Professor of Conservation & Society, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge

Professor Chris Sandbrook is Professor of Conservation & Society in the Department of Geography at the University of Cambridge. He is a political ecologist with diverse research interests around a central theme of biodiversity conservation and its relationship with society. His current research activities can be divided into three categories: (i) the relationship between conservation and development in theory and practice, (ii) the values and viewpoints of conservationists and how these influence conservation action, and (iii) the social and political implications of digital technologies for conservation.

Under the first theme Chris leads the Social Implications of 30×30 Project, with funding from the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP). Working with Post-Doctoral Research Associate Dr Javier Fajardo and a group of global experts, they are conducting analysis to explore the positive and negative implications of different approaches for scaling-up area-based conservation globally and in Uganda as a specific country case study.

Under the second theme Chris is the lead researcher on the Future of Conservation project, the first large scale global survey of values held by conservationists. He also leads the spin-off GO-FOX project, which enables groups and organisations to identify and reflect on their conservation viewpoints values. Under this theme he is also a Co-Investigator for the NERC Centre for Landscape Regeneration, working with Post-Doctoral Research Associate Dr Annette Green, who is testing the use of the Restoration Partnership Development toolkit in a range of contexts. Under the third theme, Chris focusses on social and political issues raised by the use of digital technologies in conservation, such as AI, drones and camera traps.

Professor Sandbrook is also the Director of the Conservation Research Institute, which works to foster productive interdisciplinary dialogue to address local to global biodiversity challenges. He also serves as the Director of the Masters in Conservation Leadership, which equips students with the applied leadership and management skills needed to create positive change in conservation.