• Efficacy and safety of olive leaf extract in Type 2 diabetics. • How naturopaths and herbalists define and evaluate clinical success. • Quality and phytoequivalence of herbal medicine products. • Safety and regulation of herbal medicines.

Ian is a Senior Lecturer in Herbal and Naturopathic Medicine, with more than 30 years of clinical and academic experience. He has taught, designed and managed herbal and naturopathic programs across multiple institutions, at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Ian has a long history of deep engagement with both the industry and the profession. He is currently a member of the Naturopathic Editorial Board for the global not-for-profit Empowered by Evidence initiative, an Expert Contributor to the Olive Wellness Institute, and Chair of the NHAA’s Board Member Advisory Committee. Ian’s ground-breaking phytoequivalence study on olive leaf extracts, and his research on the human safety of various medicinal plants, contributes to evidence-informed curriculum, and in 2021 Ian received the Bioceuticals Integrative Medicine Award for Contribution to Research and Education. Ian’s paper in 2020 on the safety of arbutin-containing herbal medicines was honoured as the Article of the Year in the Australian Journal of Herbal & Naturopathic Medicine. Ian’s current research interests include a pilot clinical trial examining the potential role of olive leaf extract in Type 2 diabetics, and exploring how naturopaths and herbalists define and evaluate clinical success with their patients. In 2006 Ian was awarded with Fellowship of the Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA), and in 2023 received Life Membership in recognition of his contributions to the profession.