Kevin Spelman, PhD, MCPP is a research scientist, clinician, educator, consultant, and an international expert in molecular biology and medicinal plant pharmacology. He has worked with medicinal plants in the clinic, the laboratory (clinical trials and preclinical studies), and the field. Dr. Spelman practiced clinical western phytotherapy for two decades via a lens of Ayurveda and modern physiology internationally. Over the last decade he has provided continuing medical education for physicians in cannabinoid therapeutics and medicinal plants through several venues in multiple countries.
Dr. Spelman has considerable experience in botanical, nutraceutical, and cannabinoid research. He has published 29 peer reviewed publications and six book chapters on medicinal plants. Dr. Spelman has focused on molecular techniques to elucidate the pharmacology of phytochemicals on human physiology. Understanding the effect of plant compounds on the molecular pathways of human health has been an important part of his work. His research history includes investigating plants for brain and ovarian cancer, clinical investigations, immunological studies, cannabinoid signaling and chemical analysis. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at National Institutes of Health, Dr. Spelman studied brain and ovarian cancer, as well as CB1 and CB2 receptor binding. He was the first researcher to elucidate cannabinoid ligands in Zanthoxylum spp. He is a former postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute on Aging researching the molecular biology of brain cancer and ovarian cancer. He has also carried out research as a Marie Curie Research Fellow in the European Union where he identified the antimalarial activity of two separate species of medicinal plants. He is currently serves on the editorial board for Frontiers in Pharmacology.
Dr. Kevin Spelman has dedicated the past three decades to researching, advising and teaching in the natural products realm. He has lectured at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, UNM Med School. He held faculty positions at Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, National University of Natural Medicine, Bastyr University, Maryland University of Integrative Health, and the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine and the Ayurvedic Institute. He was a co-founder of the first accredited Masters of Science degree in herbal medicine, as well the first Bachelor of Science program in Herbal Medicine.
With 20 years of experience in clinical phytotherapy, and another decade in research, he has held laboratory, faculty and clinical positions at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Université de Paris as a Marie Curie Research Fellow, the University of North Carolina (UNC), National College of Natural Medicine, Bastyr University and the Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH). Further experience includes advising the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and a volunteer clinician at a home for disabled children in Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Dr. Spelman has directed the chemical analysis of over 300 different medicinal plants. Over the last 30 years, he has coordinated new product development, formulated product lines, advised on quality control guidelines, and created educational curriculums for industry and universities. He has advised the White House, the US Department of Defense, and foreign governments on issues and policies concerning natural products. He has been a senior R&D executive for multiple companies over the last decade. As a formulator, he has been involved in over 90 products circulating in the market. The products he co-formulated are in use by 30 professional sports teams and three branches of military special services. Most recently, Dr. Spelman followed patients using Cannabis oil for late stage cancers as well as performed cannabinoid research at National Institutes of Health. He also assists cannabis companies in scaling up, product development, and meeting regulatory requirements.
Dr. Spelman also publishes The Spelman Report: PhytoPharmacology Review, an audio science journal on natural products for clinicians. His consulting firm, Health, Education & Research in Botanical Medicine, advises entities in the botanical science and natural products industry.
Other career highlights:
Over 90 professional continuing education (CEU) presentations at colleges and academic and professional meetings internationally.
Analyzed nutrient levels in young teenage women in West Africa to point out nutrient deficiencies in woman about to be pregnant.
Worked with clinically with children with neurological disorders in Central America.
Editor, reviewer, and contributor to the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, Frontiers in Pharmacology, Toxicology, Journal of Chromatography B, Analytical Biochemistry, International Immunopharmacology, Planta Medica, Phytotherapy Research, and others.
Discovered a novel pharmacological target (PPARγ) for a cannabimimetic compound in Echinacea spp. at the National Institutes of Health.
Discovered cannabimimetic compounds in Zanthoxylum spp.
Researched the molecular mechanisms of glioblastoma multiforme as well as ovarian cancer while at NIH.
