Department
Nutrition and Herbal Medicine
Programs I Teach
Herbal Product Design and Manufacture MS
Cannabis Science Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs
Education
- BA in English/Writing from George Mason University Ph.D. in the Chemical Ecology of Medicinal Plants from the University of Maryland,
- College Park Post-Doctoral Fellowship,
- National Institutes of Health/National Institutes of Standards and Technology
Biography
Dr. Michael (Bhodi) Tims grew up all over the planet – Bangkok, Hong Kong, Marburg Germany, Stockholm, Bucharest and Thessaloniki Greece. He got his start in herbal medicine as managing partner in a health food store in Old Town Alexandria, VA, where he also trained to become a clinical herbalist. His real passion emerged there – researching the chemical ecology and clinical efficacy of medicinal plants. Currently he is director of Herbal Product Design and Manufacture MS and the Cannabis Science Certificate programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH). He has broad herbal research experience in product and formulary development, clinical application, analytical method development, and the chemical ecology of medicinal plants. He has provided research mentorship for both students and junior faculty in the Herbal Product Design and Cannabis Science programs at Notre Dame University of Maryland. In additional, he is Vice-Chairperson Board of Directors, Verax Research Services, Inc., as well as the Scientific Advisor for Vitreon America, Inc. and Care Beyond Diagnosis directing cannabis and herbal product development for the cosmeceutical and supplement marketplace. He has also consulted with various companies: • Creating formulary for energy, relaxation and recovery. • Creating cannabis (hemp) and traditional herbal pain formulary. • Reviewing existing cannabis tincture and pet supplement line for effectiveness and safety. • Producing formulary for memory loss and arthritis in general practice patient populations. • Developing constitutional formulary using adaptogens and trophorestoratives to support human resilience and a return to hormonal balance. Previous research efforts included the following: • The role of lectins as signaling molecules in American Mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum). • The chemical ecology of Hydrastis canadensisrhizosphere and its effect on soil fungi. • Tissue culture experiments to differentiate plant tissue of Mistletoe and Goldenseal. • Enzymatic extraction and certification measurements of green tea (Camellia sinensis). • Developed analytical methods to evaluate economic adulteration of goldenseal. • Conducted both greenhouse fungal/plant interaction and goldenseal field collection trials. • Develop plant tissue culture methods for American Mistletoe and Goldenseal. • Used ELISA methods to conduction detection of mycotoxins in plant root extracts. His awards include: 1. Faculty Excellence and Innovation in Service Award: Maryland University of Integrative Health, 2021. 2. Research and Scholarship Award: Maryland University of Integrative Health, 2017. 3. Grant: Emerson Ecologics, Expanding MUIH Herbal Dispensary Services to Support GMP Education of New Herbalists and Smaller Herbal Manufacturers, 2015. 4. Grant: McCormick Science Institute, The effect of flavorings on the perceived digestive responses to the consumption of vegetable-based foods: a pilot study, 2013. 5. Fellowship: Paul Peck Humanities Institute's Smithsonian, 2011. 6. Postdoctoral Fellowship: National Institute of Standards and Technology and National Institutes of Health, Botanical Standard Reference Material, 2006-2009. 7. Lilly-East Fellowship: Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Maryland, 2006. Dr. Tims has published numerous poems in journals as well as his poetry manuscript, The Acoustic Property of Ancient People, with Finishing Line Press.
