Arboretum Curator, University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum; Research Associate.
I am the Arboretum Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum, and am passionate about plant conservation, with a particular focus on trees. Geographically, my work focuses on the Ethiopian and Japanese floristic regions. Living collections play a critical role in conserving plant diversity ex-situ and preventing extinction through integrated conservation action. I am interested in the role that living collections can play, supporting both scientific research and practical plant conservation action.
As a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Tree Specialist Group and Seed Conservation Specialist Group, I am actively involved in global plant conservation efforts and have conducted fieldwork worldwide, focusing on the conservation of threatened tree species.
My research explores Bioquality Hotspots in Ethiopia and Japan, investigating how species distribution data can guide conservation priorities at multiple scales, focusing on the biodiversity value implicit in globally rare or range-restricted species or infraspecific taxa. Bioquality identifies high conservation-value elements of a given flora, by emphasising the proportion of globally rare taxa within a particular set of species.
