An Exclusive Interview with Prof. Dr. Başer: A Journey in Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plant Research

In this insightful interview, we explore the remarkable career of Prof. Dr. Başer, a distinguished scientist known for his contributions to pharmacognosy and the research of medicinal and aromatic plants. From his early academic endeavors to the establishment of pioneering research centers, Prof. Dr. Başer’s work has had a significant impact on the scientific community. He shares with us the key milestones in his journey, the challenges he has faced, and his advice for the next generation of researchers. Let’s begin by exploring how his path in science started.

 

How did your scientific journey begin, and what were the key factors that directed you towards this research field?

While studying at the Eskişehir Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences, School of Pharmacy (now Anadolu University Faculty of Pharmacy), I had already set my mind on becoming an assistant in the Pharmacognosy department, which deals with the medicinal raw materials produced by medicinal and aromatic plants, by my third year.” I began collecting and preserving herbarium samples of plants I gathered from nature. This herbarium, which started with those early samples, now constitutes the ESSE Herbarium at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Anadolu University, with more than 15,000 plant samples. After graduating in 1972 as the top student (my diploma number is 1), I started as an assistant in the Pharmacognosy department.

 

In 1973, I passed the exam at Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy, and earned a scholarship from the Ministry of Education under law number 1416, granting me the right to pursue a PhD abroad. Between 1974 and 1978, I completed my PhD at the University of London, Chelsea College (now King’s College), in the Department of Pharmacognosy, and returned to Turkey, continuing my academic career in Eskişehir until my early retirement in 2011.

 

 

“We established a 2,600-square-meter research center at Anadolu University, equipped with all research facilities and staffed with project personnel and technicians.”

 

What was the biggest scientific challenge you faced during your career, and how did you overcome it?

When I completed my PhD study and arrived in Eskişehir in 1978, there were no research opportunities at the School of Pharmacy from which I graduated, the EİTİA (Eskişehir Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences). Therefore, I began to create research opportunities through a TÜBİTAK project. The Academy’s Presidency and the Ministry provided no support for research. As a result, I sought to establish a research institute and secure external support. In 1980, I founded the Medicinal Plants Research Institute [which later became the Center (TBAM) after the Higher Education Council (YÖK) was established], and I sent over 200 letters to various organizations around the world. Some responded with support, but it was insufficient. The most promising response came from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which informed me that they had a program on medicinal and aromatic plants and provided support to developing countries in this field, but they could not accept individual applications. They stated that if we applied through our government, they would be able to help. We applied to the State Planning Organization, and thus began our adventure with UNIDO.

 

UNIDO first sent an expert (by happy coincidence, the expert was my doctoral advisor from London). Together, we prepared a project that was accepted, approved by a tripartite decree, and published in the Official Gazette, coming into effect under the name “Production of Pharmaceutical Raw Materials from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,” and I was appointed as the National Project Coordinator. Through this project and the second phase, which we renewed five years later, we established a research center at Eskişehir Anadolu University with a closed area of 2,600 square meters, equipped with all kinds of research facilities, staffed with project personnel and technicians to meet the personnel needs.

 

Since our project was found to be very successful by UNIDO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), between 1988 and 1997, we organized group training programs each year for 10 people selected from developing countries. The program, titled “Training on the Utilization of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Pharmaceutical and Related Industries (TRUMAP),” lasted for three weeks, and we trained 100 people from 40 countries across 10 programs. In addition, we conducted two SIS (Special Industrial Services) projects and three State Planning Organization (DPT) projects with UNIDO’s support.

 

I served as the Director of TBAM from 1980 to 2002. In 2002, the university administration suddenly changed the center’s name and status, taking away all our research capabilities. Until that time, TBAM had produced over 400 scientific publications, and 87 individuals had completed their doctoral or master’s theses using TBAM’s resources. Along with our team, we moved to the Department of Pharmacognosy at the Faculty of Pharmacy. By 2011, we had reestablished all the analytical capabilities in the department through new projects we created and secured. Although I have since retired, my students and project colleagues, all of whom are now professors, remain the faculty members with the highest number of publications at Anadolu University.

 

“I have maintained the title of the most published scientist at both my university and in the TRNC (apart from CERN).”

 

Can you tell us about the projects you are currently working on or your future research goals?

Since 2016, I have been working as a faculty member at Near East University in the TRNC. We are conducting research on aromatic plants with essential oils in Cyprus. Thanks to the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) system, which facilitates our research, we are publishing papers and equipping our undergraduate and graduate students with new scientific knowledge. Since 2016, I have maintained the title of the most published scientist at both my university and in the TRNC (apart from CERN).

 

“Every profession brings success when combined with passion and knowledge.”

 

What are your most important pieces of advice for young researchers and students looking to advance in their scientific careers?

Every profession brings success when it is forged with passion and knowledge. An academic is someone who combines their professional passion with knowledge, research, and teaching skills. Therefore, their role requires more responsibility and diligence compared to other professions. They are tasked with preparing the professionals of the future in the best way possible, and to do this, they must generate knowledge, compile existing knowledge, and convey it in the best possible way.

