I am an interdisciplinary researcher with a particular interest in applying social and economic research methods to solve complex conservation challenges in collaboration with local stakeholders.
I completed my PhD at the University of Oxford in 2021 on ‘Interdisciplinary approaches to shark and ray conservation’, during which I focused on understanding the socio-economic drivers of shark fishing and designing effective and equitable interventions in small-scale fisheries in Indonesia. I received the Society for Conservation Biology Early Career Researcher award (2022) for my work and was nominated by Oxford for the John C Marsden Medal for the best doctoral thesis in biology.
My current research project builds on my PhD, and focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating incentive-based approaches for marine biodiversity and human well-being outcomes in small-scale fisheries in collaboration with local NGOs and IPB University in Indonesia. I also currently work as a biodiversity strategy consultant, helping to shape private sector solutions to the biodiversity crisis.
Prior to starting my PhD, I spent over 6 years working for international conservation NGOs in East Africa and SE Asia. I also completed an MSc in Conservation Science at Imperial College London and a BA in Natural Sciences and Management Studies at the University of Cambridge. In my spare time I can usually be found surfing, lifting weights, trail running with my two rescue dogs, or reading sci-fi books.
As a post-doctoral researcher in the MCEM group, I am trying to understand if and how incentive-based approaches (such as compensatory payments or social rewards) can reduce catches of threatened marine megafauna in small-scale fisheries, whilst also maintaining or improving the well-being of coastal communities. To answer this question, I am designing and implementing a series of randomised control trials across several case study small-scale fisheries in Indonesia, in partnership with local universities and NGOs. The outcomes of this project will be used to inform future projects and policies regarding balancing trade-offs between marine conservation and coastal livelihoods. You can read more about this project here: https://mcem.web.ox.ac.uk/incentive-based-marine-conservation
