Kratom and Other Mitragynines: The Chemistry and Pharmacology of Opioids from a Non-Opium Source

Robert B. Raffa is a professor of pharmacology in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Temple University School of Pharmacy as well as a research professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Temple University School of Medicine. He has bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering and in physiological psychology, master's degrees in biomedical engineering and toxicology, and a doctorate in pharmacology. Dr. Raffa was co-leader for analgesics discovery at Johnson & Johnson and was pivotal in the elucidation of the mechanism of action and development of the analgesic drug tramadol (Ultram ). He is the co-holder of several patents, including the combination of tramadol plus acetaminophen (Ultracet ). He has published more than 280 scientific articles in peer-reviewd journals and is the co-author or editor of several books.