Bachelors in biochemistry from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.
Doctoral degree from the University of Exeter School of Biological Sciences.
Natural Product Industry Highlights
Lobbied the US Senate & House for access to multivitamins through the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) for the underserved.
Lobbied the US Senate & House for public access to CBD and further funding for the FDA to enforce GMPs.
Developed guidelines for the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Attend the Microbiome Research Initiative at the White House.
Principal Scientist and ran R&D for the biggest producer of liquid herbal extracts in the United States, Herb Pharm.
Executive VP of the R&D department for a billion-dollar micronutrient and nutraceutical international company with products in 23 countries.
Provided expert testimony to the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate on safety issues of herbal medicines.
Advised the Jamaican government’s Scientific Research Council on product research and development of herbal medicines on safety and efficacy.
Advised McCormick & Company on new product development.
Advised the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the 1990’s and participated in the National Microbiome Initiative.
Past Chief Scientific Officer for a National CBD company.
Affiliations
Current professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy.
Current professor at the National University of Naturopathic Medicine.
Co-founded the first master’s program in clinical herbal medicine in 2001 at the Tai Sophia Institute. Dr. Spelman worked as chair of Clinical Herbal Medicine for five years and currently holds the position of Distinguished Lecturer.
Past Professor at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in the Botanical Medicine and the Research departments and Bastyr University of Health Sciences in the Botanical Medicine dept.
Taught for The Southwest School of Botanical Medicine for three years.
Taught Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia at the Ayurvedic Institute.
Founding faculty member of the first accredited Bachelor of Science program in herbal medicine in the United States in 1996 at the North American College of Botanical Medicine.
Member of the prestigious College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy in the United Kingdom.
Clinical Involvement
Clinical phytotherapy practitioner for over 25 years.
Founder of the Clinical of Collaborative Medicine in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
One of the first phytotherapists to be included in a PPO through an innovative program designed to provide access to CAM therapies in the late 1990s.
Past HIV clinical rotation with Dr. Greg Strebel, DO one of the first clinicians to use the cocktail therapy in AIDS, along with completing two other cancer rotations.
Clinical Rotations with Dr. Vasant Lad in the early 1990s.
Certified Nutrition Specialist.
Worked clinically with an indigenous population at the New Mexico Herb Institute providing phytotherapic interventions.
Appointed to the Herbal Standards and Practice Committee which generated policies and procedures in the use of botanical medicines and registration of clinicians using botanical medicines at the Maryland University of Integrative Health’s Clinic.
Spearheaded the exploration of a national exam for American Herbalists Guilds phytotherapists.
Headed the Pharmacy Dept and was a pharmacist for Ayurvedic physician Dr. Vasant Lad for five years.
Clinical Rotations with Dr. Vasant Lad.
Trained with the late herbalist Michael Moore.
Trained with Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, MD and did clinic rotations at the New Mexico Herb Institute.
Awards
Twice rec’d the Great Esteem Award by the Maryland University of Integrative Health for excellence in clinical education.
People’s Caring Award by People Living Through Cancer for recognition of distinguished clinical service in the 90’s.
Committees and Non-profit Involvement
Served two terms as a Board Member for the American Herbalist’s Guild
Appointed Director of Certification for the American Herbalist’s Guild to study the possibility of a national certification exam for herbalists/phytotherapists.
Appointed to the Herbal Standards and Practice Committee which generated policies and procedures in the use of botanical medicines and registration of clinicians at the Tai Sophia Institute’s Clinic.
Active Research Scientist
Research on Endocannabinoid signaling and cannabinoid receptor ligands since 2005.
Chemical analysis on multiple Cannabis cultivars.
Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institutes of Health, research on natural products/cancer and cannabinoid receptors.
Previous Marie Curie Research Fellow – Paris, France, pharmacognosy & anti--plasmodial research.
Scientist in Residence at Bastyr University working on Echinacea spp. and PPARgamma.
Basic Science Research Experience in Natural Products and immune and metabolism research as well as chemical analysis.
