Michael Tims received his Bachelor of Arts in English/Writing from George Mason University in 1983. A comprehensive portfolio of learning/teaching followed working on medicinal plants, including positions as managing partner of Cash Grocer Natural Foods and clinical herbalist in Alexandria, VA, academic research focused on the ecological role played by important plant medicinal compounds in plant/plant and fungal/plant interactions. Dr. Tims collaborated with federal regulators providing medicinal plants toxicity assessment and research support for the development of botanical analytical method development; he co-developed HerbMed, an interactive, electronic herbal database providing access to the scientific data on the use of herbs for health; and he completed a NIH/NIST postdoctoral fellowship developing botanical Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). Dr. Tims has also taught various classes in plant biology at the University of Maryland and Montgomery College, where he currently teaches. He also created a science education/writing business, Radix Medicina, working with herbal supplement manufacturers, researchers and regulators to write about 1) botanical and chemical standardization practices; 2) the chemical ecology and conservation of endangered medicinal plants; 3) and the use of sustainable approaches to integrating medicinal plant farming into traditional farm practices. Dr. Tims also provides design support for analytical methods development and field experiments for the herbal products industry.