The Science Team

Haru Amagase, Ph.D. - Chief Scientific Officer

With a rich history in the nutraceutical industry, Dr. Haru Amagase holds a doctorate in pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences from Hiroshima University in Japan, and performed post-doctoral fellowship in nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. He has more than 25 years of experience in Research and Development, has published more than 30 scientific papers, and holds 12 patents. His insight and vast experience in nutraceutical product research will support FreeLife’s global efforts to share the powerful benefits of the unique polysaccharides in GoChi and Himalayan Goji Juice with the world.

“I am honored to be a part of FreeLife’s Science Team. During my 25 years of experience with Research and Development, I have never come across another natural product that comes close to delivering comprehensive health benefits like GoChi does.”

Rick Handel - Chief Product Officer

As a frequent speaker at FreeLife events, Rick Handel’s reputation as a goji expert precedes him. He has more than 30 years of experience in research and dietary supplement product formulation and he holds eight U.S. and international patents. He has dedicated his career to bringing new discoveries in nutritional science to light, and he has been instrumental in helping introduce GoChi™ and Himalayan Goji^® Juice to the world.

"As Chief Product Officer, I will dedicate myself to keeping FreeLife at the forefront of goji research."

Carmia Borek, Ph.D. - Tufts University

As an antioxidant expert, Dr. Carmia Borek is a graduate of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel with a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology. Prior to that, Dr. Borek received a M.S. and B.S. degree in physiology from George Washington University. She has been published in over 300 scientific publications and has been the editor of several books in medicine and biology. Additionally, Dr. Borek is the author of over 80 educational and popular articles in the fields of diet and health, of which the most notable is titled, Maximize Your Health-Span with Antioxidants, a science-based book for the non-scientist.

Dr. Borek is currently a Professor of Community Health and Family Medicine/Nutrition and Infectious Disease Unit at Tufts University School of Medicine. She also serves as a consultant and on advisory committees for the food (nutraceuticals, health supplements, antioxidants disease prevention and control) and drug industry.

Julie Hazel Campbell, Ph.D., AO, FAA - University of Queensland

An expert in cardiovascular disease, Dr. Julie Hazel Campbell received a doctorate in neurology from the University of Melbourne. Prior to that, Dr. Campbell received a bachelor’s degree in physiology from the University of New South Wales. She has published over 210 publications, and she is the co-author of four books on cardiac muscle, vascular smooth muscle, and tissue engineering of the arteries. She is also the author of Grow-your-own Designer Blood Vessels. Dr. Campbell is the recipient of a number of professional awards and honors, including The Queensland Businesswoman of the Year 2007 (Public and Not for Profit category), an officer for the Order of Australia in the General Division, as well as the Queensland Greats Award. Dr. Campbell serves as a member of the Executive Committee and Council, as well as the Secretary of Education and Public Awareness for the Australian Academy of Science.

Dr. Campbell is currently a professor and director of the Center for Research in Vascular Biology at the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland. She also serves as the director of the Wesley Research Institute at the Wesley Hospital and as a senior principle research fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D. - University of Illinois at Chicago

Dr. Norman R. Farnsworth has been a pioneer in the development of collaborative research efforts in pharmacognosy throughout his career. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a doctorate in pharmacognosy, Dr. Farnsworth also earned an M.S. degree in pharmacy (microbiology) and a B.S. degree in pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. His original research publications number over 500 and have established him as a botanicals expert in both the national and international communities. He has been a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Advisory Panel on Traditional Medicine since 1979, and also serves as the director of the UIC/NIH (National Institutes of Health) Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research.

Currently, Dr. Farnsworth serves as a research professor of pharmacognosy, distinguished university professor and director of the program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

Dwight M. Nance, Ph.D. - University of California, Irvine

As an expert immunologist, Dr. Dwight M. Nance is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a doctorate in psychology. Prior to that, he received a M.S. and a B.S. degree in psychology from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Nance has published over 120 articles and conducted several presentations throughout the years. He was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is affiliated with the Society for Neuroscience, the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, and the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society.

Currently, Dr. Nance is a professor at the University of California at Irvine, in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine. He also serves as a senior scholar at the University of Manitoba in the departments of Pathology, Physiology, Psychology, Anatomy, and Immunology.

Vivienne Elizabeth Reeve, Ph.D. - The University of Sydney

An expert in photoimmunological research, Dr. Vivienne Reeve received her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Sydney. Prior to that, Dr. Reeve received a B.S. degree in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Sydney. As a chief investigator, Dr. Reeve holds or has requested nine research grants, on such topics as photoimmunosuppression, photoprotection, and photocarcinogenesis. She has also published multiple articles – six alone in 2007 – as well as one other currently in press. Recently, Dr. Reeve has been recognized for pioneering and sustaining research into the immunological significance of the UVA waveband and has initiated scientific dialogue concerning future photoprotection and sunscreen design for humans. The significance lies not only in the pro-oxidant milieu created in the skin by the UVA waveband that stimulates natural antioxidant defenses, including GPX and HO, but also in previously unrecognized steroid hormone and cytokine regulatory mediators.

Since 1989, Dr. Reeve has served as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, and became a Principal Research Fellow there in 2007. She serves as a member of the Sunscreen Committee for the American Society for Photobiology, and is the associate editor for the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology and for Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences.

Richard S. Rivlin, M.D. - Weill Cornell Medical College

An expert in clinical nutrition, endocrinology, and internal medicine, Dr. Richard Rivlin received his medical doctorate from Harvard Medical School. Prior to that, Dr. Rivlin received a bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard College. As a clinical-scientist, he has written over 160 research articles and is the author or editor of six books and symposia relating to nutrition and cancer prevention, vitamin metabolism, and thyroid hormone action. As a physician, he treats patients with a wide variety of nutritional disorders, emphasizing the role of nutrition in disease prevention and control - particularly cancer. Dr. Rivlin is the recipient of a number of professional awards and honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Nutrition, membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (an honorary society), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Rivlin is currently a professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He also serves as the Director for the Nutrition Program at the Strang Cancer Prevention Center. Since 1980, Dr. Rivlin has served as Principal Investigator of the NCI-funded Clinical Nutrition Research Unit at Strang, one of only two such grant programs in the United States. Additionally, he served for 11 years as Chief of Nutrition Service at Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.