 

 

An academic should be someone who sets an example through their knowledge, demeanor, and behavior; someone who impresses everyone with their continuous self-renewal, inspires confidence in their students and those around them, and is respected and knowledgeable. They should be a person of ideas, capable of generating new ideas and projects and possessing the determination and skill to bring them to life. They should work with the best scientists in their field, be a good team player, and display a creative, innovative, and productive researcher profile, capable of building their team and successfully concluding their projects.

 

Their research should focus on solving problems, particularly addressing regional and national issues by developing strategies that align with their societal responsibilities. They must have a curious, inquisitive, and analytical mind, constantly seeking solutions to problems by following scientific meetings, published articles, and books to stay updated on the latest developments in their field. Through their articles, conference presentations, and books, they not only contribute to the advancement of their profession and science but also share the knowledge they produce with their students and society, raising well-educated and equipped scientists who are the guarantee of a bright future for the profession. At the same time, they should serve as a thought leader, enlightening and raising awareness in society on various issues.

However, being a good researcher requires more than just these qualities. Above all, they must possess strong ethics and a solid character. They should have an interest in the fine arts, utilizing the intellectual and creative gains brought by music, painting, and/or literature for the advancement of their profession. Pure research alone makes one a good technician, but creativity is essential to being a scientist. The ideal is to become someone who is ‘followed,’ not ‘following,’ by putting forth new theories and developing new methods. The main goal should be to achieve successes that provide concrete contributions to science.

 

Researchers who work harmoniously and amicably with their team members have already met half of the conditions necessary for success. A peaceful working environment is as important as working in a fully equipped laboratory. Being able to work in an environment where every stage of research and its results can be freely discussed is the greatest opportunity for a researcher.

 

Research managers who consistently encourage and honor their students and colleagues will get the maximum productivity from their team. If we take pharmacy as an example, the resources and opportunities available to pharmacists for developing new drugs are vast. The entire natural world is at the service of science. Unveiling the secrets of nature, a product of billions of years of genius, is only possible through scientific research. To achieve this, one must ask the right questions, seek and find the right solutions. Accelerating the solution is possible through collaborative research. A good researcher must be careful, patient, and perpetually skeptical.

 

It is impossible for a diligent and disciplined researcher who respects their peers, nature, and profession to fail in the long term. Working with good mentors and researchers makes it easier to succeed and helps the researcher mature more quickly. Good researchers share their knowledge, as knowledge, like love, grows and multiplies when shared. In fact, a successful academic is someone who shares his/her knowledge with students in the best way possible.

 

“My publications have received 42,929 citations, with an H-index of 93 and an i10-index of 686”

 

How do you assess the impact of your research on society and the real-world applications of your scientific findings?

I have published 893 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, 206 in national journals, 142 in conference proceedings, and contributed to 62 books and book chapters, amounting to a total of 1,303 scientific publications. My 641 articles recorded in Web of Science have been cited 15,470 times, and my H-index is 56. According to Google Scholar, my publications have received 42,929 citations, with an H-index of 93 and an i10-index of 686. I have presented 1,065 papers at 319 conferences and organized over 50 national and international congresses. I have been awarded numerous honors, including the 1995 Distinguished Service Medal of the International Federation of Essential Oils and Aroma Trades (IFEAT) and the 2023 ISEO Medal at the International Symposium on Essential Oils.

I have also received multiple academic awards, including the Best Academic Award (2004), the Rotary 100th Year Special Career Achievement Award (2005), and the Science Award from the Turkish Pharmacists Association (TEB) in 2005. The numerous awards I have received, including the TÜBİTAK Science Award (2005), the ISHS Medal from the International Society for Horticultural Science (2014), and several awards from Near East University, show the recognition of my research and publications both nationally and internationally.

The second edition of the International Handbook of Essential Oils, which I edited and was published by Taylor and Francis, was awarded the James A. Duke Excellence in Botanical Literature Award by the American Botanical Council (ABC) in 2017. You can access my resume at www.khcbaser.com and various articles on my blog at www.khcbaser.wordpress.com.

 

Photo 1. Prof. Dr. Başer during his student years at Eskişehir HASTAŞ Private School of Pharmacy, 1970.

Photo 2. Prof. Dr. Başer during his PhD study at the Pharmacognosy Research Laboratories of Chelsea College, University of London, 1975 (From left to right: Rob Verpoorte, Pranab Kumar Lala, myself, and my supervisor Prof. Dr. Norman G. Bisset)

Plenary presentation at the CMAPSEEC Symposium on October 17, 2024, in Izmir.

2023 ISEO Medal Recipients

Receiving the ISEO 2023 Medal at the International Symposium on Essential Oils in Milazzo, Italy

 

Plants named after Prof. Dr. Başer

Prof. Dr. Başer at Kruger Park Conference