accredited A+ grade. A post-graduate in Botany (1992) from the Department of Botany, University of Jammu, Prof. Sharma qualified UGC-CSIR NET-JRF in the same year and obtained his Ph.D Degree from the same organization in the year 1997. He began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Government College and later joined the Department of Botany, University of Jammu in the year 2000 and was elevated to the rank of Professor in the year 2011. At present, Prof. Sharma is actively involved in teaching varied subjects such as the diversity of lower plants and gymnosperms, mycology and plant pathology, plant metabolism, ethnobotany etc. to the postgraduate and research students in the subject of Botany. Besides his involvement in providing academic leadership to the University Department as Head of the Department of Botany (2015- 2017), he has so far successfully guided a total of 12 Ph.D & 14 M.Phil students and presently 8 research students are working under his supervision. Prof Sharma has published more than 106 research papers in peer-reviewed international and national journals and is also on the panel of reviewers of several journals of National and International repute. Prof Sharma has handled many research projects sanctioned by various funding agencies. In view of his research contributions, Prof Sharma was awarded Science Talent Promotion Scholarship in Botany from the Department of Science and Technology, J&K (1991), Dr. K.S. Krishnan DAE Research Fellowship as JRF in Life Sciences, from the Department of Atomic Energy, Bombay, Govt. of India (1993), Senior Research Fellowship from CSIR, New Delhi (1996), Young Scientist Award (2003) of J&K State Council for Science and Technology, Jammu and Kashmir, Prof. P.N. Mehra Young Scientist Award (2005), Prof. H.C. Dube Outstanding Young Scientist Award (2010) by the Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Udaipur and Dr. S.K Shome Memorial Award by the Mycological Society of India, Chennai (2018). A life member of many professional/scientific organizations of India, He has also organized several prestigious national scientific events at the University of Jammu, Jammu and is regularly involved in delivering popular lectures/invited talks in various academic and research events across the country and abroad.

Bikarma Singh born in India working as Senior Scientist in National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow one of the pioneer institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research known for largest research and development activities under Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He is recognized as Assistant Professor in AcSIR (Ghaziabad), and registered as Ph.D. Supervisor in University of Jammu. He graduated up as an Honours and Gold Medalist in Botany from North-Eastern Hill University Shillong in 2005, and completed Doctorate Degree in Botany from Gauhati University Assam and Botanical Survey of India (Shillong) Meghalaya in 2012. Prior to joining CSIR-NBRI Lucknow in 2020, he was working as Senior Scientists in CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu and involved in R&D related to Plant Sciences. He also served as Scientist-Ecologist in WAPCOS Limited Gurgaon.

Currently, Dr. Singh pursued research with passion and possesses 15 year's research experience in Plant Sciences, expertised in systematic and biotechnology, ethnobotany, value addition from essential oils, ecology, biodiversity germplasm conservation and EIA. He is serving as a reviewing member for National and International Scientific SCI and UGC listed journals, undertaken as lead leader for organizing many seminars and workshops. He received Prestigious recognition as 'Outstanding Scientist in Botany' in 2019 awarded by Venus International Foundation, Chennai and two of his Ph.D. Scholar received best research paper award, working in the area of Botany. He authored/co-authored 8 books and published 86 research papers/experimental findings in peer-reviewed International and National journals. His recent books are Botanical Leads for Drug Discovery, 'Plants for Human Survival and Medicine' and Plants of Commercial Values. He has 2 patents on medicinal aspects, and worked as PI/Co-PI/Team member for more than 40 research projects funded by Govt. and Private Organizations. He is supervising 5 Ph.D. students in Science to defend their doctorate degree. He is a member of several research committees, and delivered invited talk as key-note speaker/lecturer under various themes in several conferences, seminars and workshops.