Dr. John Clark
University of Washington – School of Medicine
Friday, November 13, 2026
12:00 Noon
Meyerhoff Chemistry BuildingRoom 120
Host: Dr. Kamal Seneviratne
“Unearthing pharmacokinetic risks of botanical natural product-drug interactions”
Pharmacokinetics is an important determinant of drug effects. When something interferes with the normal absorption, metabolism, distribution, and/or excretion of a drug it can increase the risk of toxicity or cause sub-therapeutic concentrations. There are many factors that can impact pharmacokinetics, including dietary choices. Research in my lab investigates cogent scenarios where dietary supplements or food/beverages may interfere with medication pharmacokinetics. These interactions may occur during intestinal absorption (e.g.,, drug solubility), metabolism (e.g., enzyme induction or inhibition), distribution (e.g., transporter inhibition), or excretion (e.g., enzyme induction or inhibition and transporter inhibition). Examples of ongoing research will be presented that demonstrate specific natural product-drug interaction risks and that highlight the importance of understanding drug liabilities for these interactions.