Regius Keeper (CEO), Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh

Continuing Policy Fellow, Centre for Science and Policy

A soil scientist and chartered horticulturist, Julia has been appointed the 17th Regius Keeper (CEO) of the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, starting at the end of January 2026.

Julia’s career spans over 20 years in biodiversity, conservation and climate change - including in the Senior Civil Service where Julia led a team of climate scientists and statisticians in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to provide the science underpinning the UK's Net Zero by 2050 legislation.

Julia also worked for 12 years as a diplomat in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office leading science teams in East China, Russia and South America. In Brazil, Julia led a multi-million pound government fund for joint UK/Brazil research which included identifying new plant species in the Amazon rainforest.

Julia was also Deputy Director of London's Science Museum for nearly six years, leading the Curatorial, Public Engagement, Operations and Visitor Experience teams in delivering a raft of world leading exhibitions such as Amazônia, Versailles: Science & Splendour and Future of Food.

Passionate about trees, plants and fungi, Julia is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and a Trustee of two environmental charities: Plantlife International and The Woodland Trust. Julia is also a member of The Royal Society's Public Engagement Committee. Julia holds a BSc Hons in Soil science & the environment, an MSc in Crop protection and a PhD in Sulphur cycling in soil, plant, atmospheric systems.