Dr Alison Foster
About
Alison completed her degree in Chemistry at the University of Oxford before working as a medicinal chemist for 2 years. After completing a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Cambridge, she then worked for six years as a process chemist in industry before her passion for plants got the better of her. She trained as a horticulturalist at Birmingham Botanic Gardens and subsequently joined the University of Oxford Botanic Garden where she worked for almost seven years, ultimately as Acting Director. Her main focus was to bring science into the garden with a particular emphasis on chemistry and medicinal plants.
In addition to teaching Botanical Foundations of Ethnobotany and supervising students on the Ethnobotany MSc at Kent, Alison works to use horticulture as a conduit for science communication. Current and recent projects include developing and curating a new science garden for SCI in Belgrave Square, London and developing interpretation content for the Temperate House at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Podcasts
https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/people/alison-foster