Dr. Siljo Joseph

Dr. Siljo Joseph, scientist, KFRI

Dr. Siljo Joseph

Junior Scientist/Scientist B

Dr Siljo Joseph graduated in Botany from Mahatma Gandhi University (Kerala) and post-graduation in Plant Sciences from Bharathiar University (Tamil Nadu) as a Rank holder in both. He commenced his research on lichens in 2009, focusing his master’s dissertation on "Studies on the Lichen Flora of the Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu”. After completing post-graduation, he was selected as a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) and Senior Research Fellow under the Flora of India Project by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and holds a Ph.D. in Botany (Lichens) from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. So far, he has described 15 new species, 120 species new to India, and three new combinations. He has contributed over 50 research papers in peer-reviewed journals. A species of Synarthonia, Synarthonia josephiana Van den Broeck & Ertz from Madagascar, has been dedicated to him in honour of his contributions to Arthoniales.