Perfil

Javier Francisco-Ortega is a botanist with expertise in plant systematics, evolution, and conservation, particularly focusing on island flora. Born in the Canary Islands, he earned a B.Sc. in Horticulture from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros

Agrónomos, Madrid, (1987), followed by an M.Sc. (1988) and Ph.D. (1992) in Biology from the University of Birmingham, UK. His postdoctoral work was carried out at Ohio State University and the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining Florida International University (FIU) in 1999, he taught at Universidad de La Laguna in Tenerife.

Currently, he is a Full Professor (2012) in the Department of Biological Sciences at FIU and, since 2020, a Kelly Research Fellow at the Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami. His research blends molecular and traditional methods to investigate plant phylogenetics and conservation genetics, with a geographical focus on the Canary Islands, Galápagos, Cocos Island, and the Antilles. He collaborates with Cuban institutions and receives support from organizations such as the National Geographic Society.

He is a member of various scientific associations, including the American Society of Plant Taxonomist, Linnean Society of London, Botanical Society of America. He received the George R. Cooley Award from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists and serves as an Associate Editor for journals including Taxon, Anales del Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid and Systematic Botany (2006-2009).