Our Team

Email Timothy
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I am a botanist passionate about discovering and documenting South-East Asia’s remarkable plant biodiversity. My research focuses extensively on woody plant taxonomy, systematics, and floristics of New Guinea and Borneo, and I systematically curate herbaria-associated data that form the foundation for research and conservation efforts in this biogeographically significant region. I actively communicate plant identification techniques to broad audiences including students and conservation practitioners, and hold key editorial positions in Gardens' Bulletin Singapore, Thai Forest Bulletin, Flora Malesiana, Flora of Thailand and Sandakania.

Email Jana
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I am Keeper of the Singapore Herbarium and Principal Researcher specialising in tropical forest herbs, particularly the ginger order (Zingiberales), Hanguanaceae, Hypoxidaceae, and Asparagaceae across Southeast Asia. My expertise encompasses plant documentation, herbarium curation, biodiversity assessment, taxonomy, nomenclature and conservation. With over two decades of fieldwork experience, I've published three books, nine chapters, and 130+ research papers. I serve as Flora of Singapore editor, on multiple editorial boards, and as Adjunct Associate Professor at NUS, teaching and supervising students regionally and internationally whilst conducting capacity-building workshops.

Email Serena
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I am a mycologist and botanist at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, managing herbarium operations since 2003. My research centers on the taxonomy, identification, and biodiversity documentation of macrofungi in Singapore. Alongside specimen curation and BRAHMS database management, I serve as Graphics Editor for the Flora of Singapore. I also share my passion for fungi through the “From the Earth” series in Gardenwise, highlighting topics from bioluminescent species to the rediscovery of rare fungi such as Amanita sculpta.

Email Junhao
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The main area of my research interest is Southeast Asian botany, particularly on the families Annonaceae and Rubiaceae. I have a special interest in the taxonomy, phylogeny, historical biogeography and pollination ecology of the species-rich genera Artabotrys, Goniothalamus, Pavetta, Tarenna, and Timonius. I teach undergraduate plant identification courses, actively mentor budding botanists, and hold an editorial position in Gardens' Bulletin Singapore and a secretariat role in the Science & Technology Steering Committee in NParks.

Email Lily
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I have a special interest in naturalised species and their ecological interactions with native species in Singapore and the ASEAN region, particularly for Malaysia and Indonesia. I am currently documenting the naturalised flora of Singapore, with a view to expand my work to the rest of ASEAN. The current focus of my work also includes taxonomic work on the Cleomaceae, Primulaceae, Loranthaceae and Santalaceae for the Flora of Singapore.

Email Ganesan
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As a Singapore-born botanist, my research is shaped by Southeast Asia’s rich botanical and cultural heritage. I focus on the taxonomy, systematics, and conservation of major tropical tree families, particularly the iconic Meranti (Dipterocarpaceae), Mango (Anacardiaceae), and Durian (Malvaceae) tree-families. My interests also include the vegetation of Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and surrounding regions, plant utilisation, ethnobotany, the history of botanical science, and examining how cultural traditions and philosophical perspectives inform contemporary conservation approaches across the Southeast Asia region.

Email Boon Chuan
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My research interest lies in the discovery and inventory of plant diversity, with a particular focus on bryophytes—mosses, liverworts, and hornworts—in tropical Asia and adjacent regions. This dedication has given me opportunities to study these small plants across various countries and culminated in receiving the esteemed Riclef Grolle Award for Excellence in Bryodiversity in 2025, a recognition of my contributions to the field. Additionally, I investigate tropical flowering plants, especially in the bean family (Fabaceae), which is among the largest plant families worldwide.

Email Yee Wen
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I am a tropical botanist passionate about documenting and discovering Southeast Asia’s remarkable plant diversity. My research focuses extensively on woody plant taxonomy, especially on the largest tree genus in Malesia, Syzygium, of the Myrtle family, Myrtaceae. I am an editor and production manager of the Gardens’ magazine, Gardenwise; copy editor for Gardens' Bulletin Singapore, and a member of the editorial board of Candollea.

Email Louise
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My research interests are centred on the plant diversity, phytogeography and ecology of tropical Asian rainforests. I have past experience in vegetation studies in Singapore and species distribution modelling of endemic plant species of Borneo. Currently, I work on the taxonomy of Southeast Asian Melastoma, Dilleniaceae, Hypericaceae, Malvaceae (Malvoideae, Byttnerioideae) and Rubiaceae (a few genera), and create public exhibitions at the Centre for Ethnobotany in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. I am also an associate editor of the scientific journals Nature in Singapore and Feddes Repertorium.

Email Michele
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I specialise in Apocynaceae taxonomy, particularly subfamilies Asclepiadoideae, Periplocoideae, and Secamonoideae across Southeast Asia and New Guinea. I also study herbaceous Urticaceae in Borneo, especially the Elatostema genus. I conduct field expeditions to train local botanists whilst maintaining keen interests in botanical art and illustration, curating nature printing exhibitions and preparing botanical illustration publications.

