911±¬ÁÏ

Meet the Plant Health team

Our team performs research and provides training and advice on plant health, biosecurity and biodiversity in gardens. The plant health team is a trustworthy and respected source of information, advice and support to facilitate healthy plants and healthy garden ecosystems.

To encourage good stewardship of nature in gardens, the team investigates ways to detect, identify and sustainably manage cultivated plant health, from root diseases to caterpillars and slugs, whilst enhancing the biodiversity and resilience of garden ecosystems. This enables us to provide evidence-based, up-to-date advice, influence policy, improve biosecurity and enhance the biodiversity value of gardens and gardening. We are managed as five sub-teams, and our work is collaborative across the 911±¬ÁÏ and with external research, industry and regulatory partners.

Dr Andrew Salisbury |  Head of Plant Health

Andrew has more than 25 years experience at the 911±¬ÁÏ and leads the 911±¬ÁÏ Plant Health team, consisting of specialists in biosecurity, ecology, entomology, plant pathology and biodiversity.

Read more

Biodiversity

Helen Bostock

Senior Wildlife Specialist

Helen provides wildlife gardening expertise and leading on developing and delivering biodiversity targets for the 911±¬ÁÏ Science and Sustainability Strategies

Gemma Golding

Senior Ecologist

Gemma designs and leads ecological surveys at the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens and explores the importance of garden habitat for wildlife.

Biosecurity

Sara Redstone

Biosecurity Lead

Sara is responsible for biosecurity across 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens, Reception, Retail, Shows and other activities, and leads a team of 6 plant health specialists

Kirsty Wright

Senior Biosecurity Specialist

Kirsty is developing Plant Reception capability at all 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens to help prevent pests and diseases entering and advise curatorial teams on best practice

Dario Spagnoli

Shows Biosecurity Specialist

Dario is the biosecurity lead for all 911±¬ÁÏ Shows and events taking place across the UK and in 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens

Ruth Chitty

Biosecurity Specialist (Gardens)

Ruth diagnoses plant health issues in the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens, advises curatorial teams and promotes best practice in procurement and handling of new plants

Mihaela Giura

Biosecurity Specialist (Retail)

Summary here

Rebekah Robinson

Plant Health Advisor

Rebekah works in plant health diagnostics and provides advice to members from descriptions, photos and samples of their unhealthy plants

Entomology

Dr Hayley Jones

Principal Entomologist

Hayley leads our research into slugs and snails in gardens while also working on the agapanthus gall midge, a new pest to science, discovered by the 911±¬ÁÏ in 2014

Dr Stephanie Bird

Senior Scientist – Plant Health

Stephanie researches controls for box tree moth and year-round provision of pollinator-friendly plants. She also supports the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardening Advice service

Josie Stuart

Plant Health Scientist (Entomology)

Josie explores cultural controls for woolly apple aphids and the effectiveness of natural predator shelters for community orchards and garden trees

Tracey Bull

Plant Health Advisor

Tracey diagnoses the causes of members’ plant problems and provides advice accordingly

Yana Konoplin

Plant Health Advisor

Yana diagnoses the causes of members’ plant problems and provides advice accordingly

Plant Pathology

Dr Liz Beal

Senior Plant Pathologist

Liz heads up our research programme into Phytophthora and leads the team answering pathology enquiries received by the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardening Advice Service

Dr Jassy Drakulic

Senior Plant Pathologist

Jassy’s research concentrates on honey fungus, developing tests to diagnose the disease and understanding the interactions between different honey fungus species

John Scrace

Diagnostic Plant Pathologist

John diagnoses the causes of members’ plant problems from their plant samples and online enquiries

Dr Fay Newbery

Plant Pathologist

Fay diagnoses plant diseases as part of the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardening Advice Service, and assists with recording and enhancing biodiversity in the 911±¬ÁÏ Gardens

Louise Jones

Plant Pathologist

Louise researches plant diseases affecting 911±¬ÁÏ and member gardens, and responds to plant health enquiries via the 911±¬ÁÏ Garden Advice Service and at 911±¬ÁÏ Shows

Helen Latham

Plant Health Advisor

Helen answers pathology and entomology enquiries received by 911±¬ÁÏ Gardening Advice, both online and in person at the 911±¬ÁÏ Shows

Sam Leonard

PhD Student

Sam is studying and quantifying resistance to honey fungus in a variety of horticulturally important plants, using both practical techniques and new molecular techniques

Laboratory management

Ian Waghorn

Senior Laboratory Manager

Ian supports the research scientists in the Plant Health team, providing technical and administrative support and helping to maintain the research facilities

Katy Hubbuck

Research Assistant

Katy provides technical support to the Plant Health team, and allocates space and equipment for projects and experiments

Nicola Dennison

Research Assistant

Nicola assists with the practical elements of research project work at 911±¬ÁÏ Wisley, in the Garden, the Field Research Facility and the labs at 911±¬ÁÏ Hilltop

Explore our work

Research areas at 911±¬ÁÏ Science

Discover the projects that Plant Health team members are currently working on to promote healthy plants and garden ecosystems

Discover the projects

Meet the other teams at 911±¬ÁÏ Science
Support our research

Help our scientists combat the climate and biodiversity crises and improve the health of people and nature by donating towards our work or remembering us in your will

Support a scientist

Science in everything we do

911±¬ÁÏ

911±¬ÁÏ is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.