Isabela Lima Borges, Ph.D.

As the rare plant conservation scientist at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Isabela Lima Borges, Ph.D., works to understand and conserve California’s rare plants. She earned her doctorate in integrative biology from Michigan State University, working at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Prior to that, Isabela studied the ecology and evolution of a diverse array of organisms, doing fieldwork in Brazil, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and various locations in the U.S. Isabela is interested in how rare plants interact with their environments, and passionate about integrating research and conservation action. 

Research interests: rare plant conservation, evolutionary ecology, demographic modeling, mutualisms