Dr. Cassandra Quave: The Plant Hunter
Dr. Cassandra Quave is a scientist, a professor, and a parent on a mission to find new medicines in nature. She’s an ethnobotanist, which means she studies how people around the world use plants for healing. As a professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University, she leads a team that investigates the chemistry of these plants to find new drugs for skin infections and inflammation.
Battling Superbugs with Nature
Dr. Quave is fighting one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine: antibiotic resistance. This happens when bacteria evolve and our current drugs, or antibiotics, stop working—creating “superbugs.” To tackle this threat, Dr. Quave looks to plants for powerful molecules that can treat infections that antibiotics can no longer handle, especially those on the skin, like infected wounds and eczema.
Her mission isn’t just academic – it’s personal. Dr. Quave has dealt with serious health issues since childhood, including severe infections and chronic pain. Born with bone problems, she had a leg amputated at age three and learned firsthand how important good medicine is. This experience as a patient inspired her scientific path: discovering the medicines that doctors could use to save and improve lives.
From the Amazon to a Scientific Career
Dr. Quave’s career took a decisive turn when she was 21. While dreaming of becoming a doctor, she spent three months in the Amazon Rainforest, working with a local healer. Seeing the power of natural medicine in action convinced her to change her goal. Instead of becoming a healer herself, she chose to become the person who finds the new medicines.
Her research often takes her to challenging places, from remote mountains to dense jungles. As a scientist with physical challenges, she finds creative solutions to travel barriers—like trading a hike for a canoe trip! She also overcame challenges earlier in life. Growing up in a small town with few educational resources, she found her passion through science fair, which gave her the chance to travel, compete, and meet other students interested in science.
Bringing Discoveries to People
Today, Dr. Quave is excited about her work to bring her discoveries to the public. She’s currently focused on launching companies to develop her plant-based patents into actual medicines, including a promising treatment for eczema. She knows the process is tough and requires hearing “no” many times, but because she believes in her mission, she persists.
Most of all, Dr. Quave loves sharing the excitement of science, whether she’s teaching students, hosting her podcast Foodie Pharmacology, or meeting other inspiring explorers. Her advice for her younger self? Stay curious. Trust that your life path will have twists and turns, but those challenges are necessary to make the big breakthroughs and joys possible.
