Cassandra Quave, Ph.D., is Curator of the Herbarium and Associate Professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, where she leads anti-infective drug discovery research initiatives and teaches courses on medicinal plants, microbiology, and pharmacology. As a medical ethnobotanist, her work focuses on the documentation and pharmacological evaluation of plants used in traditional medicine. Dr. Quave’s research is supported by the NIH, industry contracts, and philanthropy. She is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a past President of the Society for Economic Botany, a recipient of the Emory Williams Teaching Award, and Charles Heiser, Jr. Mentor Award. She is the host of Foodie Pharmacology, a podcast dedicated to exploring the links between food and medicine. Dr. Quave has authored more than 100 scientific publications, two edited books, twenty book chapters, and seven patents. She was named a Guggenheim Fellow in the field of Medicine & Health in 2024.

Exclusively represented by BrightSight Speakers bureau, Cassandra's research has been the subject of feature profiles in the New York Times Magazine, BBC Science Focus, National Geographic Magazine, Brigitte Magazin, NPR, PBS, and the National Geographic Channel. She is author of a science memoir The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines (which was named one of the best books of 2021 by Kirkus). She was selected as one of the inaugural recipients of The National Academies Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. Learn more about her research by visiting her website or following her on Facebook or Twitter.