Profile Details

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Hire Dr. Henry C.

Colombia

USD 50 /hr

15+ years experience in R&D and innovation in chemistry, food science, supercritical technology, and cannabis industry

Profile Summary

Chemist Scientist with a postgraduate background in chemistry (Master’s and Ph.D.) and postdoctoral training, boasting over 15 years of experience in research, technological development, and teaching. Expertise spans: food chemistry, natural products, analytical chemistry, and extraction and purification processes using emerging technologies. Expertise in R&D focused on the valorization of agro-industrial waste, with emphasis on food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications. Extensive experience in the medicinal cannabis industry, covering: operational area design (GMP-compliant facilities), process development, tech transfer, full-cycle production oversight, and technical direction. Scientific-Technical Consultant specializing in scaling and implementing supercritical fluid technology for industrial applications. Expertise in process optimization, equipment selection, and technology transfer from lab to production scale. Multidisciplinary background in academia and industry, with a strong record of innovation and cross-functional collaboration. Researcher in Food Science & Technology, Natural Products Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry, specializing in the development of interdisciplinary projects focused on: • Agro-industrial waste valorization (food/cosmetics/pharma) • Sustainable extraction technologies (supercritical fluids, green/GRAS solvents) • Food additives (antioxidants/antimicrobials/nutraceuticals) • Functional food development • Bioactive compounds characterization • Process optimization & scale-up • Technical evaluation and development of supercritical fluid processes for industrial applications • Production-scale R&D of standardized cannabis APIs (Dried flower/extracts/isolates) • Development of analytical methods for food and natural products analysis Experience in the medicinal cannabis industry focused on: • Led facility design, construction monitoring, and operational launch of a cannabis processing plant (meeting EU-GMP, and IMC-CUMCS requirements) • Spearheaded the identification, assessment, and implementation of processing technologies for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis production • Design and optimization of production-scale processes for post-harvest cannabis processing (Dried flower/extracts/isolates) • Directed post-harvest processing operations including: Expert consultancy in scaling supercritical fluid technology for agri-food industries, including: • R&D of supercritical fluid-based processes for extraction/purification of bioactive compounds, food additives, and nutraceuticals. • Process scale-up • Specification and acquisition of industrial processing equipment and support systems • Support for design of operational areas Experience developing theoretical-practical courses for students across multiple disciplines including sciences, engineering, medicine, agricultural, and veterinary sciences. Designed and delivered blended (theory + practice) courses of: • Food Chemistry • Food Analysis • Analytical Chemistry • Chromatography • Extraction – Purification Techniques • Organic Chemistry • Basic Chemistry

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Separation & Purification
• ★ Cannabis/CBD
• ★ Food Additives
• ☆ Natural Product Chemistry
• ☆ Analytical Chemistry
• ☆ Spectroscopy
• ☆ NMR Spectroscopy
• ☆ Mass Spectrometry
• ☆ Liquid Chromatography/HPLC
• ☆ Gas Chromatography
• ☆ Green Chemistry
• ☆ Botany
• ☆ Biochemistry
• ☆ Antioxidants
• ☆ Food Preservation
• ☆ Food Chemistry
• ☆ Complementary & Alternative Medicine
• ☆ Herbal Medicine
• ☆ Product Compliance
• ☆ Herbal Products
• ☆ Nutraceuticals

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI
• Product Development

Writing Technical Writing

Research Meta-Research, Feasibility Study, Technology Scouting, Fact Checking, Gray Literature Search, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review, Secondary Data Collection

Consulting Operations Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis

Product Development Formulation, Stability/Shelf Life Testing, Material Sourcing, Manufacturing, Product Compliance

Work Experience

Technical and Scientific Expert

Thar Process

May 2020 - Present

Technical and Scientific Consultant for the Cannabis and agri-food Industries

Freelancer/Independent

June 2019 - Present

Technical and Scientific Director for Post-harvest Process

Ethico Cannabis

March 2020 - February 2025

Extraction Process Chief Research & Development

Clever Leaves

August 2019 - January 2020

Titular Professor/Researcher

Universidad Libre de Colombia

January 2014 - December 2019

Asociated Researcher

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

June 2017 - June 2018

Education

Chemistry PhD

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

August 2009 - April 2014

Masters of Science

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

August 2006 - September 2008

Bachelors, Chemistry

Universidad Pedagogica Nacional - Colombia

January 2001 - December 2005

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

BOOK CHAPTER

María Alejandra Castañeda Muñoz, Liced Alejandra Basto Gómez, Patricia Joyce Pamela Zorro Mateus, Henry Isaac Castro Vargas (2023). Obtaining Potentially Biologically Active Extracts from Isabella Grape Pomace Using Pressurized Liquids and Evaluation of Functional Properties .

