📅 Wednesday 20th May 2026 | 🕐 13:00–14:00
🔗 Click here to join the meeting on MS Teams
Dr. Jamila La Malfa-Donaldson is a researcher at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, where her doctoral research explored the untapped potential of industrial hemp grown in mid-Wales. Her work developed novel analytical, cultivation, and processing methods to extract valuable therapeutic compounds, including cannabinoids and flavonoids, from hemp plant material that is currently classified as waste under UK regulations. Her findings demonstrate that industrial hemp is well-suited to Welsh growing conditions and that regulatory reform could unlock significant economic opportunities for local farmers and rural communities.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jamila La Malfa-Donaldson is a hemp researcher and entrepreneur with a PhD from Aberystwyth University’s IBERS. Her doctoral research focused on valorising industrial hemp biomass to recover therapeutic secondary metabolites, developing cutting-edge LC-MS analytical methods, conducting hemp cultivar trials in mid-Wales, and optimising CBD extraction and purification processes. Alongside her research, Jamila is the founder of PROHEMPOTIC, a startup dedicated to unearthing the potential of hemp through innovation, with a focus on hemp seed processing and novel product development. She is passionate about building a sustainable, homegrown hemp industry that benefits Welsh farmers, rural economies, and public health.