Speaker

Katherine (Kathy) Willis is a plant scientist whose research explores how biodiversity and ecosystems respond to environmental change over time. Her work combines palaeoecology, biogeography, and conservation science to understand the resilience and vulnerability of plants and natural systems in the face of human pressures and climate change. From 2013 to 2018, she was the first Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where she developed the organisation’s first integrated Science Strategy and established international research programmes in plant diversity and conservation. She also initiated Kew’s Children’s Science Festival to engage younger audiences with plant science. Kathy is currently Professor of Biodiversity and Principal of St Edmund Hall, at the University of Oxford. She also serves as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, where she brings scientific expertise to discussions on climate, biodiversity, and environmental policy.