Ph. D candidate
The New York
Botanical Garden
City
University of New York
Plant Sciences PhD
Program
The main focus of my research is economic botany and ethnobotany, especially regarding the knowledge and use of toxic plants. I have a keen interest in the ecological relationships that forge insect-plant interactions, as a way to learn about the specificity and efficacy of plant defense mechanisms.
My educational background includes agricultural training as an agronomist focusing on pesticide research for a major agrochemical company. My Master's research involved the study of toxic plants among native North American people (résumé).
Survey of Poisonous Plants and their Uses in Cajamarca -Peru-.
At the present time, I am working on my dissertation, under the mentoring of Dr. David Lentz. The study highlights the role of poisonous plants in nature and their importance for humans in indigenous cultures, documenting the uses of toxic species as pesticides, repellents and crop protectants in peasant communities in Cajamarca, a highland area of northern Peru. For detailed information on the project, please follow the links below. This project has been funded by The City University of New York (Mina Rees Dissertation Fellowship), The Torrey Botanical Society and The New York Botanical Garden.