Spices and Medicine

An interdisciplinary UCL initiative focusing on the use of potent substances across time, cultures, and contexts.

UCL Spices and Medicine is an interdisciplinary initiative that aims to showcase research relating to the interface between food, medicine, and culture to the present day and its relevance across different academic fields and to foster collaborations with institutions and communities interested in exploring botanical traditions. We are based at the UCL School of Pharmacy in Brunswick Square, London.

Save the Date: 12/06/2025

Spices and Medicines Symposium

with the Peter Bradley Lecture 2025

Hybrid event:

Online and In-person: Christopher Ingold Building, Chemistry Lecture Theatre

20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ

Online Registration Opens on 12/05/2024

Programme details (12/06/2025)

1330 - 1400: Arrival
1400 - 1445: Short Lectures

Dr Rachael Frost (Liverpool John Moores University): 'What is the evidence base for over the counter products for depression, anxiety and insomnia? A comprehensive scoping review'

Dr Banaz Jalil (School of Pharmacy, UCL): 'Are the capsules dissolving? The quality of Lavandula herbal medicinal products and its impact on managing anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders'

1445 - 1530: Peter Bradley Lecture

Peter Bradley Lecture by Prof Silke Cameroon: 'Japanese Kampo Medicine Today – Can It Help to Solve Our Healthcare Challenges?'

Prof Silke Cameroon, PD Dr. Med., M.A. 1990-1992 - Study of Medicine RWTH Aachen and 1992-1997 - LMU Munich. 1998 - M.A. in German Literature, History of Art and Psychiatry. 1999 - Ph.D. in Medicine. 2000 - 2002 Post doctorate: Kitastato Institute for Oriental Medicine and Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. Grant of the Alexander von Humboldt Society and the JSPS. Medical Doctor and Research Associate 2002-2010, since 2010 - Senior MD, University of Göttingen.