My pronouns are he/him
I am a research student within the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and Interdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS) interested in human-wildlife coexistence. In particular, the impacts of novel financing mechanisms (credits/bonds) on human coexistence with the African Lion (Panthera Leo) in Sub-saharan East Africa. My DPhil aims to explore the function of these novel financing mechanisms and their impact on local attitudes and behaviour towards Lions alongside conservation outcomes in shared landscapes. I am working with local collaborators in Natural State and Lion Landscapes to conduct both ecological and social conservation studies. A range of interdisciplinary conceptual frameworks will be used to explore the impact of novel financing mechanisms on community well-being and behaviour towards wildlife. Concerned with the holistic success of green financing, ecological impact assessments will complement social chapters to explore outcomes for conservation overall and provide a solid research base for this rapidly advancing field.
I have a MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Exeter. My research project was in collaboration with Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, where I explored opportunities and barriers for the adoption of snakebite prevention in bite risk areas of Tamil Nadu to enhance human-snake coexistence. I also hold an BSc degree in Management and Finance from the University of York, which led to previous roles in Investment Management at Goldman Sachs and Management Consulting for North Highland. Expedition and conservation experiences have shaped my research motivation. A passion for conserving venomous snakes led to extensive travel and exploration across the tropics, where I witnessed first-hand the anthropogenic pressures on wildlife and the urgent need for people to benefit meaningfully from conservation. These experiences have inspired my DPhil with WildCRU and ICCS to utilise my interdisciplinary background for the purposes of broader human-wildlife coexistence.
I also hold an Associate position at the University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC), term membership at the Explorers Club and Co-Director of Research position at the Thousand Year Trust on Cabilla Manor, Cornwall.
