Jerry McLaughlin, Ph.D., is the former (now retired) Vice President of R&D/QA and Chief Scientific Officer for Nature's Sunshine. He earned his bachelor"s, master"s, and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan. During 34 years of professorial service, his research group produced over 330 scientific papers, 34 masters and doctoral graduates, 50 visiting scientists and post-doctoral associates, eight patents, and over $5,000,000 in research grants and contracts.

Dr. McLaughlin is professor emeritus of pharmacognosy in Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Science, but says he was glad to leave Purdue to become a part of Nature's Sunshine Products' science team in part because because at NSP's Science Department he would have access to scientific equipment that was not available to him at Purdue.

He has been studying compounds in the bark of the pawpaw tree for more than 25 years.