Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza is a Ph.D. chemical biologist, conservation leader and National Geographic Explorer leading the global movement protecting wild pollinators and the Amazon. Raised between the Peruvian Andes and the rainforest, she bridges cutting-edge science with ancestral knowledge to drive real-world environmental change.

Her work has achieved the world’s first legal recognition of an insect’s rights, inspired national and local conservation laws, increased the value of native honey by over 500%, and helped launch new models for positive nature-based economies across Indigenous territories.

Rosa is the Founder and Executive Director of Amazon Research Internacional, working across the Amazon basin to protect biodiversity, empower communities and build climate resilience. Her leadership has been recognized by BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women (2024), the UNESCO–Al Fozan Prize for Young Scientists, Peru’s Order of Merit – the nation’s highest civilian honour, and the New Explorer Award from The Explorers Club (2025).