people

The CCRR comprises botanists, foresters and community custodians from across the globe whose work is dedicated to the research and conservation of Rafflesia. Together, we seek to promote and deploy inter-regional best practice across Southeast Asia. Our talents span Rafflesia propagation, taxonomy, and on-the-ground conservation, in collaboration with local partners. In sum, we are taking an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the world’s greatest botanical enigmas.

Chris Thorogood is the Deputy Director and Head of Science of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, and a lecturer in biology. Chris’s research focusses on evolution, conservation, floras in biodiversity hotspots, and biomimetics; he also has a specialism in parasitic plants. Chris is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Philippines, chairs the University of Oxford’s Gardens Libraries and Museums (GLAM) Public Engagement Committee, is an Adjunct Fellow at Linacre College, and a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London.

Adriane Tobias, a Teaching Fellow and PhD student at the University of the Philippines Los Banos, is a Forester specializing in sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and ecological research. He plays a key role in the Global Tree Assessment project, evaluating the conservation status of Philippine trees, and leads the Rafflesia of the Philippines Project, documenting the country's Rafflesia species. His exploration led to the discovery of Rafflesia balatociana in Luzon's mountains.

Septian (Deki) Andriki is a conservationist and Rafflesia guide based in Bengkulu, Sumatra. Deki grew up in the vicinity of Bukit Daun which is home to the rare species R. kemumu, which he was instrumental in documenting and describing, along with Professor Agus Susatya and other local botanists. Based in Kota Bengkulu, Deki’s work spans the whole of Bengkulu where he documents and monitors rare Rafflesia populations. Deki is passionate about engaging visitors with Sumatran wildlife, and works in the capacity of a guide to the conservation of Rafflesia habitats.

Joko Ridho Witono is a senior researcher at the Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia. His research interests focus on the biosystematics of several plant taxa, including Arecaceae, Pandanaceae, Araceae, Nepenthaceae, Cyatheaceae, and Rafflesiaceae. Indonesia, home to at least 17 species of the giant flower Rafflesia, offers a rich field for study. Witono advocates for developing research collaborations, particularly in conservation and phylogenetics, through mutual partnerships among research institutions.

Pastor Malabrigo is a Plant Taxonomist strongly fascinated with Rafflesia. His love and passion with Rafflesia started during his undergraduate years after seeing the Rafflesia panchoana in Mt. Makiling. His very first taxonomic discovery is Rafflesia banaoana (2010) from the Banao Protected Landscape. Since then, he has become more curious in understanding the mysterious life of the world’s largest flowers.

Sofi Mursidawati's first encounter with Rafflesia in its natural habitat was transformative. Her master’s thesis in Australia provided a solid foundation to grow Rafflesia in Bogor Botanical Gardens. She discovered that attempts to grow Rafflesia ex situ at the Garden date back to the 1800s. This historical context fueled her desire to contribute to the Garden's legacy. Despite three decades of effort, this enigmatic flower remains largely unexplained, fueling ongoing research and discovery.

Sofian founded Komunitas Peduli Puspa Langka (KPPL), the Rafflesia care community in Bengkulu Province, Indonesia. The current condition of the Rafflesia flower in its habitat is very worrying and is threatened with extinction, so he founded KPPL i on 18, December 2010. This community has been formed in every district and city in Bengkulu Province. Rafflesia is a natural speciality of Bengkulu and must be protected. Rafflesia is also one of Indonesia's national flowers which is nicknamed the rare flower. Currently,,he is leading the campaigning 'Save Rafflesia Habitat' on social media.

Agus Susatya is a senior lecturer in biodiversity conservation at the University of Bengkulu. The conservation, diversity, and rarity of tropical plants are his areas of interest in research. At the species level, his research focuses on the ecology and taxonomy of Rafflesia, particularly the dynamics of its population structure and the growth of flower buds. He is also working with local people known as Komunitas Peduli Puspa Langka (KPPL) or community for caring rare flowers, in order to preserve and safeguard Rafflesia in Bengkulu Province and to establish sustainable ecotourism.

Siti Munirah Mat Yunoh is a senior researcher and plant taxonomist based at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Her love and passion for Rafflesia began during her undergraduate studies when she studied the distribution of Rafflesia in the Belum-Temenggor forest complex and later throughout Peninsular Malaysia. Her collaboration with local naturalists led to new discoveries and the publication of an outstanding new species of Rafflesia tiomanensis. She is currently working on documenting the flora of Peninsular Malaysia, and the other unique parasitic plants of Thismiaceae family.

Yansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Forestry, University of Bengkulu, Indonesia. He lives Bengkulu, where Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest of Rafflesia species, is mostly found. He studied eco-physiology of climbing plants for his PhD; then continued research on climbing plants and the eco-physiology of tropical forest plants. He is currently researching the Tetrastigma sp, climbing plants serving as the host of Rafflesia sp and other genus of Rafflesiaceae. He believes that understanding the host will determine the comprehension of Rafflesia’s life cycle.

Luciana Carvalho is a Brazilian/ British dual national researcher at The McCullagh Group, University of Oxford (Department of Chemistry) investigating Rafflesia scent profiles. With degrees in chemistry, environment and economic development, heritage conservation and archaeological science, Luciana is curious to know how the different compounds in the scents are produced and the role they play in the cultural and scientific significance of Rafflesia.

Javier Chico Vazquez is a PhD student at the Mathematical Institute, working under the supervision of Prof. Derek Moulton and Dominic Vella. He is interested in using mathematical models to enhance our understanding of the natural world. As part of his research on the Mathematics of Sensing, Javier is modelling the interaction between Rafflesia and its pollinators. In particular, he looks at how the flower’s shape and size can modify the effectiveness of its visual and chemical cues.

James McCullagh is Professor of Biological Chemistry and Director of the Mass Spectrometry Research Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. His group explores chemical mechanisms that drive biological and environmental processes using analytical chemistry systems science techniques with a particular focus on chemistry in cells, metabolic processes, microbial-host chemistry, plant biochemistry, molecular archaeology and new technology innovations. James is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, he has published over 150 journal articles and books.

Adhityo Wicaksono is a Plant Bioinformatician in Genomik Solidaritas Indonesia Lab (GSI Lab), Indonesia. He studied Rafflesia morphology and histology at first under apprenticeship of Sofi Mursidawati (BRIN) from 2015 to 2020, then focused on Rafflesiaceae molecular biology multi-omics works with Jeanmaire Molina since 2021. Aside of working with crops plants for his current work, he focused on unique molecular biology of Rafflesiaceae for his side project.

Jeanmaire Molina is an Associate Professor of Biology at Pace University, New York City, USA. She teaches ethnobotany, medicinal botany, and natural product pharmacology to help students develop a better appreciation for plant diversity for their vital, yet often overlooked roles in human lives. Originally from the Philippines, Jean is deeply committed to conserving Philippine Rafflesia through ex situ cultivation in collaboration with the U.S. Botanic Garden. Her goal is not only to cultivate Rafflesia, but also future scientists who will be able to carry on biodiversity conservation.