Email Daniel
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I am a botanist studying the systematics, evolution, historical biogeography, and conservation of tropical flowering plants, with a taxonomic focus on Annonaceae, Begoniaceae, and Lauraceae. My research integrates DNA sequence data, morphology, occurrence records, and remote-sensing data, and is underpinned by field and taxonomic baseline work. I hold an adjunct appointment at Nanyang Technological University, where I teach molecular phylogenetics and plant taxonomy. As secretary of the Flora Malesiana project, I work to build networks and digital infrastructure facilitating plant systematic work across the region.

Email Gillian
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I am the Centre Director for Genomics & Micropropagation, overseeing two specialised laboratories. The Genomics Lab analyses plant genomes to aid species identification, study evolution and adaptation, and assess genetic diversity in threatened populations for conservation purposes. The Micropropagation Lab supports the Gardens' orchid hybridisation programme and species recovery efforts through tissue culture techniques, such as aseptic seed germination and micropropagation. Together, these efforts provide genetic insights and propagation methods essential for safeguarding Singapore's native plant diversity and botanical heritage.

Email Jia Jun
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I am a plant bioinformatician specialising in the genomics of Southeast Asian flora. My work focuses on genome assembly and annotation of Singapore's native flora. I am currently developing a comprehensive genome database for the Flora of Singapore, with the eventual aim of enabling downstream conservation genomics and phylogenomics applications. I am also interested in optimising bioinformatics workflows to make genomic pipelines more accessible, reproducible, and scalable for researchers and practitioners.

Email Matti
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I am a botanist with a particular focus on the conservation and diversity of orchids, other monocots, as well as the overall flora of Singapore. My research focuses on conservation genetics and well as evolutionary processes. Hands-on elements are necessary as the conservation of Singapore’s native orchids relies on fieldwork to map the species, and to monitor them for flowers and fruits. We propagate the plants and keep them alive ex situ, with reintroductions to bolster the wild populations.

Email Aireen
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My research focus is on Sapotaceae taxonomy, particularly the Malesian genera Palaquium and Madhuca, and also Dioscoreaceae and Taccaceae for the Flora of Singapore. I apply molecular methods of target capture and population genomics to study datasets, and I collaborate closely with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which hosts the Sapotaceae Resource Centre. I also have an interest in herbarium digitalisation for taxonomic research.

Email Yi Shuen
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I am interested in applying genome sequencing to understand the evolution of plant species and their traits. My recent work focuses on plant conservation genomics and phylogenetics, integrating genomic and geographic data to assess genetic diversity, population structure and evolutionary relationships. My research complements plant taxonomy by clarifying species relationships and evolutionary histories, strengthening evolutionary inferences across taxonomic scales. I also contribute to the Flora of Singapore genome sequencing project, supporting efforts to document and conserve regional plant biodiversity.

Email Lorena
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I am interested in the conservation of native plant species and how habitat fragmentation in Singapore affects the remnant populations. I am currently collecting seeds from these species to test which could be stored conventionally, dried and frozen. While this is useful for identifying what species could be easily conserve as stored seeds, species found to be desiccation or freezing intolerant will necessitate further testing for more effective alternative conservation methods.

Email Chow Khoon
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I am interested in the conservation of native plant species and how habitat fragmentation in Singapore affects the remnant populations. I am currently collecting seeds from these species to test which could be stored conventionally, dried and frozen. While this is useful for identifying what species could be easily conserve as stored seeds, species found to be desiccation or freezing intolerant will necessitate further testing for more effective alternative conservation methods.

Email Kwek Yan
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My research interests are in vegetation ecology, urban ecology, and invasion ecology. I am also an adjunct faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, a research affiliate of the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions as well as the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, an Editorial Review Board member of Applied Vegetation Science, and an Associate Editor of the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.

Email Kenny
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I study ecological interactions across diverse terrestrial ecosystems. My research examines a variety of plant, soil, and animal relationships, investigating how these interactions influence ecosystem functioning, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity conservation. I employ a range of fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and controlled experiments to investigate these ecological processes. I mentor research students/interns, and serve as an editor for ‘Plant & Soil’ journal. My interdisciplinary approach aims to combine fundamental ecological research with applications for ecosystem management and conservation.

Email Alex
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I lead the newly formed Environmental Ecology section of the Forest and Tree Research Branch. The section focuses on studying the biophysical environment of Singapore, including Urban Heat Island, and energy, water and nutrient fluxes. Prior to this, I was a researcher at the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) coordinating projects on urban ecology, remote-sensing and landscape modelling.

Email Sorain
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I am a Senior Researcher at the Forest & Tree Research Branch, specialising in ecohydrology and soil biogeochemistry with a focus on urban climate resilience and nature-based solutions. I lead a major project investigating water and energy budgets alongside nutrient cycles, whilst deploying novel early-warning systems to assess tree resilience and designing autonomous water quality networks. Additionally, I advise on guidelines for Water Quality Standards in Tropical Ponds, translating complex meteorological and physicochemical data into actionable land management strategies for Singapore.