Tariq Haqqi, Ph.D., a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at NEOMED, grew up in a culture that valued the medicinal properties of plants and herbs. He recently spoke with WKSU’s Jeff Sinclair about how his new research into remedies for arthritis connects with the ancient Indian tradition of Ayurvedic medicine.
The thrust of Dr. Haqqi’s research wouldn’t be obvious to the non-scientists among us from a proposal title like “Suppression of SHH Expression in Arthritis by Butea Monosperma.” But Butea Monosperma, also known as the Flame of the Forest tree, plays a role in research that the National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health has already funded for more than $2 million during the first four years of a five-year grant to Dr. Haqqi.
Art by Douglas Goldsmith