Q. Is the Institute for Ethnomedicine a for-profit company?
A. No, the Institute is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charity focused on scientific research.
Q. How is the Institute funded?
A. The research conducted by the Institute is funded from medical research foundations and individual donors.
Q. How was the Institute formed?
A. The Institute was founded by a set of trustees and the former director of the Congressionally- chartered National Tropical Botanical Garden. The Institute continues research begun in the garden.
Q. Why is the Institute based in Jackson Hole?
A. Jackson Hole is a remarkable community that encourages and cultivates the arts and sciences. Environmental conservation, respect for indigenous cultures, and a focus on exploration are values treasured by the valley. Jackson Hole has probably the world’s greatest concentration of MDs and PhDs who are expert climbers, extreme skiers, and white-water river specialists. Such outdoor skills in trained investigators are useful for the Institute’s ethnobotanical expeditions.
Q. What is the BMAA hypothesis?
A. We hypothesize that sporadic ALS and some other forms of progressive neurodegenerative illness may be triggered by environmental toxins in genetically vulnerable individuals. We are currently investigating an unusual amino acid, BMAA, which is found in the diet of villagers in remote areas that have high levels of neurodegenerative illness, as a possible trigger for an ALS-like disease called ALS/PDC.
Q. What is the status of the BMAA hypothesis?
A. The BMAA hypothesis is far from proven, and so “the jury is still out.” Other competing hypotheses focus on purely genetic causes, or on alternative toxins. However, our preliminary data are sufficiently compelling for us to actively continue research.
Q. Does the Institute offer courses?
A. We currently teach in courses for physicians and college professors offered by the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Florida and Hawaii. We are considering offering a masters course in ethnobotany in the future.
