What are the major publications and peer-reviewed studies authored by Dr Paul Cox?
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Dr. Paul Alan Cox is a prolific ethnobotanist and researcher credited in sources with "over 180" to "over 250" scientific papers, reviews and books; he also founded the Institute for Ethnomedicine and Brain Chemistry Labs and has led studies linking environmental toxins and dietary interventions to neurodegenerative disease outcomes [1] [2] [3] [4]. Public profiles (University pages, ResearchGate, Google Scholar) list dozens of recent peer‑reviewed articles and ongoing collaborations across materials chemistry, controlled release and neurodegenerative disease research, but available sources do not provide a single, authoritative, fully enumerated bibliography of his major publications [5] [6] [7] [8].
1. Who is Paul Alan Cox — a quick portrait
Multiple institutional biographies describe Cox as an ethnobotanist with formal training at BYU and Harvard, longtime director roles (National Tropical Botanical Garden, Institute for Ethnomedicine/Brain Chemistry Labs), and international recognition including a TIME “Heroes of Medicine” mention; those profiles also state he has authored hundreds of papers and several books [3] [1] [2] [9].
2. Counts and claims vary across sources
Different profiles list different totals: a BYU‑affiliated page and the Religious Studies Center say "over 180" papers [1]; Wikipedia (updated Aug 2025) claims "over 250" scientific papers, reviews and books [2]; a Western Kentucky University news item and Brain Chemistry Labs biographies likewise cite "over 200" in some contexts [9] [3]. The discrepancy reflects differing update dates and aggregation methods across institutional pages [1] [2].
3. Representative peer‑reviewed studies and themes
Sources repeatedly highlight Cox’s work on ethnobotanical drug discovery and links between environmental toxins/diet and neurodegenerative disease. For example, Brain Chemistry Labs and local reporting cite a Proceedings B paper on “Dietary exposure to an environmental toxin triggers neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain,” an animal model study Cox led [4] [3]. Other listed collaborations span diverse journals, with co‑authored articles in Journal of Controlled Release and Journal of Materials Chemistry B noted on university research portals [8] [5].
4. Recent and institutional publication listings
University research portals (University of Portsmouth, Bath, Google Scholar snapshots) show Cox as a co‑author on multiple 2024–2025 peer‑reviewed articles — including materials and physical‑science collaborations published or listed as early online — indicating interdisciplinary work beyond classical ethnobotany [5] [10] [8] [6]. Those pages list specific article titles and journal names but do not present a single curated “major works” list [5] [10].
5. Clinical and translational claims tied to specific studies
Organizations promoting Cox’s research — Brain Chemistry Labs and allied groups — emphasize translational outcomes: L‑serine trials (15 g twice daily) reported slowed functional decline in ALS in an unnamed human trial, and preclinical L‑serine work showed slowed plaque/tangle formation in primate cells, material that is highlighted in a Gulf Coast or gardening association writeup and organizational press material [11]. These are organization‑reported results; the sources summarize outcomes but do not provide full clinical trial registry entries or direct journal citations in the excerpts [11].
6. Books, editorial roles and broader influence
Cox has co‑authored books such as Plants, People, and Culture (with Michael Balick) and is credited with leadership roles in societies (Society for Economic Botany, International Society for Ethnopharmacology) per several profiles; Routledge and publisher pages list selected peer‑reviewed co‑authored articles and book chapters tied to cyanobacterial toxin research and ethnobotany [7] [2].
7. Limits of the available record and next steps for verification
Available sources give strong directional evidence of Cox’s high output and several specific studies (e.g., Proceedings B toxin model; L‑serine clinical reporting), but they do not provide a single, vetted list of "major publications" with bibliographic details in the provided snippets. For a fully sourced bibliography, consult indexed databases (PubMed, Web of Science), Cox’s institutional CV, or his Google Scholar profile [6] [5]. Available sources do not mention a complete bibliography compiled in one place [6] [5].
8. Competing viewpoints and potential agendas
Institutional and organizational profiles emphasize impact and translational success (Brain Chemistry Labs, institute press), while tertiary sources (Wikipedia, university pages) aggregate counts and career milestones; promotional materials may accentuate clinical promise (L‑serine results) without reproducing full peer‑reviewed trial papers in the excerpts provided [11] [2]. Readers should weigh organizational claims against primary journal publications and registries [11].
If you want, I can extract a list of specific peer‑reviewed articles and books named in the cited pages and assemble a working bibliography from those source pages (requires permission to follow their links and fetch detailed references).