Paul Bremner

Paul Bremner is an Associate Professor in Teaching at the Leicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University. His work bridges molecular authentication of herbal medicines, natural product chemistry, and public health implications of herbal product use.

Research Interests: His expertise lies in DNA fingerprinting and HPLC profiling of medicinal plant drugs, particularly in compliance with EU Directive 2004/24/EC. He investigates the identity and quality of herbal products sold on the open market and their impact on public health.

Research Trends: His recent publications reveal a strong focus on DNA-based identification of medicinal plants (e.g., Hypericum), isolation of bioactive natural products, and evaluation of their cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Techniques include PCR, HPLC, and cell-based assays.

• Scientific Awards & Recognition:
• Fellow of The Linnaean Society (since 2005)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (since 2008)
• Peer reviewer for the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (since 2008)

Advising and Grants: He has supervised MSc and PhD students, including Dr. Caroline Howard. Externally funded projects include a £60,000 British Council DelPHE-Iraq initiative and a €30,000 consultancy with Schwabe Pharma. He also led an internal PhD scholarship on DNA-based authentication methods.

Professional Engagement: He was a member (2008–2011) of expert committees at both the British Pharmacopeia and European Pharmacopeia, ensuring quality standards for herbal medicines. He has presented at international conferences in South Africa, India, Switzerland, and the UK, including plenary and poster presentations.