I am a botanist working on botanical history and historic plant collections with a focus on the 16th century. What are the origins of historic herbaria, when were they made, where and by whom? What plants do they contain, and what was the purpose of their compilation? I am also interested in the history of exotic crops in Europe: when and how did they reach our lifes? To answer these questions I collaborate with researchers from various disciplines: (art) historians, paper specialists, genomicists, paleographers etc. Together we explore multidisciplinary approaches in the study of botanical history and historic plant collections.

I have also worked on other research topics which I like to revisit from time to time: aromatic plants and their essential oils, pollination ecology and plant conservation.

At the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens I am the curator of the rock garden, one of the largest rock gardens in Europe.