Publications and Presentations
Select Peer Reviewed Journal Articles • Tims, M, Betz, J.A. and Courie, J. (2025) Using Chemical Ecology to Influence Cannabis Trichome Development and Differentiation of Clinically Relevant Phytochemical Profiles. Journal of Chemical Ecology, Accepted. • Dolan, K., Courie, J. and Tims, M. (2025) The Therapeutic Potential of Topically Applied Essential Oils in Preventing or Treating Early Borrelia burgdorferi Infection: A Review. Planta Medica, Accepted. • Johnson, H.E., Amarillas, C., Bzhelyansky, A., Jennens, M., Krepich, S., Kuszak, A., Monagas, M., Parisi, S., Reif, K., Rimmer, C.A., Stewart, J., Szpylka, J., Tims, M.C., Van Breemen, R., Zhao, H., Coates, G. (2018) Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®) 2018.006: Determination of Select Flavonoids from Skullcap. Journal of AOAC International. 101(4): 1261-1265. • Dentali, S.J., Amarillas, C., Blythe, T., Brown, P.N., Bzhelyansky, A., Johnson, H.E., Krepich, S., Kuszak, A. Metcalfe, C. Monagas, M., Mudge, E., Parisi, S., Reif, K., Rimmer, C.A., Sasser, M., Solyom, A.M., Stewart, J., Szpylka, J., Tims, M.C., Van Breemen, R., You, H., Zhao, H., Zielinski, G., Coates, S.G. (2018) Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs®) 2018.005: Determination of Kavalactones and/or Flavokavains from Kava (Piper methysticum). Journal of AOAC International. 101(4): 1256-1260. • Tims, M. (2016) Putting the Cart before the Horse: Toward the Appropriate Use of DNA Methods for Quality Assurance in the Herbal Supplement Industry. J. Comp. Alt. Med. 22(8):1-3. • Tims, M. (2016) Botanical Adulterants Program (BAP) Bulletin on Adulteration of Hydrastis canadensis roots. Austin, TX: ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program. • Sander, L.C., Sharpless, K.E., Wise, S.A., Bedner, M., Tims, M.C., Lieberman, R., Long, S.E., Wood, L.J., Porter, B., Day, R.D., Christopher, S.J., Molloy, J.L., Murphy, K.E., Lang, B.E., Yen, J.H., Nguyen Pho, A., Roman, M.C., Payne, M., Betz, J.M. (2011) Development and Certification of Green Tea-Containing Standard Reference Materials, Analytical Chemistry, 402:1, pp. 473-487. • Tims M. and Bautista C., (2007) Effects of Root Isoquinoline Alkaloids from Hydrastis canadensis on Fusarium oxysporum isolated from Hydrastis Root Tissue, Journal of Chemical Ecology, 33:1449–1455. Student Mentored Research Posters • Givens, J., Meredith, S., Folawiyo, O., Palacios, W., Tims, M. (2019) Low-Cost Microbial Testing Method for Botanicals Research Design. Maryland University of Integrative Health Research Symposium, Laurel, MD. • Lamoreaux, Pengelly, A. and Tims, M. (2017) Low-cost Organoleptic Testing of Botanicals for Small Herbal Businesses: Design and Rationale. Maryland University of Integrative Health Research Symposium, Laurel, MD. Research Book • Tims, M.C. (2008) The Chemical Ecology of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L., Ranunculaceae): How medicinal plants roots control the microbial communities in their rhizosphere. VDM Verlag, Saarbracken Germany. Book Chapter • Tims, M. (2020) How Spices Create Flavor. In B. Clare, Spice Apothecary: Blending and Using Common Spices for Everyday Health (pp.28-29). Storey Publishing. Select Invited Research Talks • Combining Herbal and Cannabis Products to Boost Resilience. 2022 Cannabis Science Conference East, Baltimore, MD. • What Trichomes Can Tell Us About Rewilding the Production of Cannabis. 2021 Analytical Cannabis Conference on the Science of Cannabis Cultivation. Virtual. • There’s a Party Going On: How Chemical Ecology Can Improve Cannabis Production. 2021 Cannabis Science Conference East, Baltimore, MD. • Can Chemical Ecology Help Find Effective Herbal Medicine? 2017 International Conference on the Science of Botanicals, National Center for Natural Products Research, Oxford, MS. • Awardee Lecture: Design, development and development of two student-assisted research studies, 2017 MUIH Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award, Laurel MD.
Professional Affiliations and Membership
Review and Editing: • Grants Reviewer, American Herbal Product Association Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals (AHPA ERB Foundation), 2018-present. • Review Board, The Scholarly Teacher, 2022-present. • Contributing Editor, CBD Health & Wellness, 2022-2023. • Stakeholder Panels, Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) Dietary Supplements Working Groups for 1) trans kava, 2) skullcap and 3) cannabis, 2017-present. • Journal Reviewer, The Journal of the AOAC International, 2018-present. • Journal Reviewer, Journal of Natural Products, 2016-present. • Journal Reviewer, BIOS: A Quarterly Journal of Biology, 2010-present. • Journal Reviewer, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2020-present. • Journal Reviewer, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2016-2021. • Journal Reviewer, Phytochemical Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2006-2009. • Editorial Board, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2016-2018. • Grant Reviewer, U.S. Egypt Joint Science & Technology Fund, USAID, Washington DC, 2007. • Medicinal Plant Book Reviewer for Taylor and Francis Publishers, London, 2007. Leadership Activities: • Botanical Safety Consortium, Chemical Analysis Group • NSF International Joint Committee on Dietary Supplements. • American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Analytical Advisory Committee. • American Botanical Council (ABC), Advisory Board. • American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) Committees - Analytical Laboratories. Botanical Raw Materials, Cannabis, and Artificial Intelligence • AOAC International Cannabis Analytical Science Program Committees - Microbial Contaminants and Food Matrix Analysis. • Hyattstown Mill Arts Project, Board of Directors, 2010-present. • Town Planning Commission, Poolesville, MD, 2015-2020. Membership Professional Organizations: • International Cannabis Research Society. • International Society for Chemical Ecology. • American Society of Pharmacognosy. • Eastern Shore Writers Association.