Scientists by Department: Botany Scientists in the Department of Botany at The Field Museum travel the globe in an effort to understand how the diversity of plants and fungi are distributed. Back at home, botanists study the specimens they have collected using cutting-edge technologies and equipment. Collections-based research allows botanists to classify species and determine what important roles plants and fungi play in their environment and in human cultures. For example, people use plants for food, medicine, and shelter—and plants have even proven useful in the search for new anti-AIDS and anticancer compounds! As with all Field Museum scientists, our botanists also assist in educational and exhibition programming, as well as in training the next generation of botanists. Areas of Study: The Field Museum hosts botanists who study fungi/lichens, flowering plants, ferns, mosses/liverworts, and economic botany. Select which scientist you’d like to meet first: Michael Dillon—Flowering Plants of the Neotropics Eve Emshwiller—Economic Botany of South America John Engel—Liverworts of Australia and New Zealand Fernando A. Fernandez—Microfungi Sabine Huhndorf—Microfungi of the Neotropics Lucia Kawasaki—Flowering Plants of the Neotropics Patrick Leacock—Fungi of North America Robert Luecking—Lichen of Mesoamerica and South America Thorsten Lumbsch—Lichens of Antarctica, Australia, and South America Armin Mangold—Lichens of Australia Gregory Mueller—Fungi of South and Central America, China, and North America Richard Ree—Flowering Plants of the Himalayas Imke Schmitt—Lichens of Europe Djaja Djendoel Soejarto—Medicinal Plants of Vietnam and Laos Gayle Tonkovich—Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Chicago Region Matt von Konrat—Liverworts of New Zealand and Australasia Jun Wen—Flowering Plants of Asia   back to Scientist by Department >>   continue to Center for Cultural Understanding and Change >> Introduction | Investigate Biodiversity | YBC | Meet the Scientist | Explore Global Diversity | Events and Programs | Take Action! | Teaching Biodiversity | Biodiversity Exhibition | Credits