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Dr. Pendry, Barbara

Contact details

Position: Programme Leader and Senior Lecturer Herbal Medicine

Location: AE 5.29, Stratford Campus

Telephone: 0208 223 4586

Email: b.pendry@uel.ac.uk

Contact address:

School of Health, Sport and Bioscience
University of East London
Stratford Campus
Romford Road
London E15 4LZ

Brief biography

Dr Pendry is a Herbal Medicine Practitioner with a PhD in Phytotherapy involving the investigation and identification of antioxidant activity in a small selection of medicinal plants traditionally used in the treatment of chronic age-related diseases. Her particular interest in the treatment of Cancer with Complementary therapies and mental health has evolved from her previous work as a practitioner with Barnet Cancer Care and as a Mental Health Act Manager for Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust.  She has responsibility for the development and leadership of the new blended learning BSc in Herbal Medicine and public access Herbal Medicine clinic at UEL.

Dr Pendry is a member of the Medicines Research Group at UEL whose current focus is on the quality and efficacy of herbal medicines.  The BSc Herbal Medicine is a specialised award programme accredited by the Professional Body NIMH (National Institure of Medical Herbalists) for whom she is currently Director of Research.

She is Editor-In Chief of the Journal of Herbal Medicine

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Activities and responsibilities

All aspects of the development and running of the new blended learning BSc in Herbal Medicine, development of the Herbal Medicine clinic and herbal medicine research in conjunction with the Medicines Research Group.

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Areas of Interest/Summary of Expertise

  • Antioxidant activity of Medicinal plants particularly in relation to their propensity to inhibit lipid peroxidation.
  • Analysis of Herbal Medicines and plant materials in regard to quality control, efficacy and safety
  • Materia Medica and Herbal therapeutics
  • Botanical treatment of Cancer
  • Mental Health - psychiatric disorders and the pharmacological treatment of mental illness.

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Teaching: Programmes

  • BSc Herbal Medicine
  • BSc Acupuncture
  • BSc Biomedical Science
  • BSc Pharmacology
  • Extended degree

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Current research and publications

  • Pendry, B, Busia K, Bell CM. (2005) ‘Phytochemical evaluation of selected antioxidant-containing medicinal plants for use in the preparation of a herbal formula- a preliminary study’ Chemistry and Biodiversity, vol. 2, p 917-922
  • Pendry, B, Busia K, Bell CM. (2006) ‘Phytochemical analysis of the antioxidant properties of Silybum marianum L’ Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine 6(3), 167-173.
  • Sanchez-Medina, A., Etheridge, C., Hawkes, G.E., Hylands, P.J., Pendry, B.A., Hughes, M.J., Corcoran, O. (2007). ‘Comparison of rosmarinic acid content in commercial tinctures produced from fresh and dried lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis). Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 10(4): 455-463.
  • Jiayo Gao, Alberto Sanchez-Medina, Barbara A. Pendry, Michael J. Hughes, Geoffrey P. Webb and Olivia Corcoran. (2008). ‘Validation of a HPLC method for flavonoid biomarkers in skullcap (Scutellaria) and its use to illustrate wide variability in the quality of commercial tinctures.  Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science 11(1): 77-87.

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Other scholarly activities

  • Member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists
  • Member of the British Association of Occupational Therapists
  • External Examiner for the University of Bedfordshire (Foundation degree complementary therapy)
  • Member of the MHRA's 'Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee'

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