Interactive Meeting for Evidenced‐Based Complementary and Alternative Medicines: a Report

The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in association with the Indian Association for the Study of Traditional Asian Medicines (IASTAM) organized an interactive meeting at NBRI on December 6th, 2004 to mark the visit of Professor Edwin L. Cooper, Founding Editor-in-Chief of eCAM and Professor of Comparative Neuroimmunology, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Neurobiology and David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA and Ms Patty Christiena Willis, Founding International Administrator, eCAM, USA and Japan. Dr Nityanand, Ex-Director, CDRI (Central Drug Research Institute), Lucknow presided over the meeting, which was attended by over 50–60 prominent personalities, representing Ayurvedic- and Unani-practicing doctors, scientists and modern medical doctors, other distinguished scientists working in the traditional medicines, modern medical science and medicinal plants. Prominent among these included: Dr S. K. Jain, Ex-Director, BSI (Botanical Survey of India), India and President of IASTAM; Dr P. Pushpangadan, Director, NBRI and Member of eCAM Editorial Board; Dr Narendra Singh, Ex-Pharmacologist, KGMC (King George Medical College), Lucknow; Dr Shanta Mehrotra, Emeritus Scientist, NBRI, and Member of IASTAM Managing Committee; Dr N. C. Shah, Ex-Senior Scientist, CIMAP (Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants), Lucknow; Dr S. S. Shukla, Ex-Principal, State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow; Prof. B. N. Singh, Principal, National Homeopathy College, Lucknow; Dr Janardan Singh, Scientist, CIMAP, Dr A. K. S. Rawat, Scientist, NBRI; Dr S. A. Siddhique, Unani Council, CCRUM (Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine), Lucknow.