Alba Sofía Parra Carvajal, Angie Paola Toro Cardona, Patricia Joyce Pamela Zorro Mateus, Henry Isaac Castro Vargas, Siby I. Garcés Polo (2023). Obtaining Potentially Functional Oils from Isabella Grape (Vitis labrusca L.) Pomace Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide .

Jenny Viviana Bejarano Pérez, Jessica Tatiana Mancera Cifuentes, Patricia Joyce Pamela Zorro Mateus, Henry Isaac Castro Vargas (2023). Recovery of Phenolic Antioxidants from Isabella Grape (Vitis labrusca L.) Pomace Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide with Added Ethanol as Co-Solvent .

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Henry Castro, Gladys Rozo, Claudia Rozo, Mónica Puyana, Freddy A. Ramos, Carmen Almonacid(2019). Two compounds of the Colombian algae Hypnea musciformis prevent oxidative damage in human low density lipoproteins LDLs . Journal of Functional Foods. 60. p. 103399. Elsevier {BV}

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Wolfram Baumann, Sandra R. S. Ferreira, Fabián Parada-Alfonso (2019). Valorization of papaya (Carica papaya L.) agroindustrial waste through the recovery of phenolic antioxidants by supercritical fluid extraction . Journal of Food Science and Technology.

Ada C. Gallo-Molina, Henry I. Castro-Vargas, William F. Garzón-Méndez, Jorge A. Martínez Ramírez, Zully J. Rivera Monroy, Jerry W. King, Fabian Parada-Alfonso (2019). Extraction, isolation and purification of tetrahydrocannabinol from the Cannabis sativa L. plant using supercritical fluid extraction and solid phase extraction . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Diego Ballesteros Vivas, Jenny Ortega Barbosa, Sandra Johanna Morantes Medina, Fabio Aristizabal Gutiérrez, Fabián Parada-Alfonso (2019). Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from the Agroindustrial Waste of Colombian Mango Cultivars ‘Sugar Mango’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’—An Alternative for Their Use and Valorization . Antioxidants.

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Diego Ballesteros Vivas, Jenny Ortega Barbosa, Sandra Johanna Morantes Medina, Fabio Aristizabal Gutiérrez, Fabián Parada-Alfonso (2019). Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from the Agroindustrial Waste of Colombian Mango Cultivars ‘Sugar Mango’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’—An Alternative for Their Use and Valorization . Antioxidants.

Mónica Ospina, Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Fabián Parada-Alfonso (2017). Antioxidant capacity of Colombian seaweeds: 1. Extracts obtained from Gracilaria mammillaris by means of supercritical fluid extraction . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.

Henry Isaac Castro Vargas, Fabián Parada Alfonso (2017). Evaluación del efecto protector contra la oxidación lipídica de fracciones obtenidas a partir del epicarpio de tomate de árbol (Solanum betaceum Sendtn) . Revista Colombiana de Química.

Henry I. Castro‐Vargas, Wolfram Baumann, Fabi&#225;n Parada‐Alfonso (2016). Valorization of agroindustrial wastes: Identification by LC‐MS and NMR of benzylglucosinolate from papaya (<i>Carica papaya</i> L.) seeds, a protective agent against lipid oxidation in edible oils . ELECTROPHORESIS.

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Patr&#237;cia Benelli, Sandra R.S. Ferreira, Fabi&#225;n Parada-Alfonso (2013). Supercritical fluid extracts from tamarillo (Solanum betaceum Sendtn) epicarp and its application as protectors against lipid oxidation of cooked beef meat . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.

Jos&#233; R. Forero-Mendieta, Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Fabi&#225;n Parada-Alfonso, Jairo A. Guerrero-Dallos (2012). Extraction of pesticides from soil using supercritical carbon dioxide added with methanol as co-solvent . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.

Mile A. Hern&#225;ndez-Acosta, Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Fabi&#225;n Parada-Alfonso (2011). Integrated utilization of guava (Psidium guajava L.): antioxidant activity of phenolic extracts obtained from guava seeds with supercritical CO2-ethanol . Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society.

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Luis I. Rodr&#237;guez-Varela, Fabi&#225;n Parada-Alfonso (2011). Guava (Psidium guajava L.) seed oil obtained with a homemade supercritical fluid extraction system using supercritical CO2 and co-solvent . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.

Henry I. Castro-Vargas, Luis I. Rodr&#237;guez-Varela, Sandra R.S. Ferreira, Fabi&#225;n Parada-Alfonso (2010). Extraction of phenolic fraction from guava seeds (Psidium guajava L.) using supercritical carbon dioxide and co-solvents . The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.