Young Living Essential Oils Scientific Advisory Council

The Young Living Essential Oils Scientific Advisory Council provides valuable insight into the development of our pioneering essential oils and oil-infused products. This professional organization comprises prominent scientific professionals from around the globe, uniting years of experience in natural products. The council’s unmatched leadership, expertise, and passion for essential oil innovation is redefining the way the world thinks about wellness.

Thank you for visiting the Young Living Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) page. As the world leader in essential oil research and development, we are constantly expanding and diversifying this esteemed group.

R. Michael Buch, PhD

CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER

As Young Living’s first-ever Chief Science Officer, Dr. Buch’s work includes scientific research and development on new and established products, new applications and claims, and product strategy and stewardship.

Dr. Buch brings with him more than 25 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. He earned a BA in chemistry from Franklin and Marshall College and MS and PhD degrees in analytical chemistry from the University of Delaware. Dr. Buch has led global organizations at some of the world’s leading companies, and his success has resulted in more than a dozen patents in the health care field, several books, and a number of published articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is personally responsible for developing health care products with annual sales of nearly $3 billion, and his products have been marketed in more than 100 countries. Dr. Buch is also a member of several prestigious associations, including the Institute on Science for Global Policy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Buch enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing and has a passion for photography. He loves the crisp, outdoorsy scent of Young Living’s R.C and he often diffuses it during the winter months to add a fresh scent to the air.

Richard Carlson, PhD

Dr. Carlson holds a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He brings three decades of experience in the field of analytical chemistry to his role as Senior Director of Research and Analytical Sciences for Young Living.

Dr. Carlson leads the team responsible for scientific research for Young Living, including the development of analytical test methods that determine the authenticity of essential oils. As part of Young Living’s Seed to Seal® program, Dr. Carlson’s team analyzes more than 1,000 essential oil samples annually.
Dr. Carlson’s commitment to hard work began at the age of 10, when he started helping at his family’s turkey farm. After discovering his love for chemistry, he obtained a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD in the field. His studies focused on analytical chemistry, including sample preparation, chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Before joining Young Living, Dr. Carlson worked as a staff chemist at ThermoFisher Scientific.

In addition to having a passion for chemistry, Dr. Carlson enjoys travel, baseball, and music—especially listening to live performances. He also loves cooking for his family.
Of all the Young Living products Dr. Carlson interacts with daily, his personal favourite products to use are Peppermint and Sacred Sandalwood essential oils.

Clell M. Fowles

RPH, BA, BS

A recognized expert in the fields of prescription medications and natural remedies, pharmacist Clell Fowles is a graduate of Utah State University with degrees in history and sociology and of the University of Utah in pharmacy and medicinal chemistry. Clell has used and studied natural products for his entire professional career and serves as Young Living’s manager of product safety.

He is the author of two books: Drugs and Natural Alternatives and Drugs and Nutrient Depletion.

Dr. Alishia Alibhai

Dr. Alibhai has a passion for teaching and helping people achieve health, happiness and abundance. She completed her PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Calgary in 2009 and taught Psychology at the local college. She then opened her own private practice where she presently offers soul coaching sessions and training, meditation gatherings, and energy healing sessions and certifications. Dr. Alibhai discovered Young Living products in 2011 and they have since been an integral part of both her personal life and her private practice. In her spare time, Dr. Alibhai enjoys dancing, travelling, and tending to her growing indoor plant collection.

Dr. George Atkinson

Dr. George Atkinson’s career in science spans many arenas including Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona; duties as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of a small high technology company focused on laser-based sensors; President of The Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society; as well as Assistant Secretary of State and first Science and Technology Adviser (STAS) to U.S. Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Dr. Atkinson currently serves as founder and Director of the Institute on Science for Global Policy (ISGP), a not for profit institute that brings global policy makers together with top scientists to identify and evaluate policies to meet fundamental science-based challenges in the 21st century.

Dr. Atkinson has written more than 160 publications in refereed scientific journals and books, edited more than 20 books, and has authored 26 U.S. and foreign patents. His numerous awards include the Senior Alexander von Humboldt Award (Germany), the Senior Fulbright Award (Germany), the Lady Davis Professorship (Israel), the Science and Research Council Award (Great Britain), the Distinguished Alumni Award (Indiana University), an Honorary Doctorate (Eckerd College), the Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellows Award from the University of California, Irvine, a Visiting Annenberg Professorship at the Claremont Colleges (Harvey Mudd College) in California, and the MacArthur Alumni Award from Eckerd College. Internationally, he has been a visiting professor and distinguished lecturer in Japan, Great Britain, Australia, Thailand, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, Poland, Norway, China, Russia, and France. He currently serves on several corporate and governmental boards. In 1992, students selected him as the “outstanding teacher at the University of Arizona.”