We are delighted to congratulate three members of Zoology who were recognised in the annual MPLS Impact Awards.
Congratulations to Dr Craig Thompson, awarded an Early Career Impact Award. Craig has been recognised for his work on the design and development of novel influenza vaccines for both humans and other animals. Craig said: "It's great a theoretical model developed 20 years ago within the Department has developed into a vaccine that has the real potential to prevent the illness and death caused year each by flu."
Congratulations to Dr Cedric Tan, awarded a Social Impact Award. Cedric has been recognised for his work to influence the conservation decision to protect the habitat of clouded leopards at Ulu Muda forest. On his award, Cedric said: "I am extremely proud of the team who has contributed to this achievement and I thank my team members for their achievements. It is very rewarding to see how my research can result in policy change that is beneficial for the people and the wildlife."
Congratulations to Dr Prue Addison, awarded a Social Impact Award. Prue has been recognised for her work to translate research on biodiversity measurement and management, and support more responsible business practice. Prue mentions: "I feel really honoured to have received this award. It’s great to have the University recognise the work I’ve been doing through my NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship to translate research on biodiversity measurement and management, to support more responsible business practice."
My success in achieving research impact would not have been possible without my research collaborators at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS), in particular Professor EJ Milner-Gulland (University of Oxford) and Dr Joe Bull (University of Kent). I also have received invaluable advice along the wayfrom Dr Murray Gardner (University of Oxford) about developing enduring and impactful industrial research partnerships. And of course none of this would be possible without my wonderful collaborators in business, NGOs and governments that have worked with me to co-design projects that have helped translate academic research into real world impact.
After three years of work, my colleagues and I are starting to see some real change in business practice. Our research is helping support the integration of biodiversity measurement and management into corporate-level business decision-making through a range of co-designed projects. Two projects recognised in my MPLS Award included my work with BP and the IUCN Business & Biodiversity Programme, to address current challenges faced by businesses such as: 1) developing science-based biodiversity goals, 2) identifying and developing biodiversity indicators, and 3) applying the mitigation hierarchy to manage biodiversity impacts."
My work with BP supported the development of new management guidelines to achieve ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity, which will be applied to all new major projects in the future. My work with the IUCN resulted in publishing
cross-sector guidance to support the development and use biodiversity indicators for different business applications. This is influencing improved practice by the practitioners who work with business (in civil society groups and consultancies), e.g., guidance is currently being integrated into two other international initiatives leading the development of biodiversity indicators for the extractives and finance sector. It is also supporting improved in-house development of biodiversity accounting and reporting systems by a number of multinational business."
