Curiosity, passion, and the journey to a career in pharmacognosy

Pharmacognosy is the branch of pharmaceutical science focused on bioactive natural products (NPs), some of which serve as drugs or drug leads. It encompasses the identification, extraction, characterization, and biological evaluation of compounds from plants, animals, and microorganisms. In this impulse lecture, I will share my passion for bioprospecting, bioactive molecules, and ethnopharmacology, which began in 1997. I will reflect on my nonlinear career path in pharmacognosy, emphasizing the value of interdisciplinary, curiosity-driven research. From the rainforests of Venezuela [ 1 ] to the politics of bioprospecting and the excitement of lab work, the journey has involved molecules, people, diseases, and emerging drug targets. I will describe my early, often naïve, experiences in drug discovery, particularly in neuropharmacology and the endocannabinoid system [ 2 ] [ 3 ]. This includes insights into translational research and the importance of start-ups and spin-offs in advancing drug development [ 4 ]. Our current research on medical cannabis and modulation of the endocannabinoid system exemplifies this approach. Despite growing research on NPs, successful NP-derived drug development remains rare, highlighting a translational gap in pharmacognosy ([ Fig. 1 ]). I will conclude with our lab’s ongoing work on Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi , which affects over six million people globally [ 5 ]. Developing drugs for the chronic stage of CD is highly challenging, yet pharmacognosy may offer solutions. Natural products have shown potent antiparasitic effects, and antichagasic NPs or plant extracts could help bridge the gap between basic research and viable therapies. Fig. 1 Despite the increasing number of scientists worldwide mentioning pharmacognosy in their papers the actual translation of natural product (NP) drug discovery is declining steadily Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany