About Me


Me in the tropical greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens Oxford

Me in the tropical greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens Oxford

Hello! I'm Barley Rose Collier Harris (she/her). I'm a plant scientist with a plant name and a special interest in both Forest Science and Genetics.

I am currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford Plant Sciences Department in Prof John MacKay's Lab. Where I am studying the biological defences of Sitka spruce against the weevil Hylobius abietis.

Before I came to Oxford, I completed my undergraduate in 2018 at the University of Cambridge where I studied Natural Sciences specialising in Plant and Microbial Sciences.

I'm originally from Norfolk, UK. I took a gap year before university at the John Innes Centre as a Research Assistant which is when I fell in love with all things plant! I grew up with my mum who is a primary school teacher and we traveled all around the world with her work. From Norwich to Zanzibar and many places in between but don't ask me for directions because I'm dyslexic and so I couldn't tell you where to go if I wanted to!

When I'm not in the lab you might find me out hiking, rowing or wild swimming with friends or tucked up on the sofa with a good cup of Earl Grey and a drama box set.