Essays and Op-Eds
Hunting for Medicines Hidden in Plants. The Wall Street Journal. Nov. 20, 2021
New technology is helping to unlock the secrets of the natural world, just as the limits of synthetic remedies are becoming clear
Art by Chloe Zola
Video Clips
Press videos, webinars, and podcasts on THE PLANT HUNTER can be found at this YouTube playlist on Dr. Quave’s Teach Ethnobotany channel. Select examples are provided below.
‘We have barely scratched the surface’ of the medicinal value of plants: Expert
ABC News’ Linsey Davis speaks with Dr. Cassandra Quave, author of “The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines” about the future of plant-derived medical treatments. October 11, 2021.
American Botanical Council Webinar
The Sustainable Herbs program director, Ann Armbrecht, speaks with medical ethnobotanist Dr Cassandra Quave about her book, The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines. October 14, 2021.
Articles and Interviews
Chemical and Engineering News
“Cassandra Leah Quave’s work defies simple categorization. As an ethnobotanist, her research encompasses natural product chemistry, microbiology, medicine, botany, and journalism. One day, she might interview a village’s traditional healer on how to prepare a remedy for a skin infection; on another, she might use a low-cost fraction collector made from Lego Mindstorms pieces to isolate a molecule that could eventually become a medicine.” Read the full feature at C&EN online. October 17, 2021.
Emory University News
“Cassandra Quave’s life is like a tropical forest: Varied, colorful, bursting with life and laced with hidden paths that must be constantly cleared to move along them. Her new memoir guides readers through a world of plants and the people entwined with them. The story is sometimes dark but mostly uplifting, lit up by her personal revelations and scientific discoveries.” Read the full feature online. October 21, 2021.
Podcasts and Radio Appearances
Here is a select list of podcast and radio appearances for The Plant Hunter.
- The American Scholar Smarty Pants Podcast Nature’s Pharmacy. 11/19/2021.
- KPCW Cool Science Radio The Plant Hunter. 11/18/2021
- The Roundtable on WAMC Northeast Public Radio. A scientist’s quest for nature’s next medicines. 11/11/2021.
- Public Radio Tulsa. The Plant Hunter. 11/1/2021.
- WABE, Atlanta’s NPR Station. In memoir, Atlanta scientist shares adventures and challenges searching nature for new cures. 10/22/2021
- Q&A Time on The Naked Scientists Podcast. “Q&A: Moon Landings and Making Medicine.” 9/29/2021