Professor Pete Hollingsworth FRSE, Director of Science and Deputy Keeper
I am a biodiversity scientist with a particular interest in understanding and conserving plant diversity. As Director of Science and Deputy Keeper I am responsible for managing a team of ca 120 staff, students and volunteers in the science division at RBGE.
The Science Division at RBGE includes three research departments (Taxonomy and Macroecology; Conservation Science; Biodiversity Genomics and Analytics), a herbarium of 3 million specimens, an extensive botanical library and archive, and laboratory facilities.
I have a particular interest in the integration of genomic science and whole organism biology. My research aims to:
- Enhance understanding of the relationship between species traits and genomic diversity
- Develop effective mechanisms for rapid characterization of species diversity, such as DNA barcoding
- Gain an increased understanding of the processes governing the evolution of biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on those processes which lead to diversification and taxonomic complexity
- Enhance understanding of pest and pathogen threats to plants in the natural environment
- Use large scale distributional data to enhance strategies for the conservation of plant biodiversity
- Improve strategies for species reintroductions and habitat restoration
I am involved in collaborative projects in many countries around the world, with a particular focus in Scotland, Europe, China, South Africa and New Caledonia.
Orcid ID: 0000-0003-0602-0654
Contact: phollingsworth@rbge.org.uk