The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has named Steven Dentali, Ph.D., as the organization’s Vice President of Scientific and Technical Affairs. Michael McGuffin, AHPA’s President, announced the appointment in March.

“Dr. Dentali is not only a highly regarded scientist but also brings significant industry experience with both large and small herbal manufacturers,” McGuffin said. “Dr. Dentali will spearhead our many activities that require an understanding of the emerging scientific research on therapeutic botanicals as well as the ways in which botanicals have been traditionally used for millennia.”

“I am delighted to be associated with the organization that, at every level, is the clear leader in advancing the responsible manufacture and sale of herbal products,” said Dentali. “There is no better place for me to apply my academic training and industry experience to represent the leading herbal manufacturers and suppliers.”

Dentali replaces Joseph Betz, Ph.D. who recently accepted a position at the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health as the director of the newly formed Dietary Supplements Analytical Methods and Reference Materials Program.

Dentali holds a doctorate in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Arizona, Tucson, with an emphasis on natural products chemistry and pharmacology. He has served on a number of advisory committees and review panels for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. For the past three years, he worked as the Senior Director of Botanical Sciences for Nutricia USA (a joint venture of GNC and Rexall Sundown). He has authored several publications, including a chapter in the newly published book, Natural Medications for Psychiatric Disorders, and is a reviewer for HerbalGram, Nutrition Science News, the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia Monographs, and The Journal of the American Herbalist Guild.

Founded in 1983, AHPA is the national trade association and voice of the herbal supplements industry, representing growers, processors, manufacturers and marketers of herbal products.

[Gellman R. New Director of Science at American Herbal Products Association [press release]. 2002 March 12]