Dr. Anna-Maria Keaveney
PhD, MSc (Primary Health Care), BSc Natural Science (Mod.), BSc (Herbal medicine)
Dr. Anna Maria Keaveney is a medical herbalist, academic, and researcher whose work connects the science of plant medicine with the clinical realities of integrative healthcare. Through her teaching at ICTIM, she brings rigorous scientific grounding and years of clinical experience to students building a foundation in herbal and integrative medicine.
Meet
Dr. Anna-Maria Keaveney
Dr. Anna-Maria Keaveney qualified as a Medical Herbalist from Middlesex University (UK) in 2000, following a four-year honours degree programme. She continues to practise as a Medical Herbalist and currently works from Seán Boylan's clinic in Dunboyne, Co. Meath — one of Ireland's most respected herbal medicine practitioners. She also lectures in a third-level educational institute.
Her academic background spans herbal medicine, natural sciences, and primary healthcare. She holds a BSc in Natural Sciences from Trinity College Dublin, specialising in genetics, biochemistry, and microbiology, and an MSc in Primary Health Care from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Her doctoral research focuses on the antimicrobial properties of herbs — an area that bridges traditional herbal knowledge with modern pharmacological investigation.
Anna Maria has been a central figure in the professional development of herbal medicine in Ireland for many years, having held the positions of Chair, Secretary, Educational Officer, and Treasurer of the Irish Institute of Medical Herbalists.
Areas of Expertise
Clinical Herbal Medicine
Practising medical herbalist with over two decades of clinical experience in herbal and integrative healthcare.
Pharmacology and Plant Science
Researching the antimicrobial and therapeutic properties of herbs, bridging traditional plant medicine with modern scientific investigation.
Integrative Medicine Education
Teaching students to apply scientific understanding to herbal practice, connecting biomedical knowledge with traditional therapeutic systems.
Professional Leadership
Supporting the development and recognition of herbal medicine as a professional discipline in Ireland through academic work, governance, and institutional leadership.
Teaching at ICTIM
At ICTIM, Dr. Anna Maria Keaveney contributes to teaching that grounds herbal medicine in both scientific rigour and clinical application. Her work is particularly relevant to students who want to understand how plant science, pharmacology, and traditional knowledge come together in professional practice.
Research, publications, and academic contribution
Anna Maria has contributed to peer-reviewed research and academic publishing in herbal medicine, with a particular focus on whole plant medicine, synergy, and the pharmacological properties of medicinal plants. Her doctoral research investigated the antimicrobial potential of herbs — work that sits at the intersection of traditional practice and contemporary pharmacological science.
Book chapters, with others
- Tassell, M., Keaveney, A.M.K., Kingston, R. et al. (2020) "Synergy in Whole Plant Medicine: Crataegus spp.: An Example" in M.B. Hossain, N.P. Brunton, D.K. Rai. (Eds.) Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants: Processing, Health Benefits and Safety. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 251–282.
- Book Chapter entitled Keaveney, et al. (2020) titled Approaches to Analytical Techniques – Characterizing Phytochemicals in Verbascum spp.
Conference posters presented
- 'Current practices in research on botanicals exemplified by Verbascum spp.' and 'Antimicrobial properties of Verbascum thapsus. Issues in research on botanicals'
International Association for Plant Biotechnology Congress (IAPB), August 2018 - 'Complexity: Another part of the puzzle in the standardization of testing methods to determine efficacy of natural products'
67th International Congress, Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA), 2019 - 'Exploring complexity in botanicals: a case study on the antimicrobial effects of Verbascum thapsus L.'
American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMAP). 10th Annual and 1st Virtual Conference, Journal of Medicinally Active Plants 10 (2 - Supplement). doi - 'A study on Verbascum thapsus using microbiological and phytochemical methodologies'
71st International Congress, Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA), Trinity College Dublin, 2023. Keaveney, et al. (2023) Planta Med: 89(14): 1365 10.1055/s-0043-1774084 here.
contact info
Anyone wishing to develop a greater knowledge of herbal medicine or interested in practicing should consider this course. Rosari and Anna-Maria's monthly webinars are inspiring, I am in awe of their love for all things herbal, their knowledge and empathy to students.
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