Which are you?
Don't forget, you can always...
Adrian is an internationally recognised academic who cares passionately about protecting the environment. With a PhD from University of Cambridge, Adrian spent time at University of Edinburgh and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) before moving to BU. He is a member of the British Ecological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, among others.
Adrian's specialist field is forests. "Most of my work focuses on analysing how different human activities affect forest biodiversity, and how effective approaches to forest conservation can be developed." This is a passion of Adrian's: "Wild forests are simply magnificent, inspiring places to visit," he says.
His work has taken him across the globe, including the tropics, East and West Africa, South East Asia and Latin America. He is currently working on research in the northern Andes and in Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), as well as in the UK. Fieldwork comes with its own set of challenges. "Within a single recent research project, for example, we had to deal with the consequences of global economic collapse, the swine 'flu outbreak, volcanic eruptions and a major earthquake," says Adrian. "None of these were anticipated at the outset so the fact that the project was completed successfully and on time is a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of the many overseas partners with whom I have been fortunate to work."
Adrian's ultimate goal – to conserve forests – is motivated further by seeing the impact his research can have in society. "This isn't easy to achieve, because conservation is very much a political endeavour," explains Adrian. "However, I've learned that research projects can have a real impact in ways that you don't necessarily expect. For example, my most recent project involved more than 100 researchers in Latin America, all working on restoration of dry forests - something that only a few of them had been involved with previously. So it has left a real legacy in terms of building a research community, which I'm sure will continue well beyond the project."
When he gets time to relax, Adrian enjoys swimming and hiking and both composing and performing experimental music.
He regards the best thing about his job as "the freedom to pursue my own interests". So what's the biggest pressing issue the world faces in his area of research right now? "The current high rates of biodiversity loss are being termed a 'global extinction crisis'." What might this mean for the future of humanity? Might it be even more important than climate change, as some have suggested? "I think that's the big question right now, and one I'm increasingly focusing on."
Find out more:
