Kashmiri scientist receives prestigious American Botanical Council Award
Srinagar: A Kashmir-born scientist has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Norman R. Farnsworth Excellence in Botanical Research Award presented by the American Botanical Council (ABC), recognizing his outstanding contributions to medicinal plant research.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Qazi, Director-General and CEO of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR) in New Delhi, received the award for his 40 years of research experience and expertise in biochemistry, microbial biotechnology, bio-prospecting of natural products, quality control, and the clinical validation of traditional Indian herbal medicines, among other areas.
The annual award, named in honor of the internationally respected professor Norman R. Farnsworth, PhD (1930–2011), is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to research in the fields of Pharmacognosy (the study of drugs of natural origin, usually from plants), Ethnobotany, Ethnopharmacology, or other scientific disciplines related to medicinal plants.
“I am grateful and feel honored by this recognition of my contributions to the knowledge of natural products science and the development of standardized products,” Qazi said in a pre-recorded acceptance speech.
Throughout his career, Qazi has authored or co-authored several book chapters and more than 250 research papers in scientific journals. He also holds more than 60 international patents and has been an invited lecturer on fermentation technology and genetic engineering at universities and institutes around the world.
