
19 October 2019
PhD Student
Medicinal plants, biocultural history, collections, history of medicine, ethnobotany
My main interest is in plant and fungal based medicines. The use of these is as old as humanity itself but many natural sources of medicines have been forgotten as synthetic compounds gained importance in the 20th century. Answers to many medical questions lie in the plant and fungi kingdom and my work involves researching these using Kew's rich archives and collections and working with scientists involved in chemistry and phylogeny to access these resources.
Walker, K & Nesbitt, M., (2019).
London: Kew Publishing.
Biocultural collections and networks of knowledge in the nineteenth century: A quest for quinine.
Tropical medicinal plant research in the Economic Botany Collection, Kew