Michael Heinrich is a Professor of Ethnopharmacology and was until 2018 the head of the research cluster/Centre ‘Biodiversity and Medicines’ at the UCL School of Pharmacy. He currently serves as the joint chair of UCL’s Research Ethics Committee. The group's research is based on a transdisciplinary perspective integrating approaches from the biomedical and social sciences with an overall aim of tackling the fast changing global health needs. Key areas of interest include the prevention and early stage management of diabetes/metabolic syndrome and cancer chemoprevention based on the use of traditional medicines as well as value chains of (herbal) medicinal products.