People

The Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity brings together researchers from disciplines and departments across the University of York's three faculties and from partner organisations in Australia, Canada and Scotland.

Through collaborative, interdisciplinary working our researchers aim to develop an improved understanding of biodiversity gains, as well as losses, and inform and influence how society responds to these changes.

Contact us

Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity
lcab-enquiries@york.ac.uk
@AnthropoceneBio

Directorate	The Directorate lead on Centre development to ensure we meet our aims of delivering interdisciplinary, novel research into Anthropocene biodiversity.
	Professor Chris Thomas, Director - I am interested in understanding biological and human processes that give rise to species being successful, the ways people exploit them, and the ways successful species exploit humans.
	Professor Kate Pickett, Associate Director - My research focuses on the impact of socioeconomic inequality on the health and wellbeing of people, communities and the environment.
	Professor Mark Jenner, Associate Director - I am committed to interdisciplinary work which relates archival research to theoretical concerns and current work within anthropology, literary studies and social theory.
The Research Strategy Group - Along with the Directorate, the Research Strategy Group oversees development and progress of the research programmes.
	Dr Maria Azeredo de Dornelas - My research focuses on quantifying biodiversity and understanding the processes that shape it.
	Professor Robert Costanza - My research integrates the study of humans and the rest of nature to address research, policy and management issues.
	Dr Kanchon Dasmahapatra - I apply genetic and genomic data to understand interesting evolutionary questions, in particular the causes of speciation.
	Dr Alison Dyke - I work on nature-society relations, particularly focused on interactions between humans and trees, biosecurity, plant health and wild harvest.
	Professor Jean Grugel - My research interests focus on the inter-related fields of global development, political economy, global governance and human rights.
	Professor Jane Hill - I study the impacts of climate change and habitat loss on species to understand their responses to environmental change.
	Professor Ida Kubiszewski - My research focuses on ecological economics from a range of perspectives linked to wellbeing; such as the value of sustainable land management and links between natural capital and business resilience.
	Professor Nicky Milner - My research is highly interdisciplinary and mainly focuses on the Mesolithic period. Palaeodiet and consumption practices are among my interests, along with settlement, mobility and the analysis of seasonality information.
	Professor Helen Smith - My current research includes an exploration of early modern materiality, tracing the liveliness of matter and making the case for literature as a means of engaging with and assaying the world around us.
	Professor Susan Stepney - A major strand of my research is computational simulation of complex systems, in particular, biological systems.
	Professor Lindsay Stringer - My research is conceptually anchored in intellectual areas including global environmental governance, political ecology and socio-ecological systems science.
	Professor Matthew Thomas - My research is conceptually anchored in intellectual areas including global environmental governance, political ecology and socio-ecological systems science.
	Dr Chris West - My current research focuses on the role of commodity trade and supply chains in driving environmental change.
	Professor Mark Vellend - My research focuses on plant population and community responses to environmental change.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
	Dr Sarah Bezan - My research demonstrates how contemporary creative representations of species loss and revival are radically reshaping cultural imaginaries of the Anthropocene.
	Dr Tadhg Carroll - I investigate biodiversity change in Anthropocene environments, with the aim of understanding why some places are gaining species, while others are losing them.
	Dr Brennen Fagan - My research aims to understand the sensitivity of food webs to translocations so that artificial food webs can be engineered safely and reliably.
	Dr Jack Hatfield - My research background is in community and landscape ecology, investigating how species communities are altered by land-use change.
	Dr Tabitha Kabora - My research explores human and environment interactions within the Holocene and Anthropocene with a focus on biodiversity, sustainability and large-scale landscape modifications.
	Dr Harrie Neal - The overarching arm of my research project explores the ways in which non-native species have been historically characterised and constructed.
	Dr Michael Stratigos - My research is interested in past human relationships to wetland environments, in particular characterising and quantifying land-use changes.
	Dr Caroline Ward - I am an environmental social scientist, interested in understanding the relationships between improving human well-being and achieving conservation goals.
	Dr Anna Woodhead - I am looking at how ecosystem services are co-produced within social-ecological systems and the implications of environmental change for these processes.
PhD Students
	Jonathan Gordon - My PhD research will use a range of biological and archaeological datasets to examine past human impact on biodiversity over the Anthropocene.
	Louisa Mamalis - During my PhD research I will explore the theme of landscape level change and its impacts on biodiversity. Funded by NERC ACCE DTP (2020-2024)
	Melissa Minter - My PhD research project studies the genetics of retreating populations of montane/northern butterfly species in Britain. Funded by NERC iCASE NPIF.
	Alex Payne - My PhD project focuses on how past human interactions have influenced shifts in both diversity and distribution, particularly using Rhododendron.
	Joshua Sammy - For my PhD, I am investigating the ways in which insect distributions in the UK have changed, and whether and how this has been influenced by human land use. Funded by NERC ACCE DTP and the RHS.

The External Advisory Group will provide annual, independent feedback and advice, from a wide range of perspectives, on research activity.

	‌Professor Sue Hartley (Chair) Vice-President for Research, University of Sheffield Read more about Sue
	Nnimmo Bassey Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation Read more about Nnimmo
	Professor Mike Hulme Geography, University of Cambridge Read more about Mike
	Professor Melissa Leach Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex Read more about Melissa
	Professor Harriet Ritvo History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Read more about Harriet

We will draw on the knowledge and expertise of University of York associates whose research areas dovetail with the work of the Centre. Any academic working on a complementary area is welcome to become an associate of the Centre.

	‌Dr Colin Beale Biology Read Colin's profile
	Professor Neil Carter Politics Read Neil's profile
	Dr Sabine Clarke History Read Sabine's profile
	Professor Helen Cowie History Read Helen's profile
	Professor Calvin Dytham Biology Read Calvin's profile
	Professor Jonathan Finch Archaeology Read Jonathan's profile
	Dr Daniel Franks Computer Science Read Daniel's profile
	Dr Richard Friend Environment and Geography Read Richard's profile
	Professor Stephen Holland Philosophy Read Stephen's profile
	Professor Jeff Jia Management Read Jeff's profile
	Dr Jasper Kenter Environment and Geography Read Jasper's profile
	Dr Inês Martins University of St Andrews Read Inês' profile
	Dr Cade McCall Psychology Read Cade's profile
	Dr David Orton Archaeology Read David's profile
	Dr Rachel Pateman Stockholm Environment Institute Read Rachel's profile
	Dr Jon Pitchford Mathematics Read Jon's profile
	Dr Phil Platts Environment and Geography Read Phil's profile
	Dr Darren Reed Sociology Read Darren's profile
	Dr Amanda Rees Sociology Read Amanda's profile
	Dr Chris Renwick History Read Chris's profile
	Dr Indrajit Roy Politics Read Indrajit's profile
	Dr Katherine Selby Environment and Geography Read Katherine's profile
	Dr Freya Sierhuis English and Related Literature Read Freya's profile
	Dr Daryl Stump Archaeology, Environment and Geography Read Daryl's profile
	Dr Julia Touza-Montero Environment and Geography Read Julia's profile
	Dr Kevin Walsh Archaeology Read Kevin's profile
	Dr Lizzie Wandrag Biology Read Lizzie's profile
	Dr Sarah West Stockholm Environment Institute Read Sarah's profile
	Professor Piran White Environment and Geography Read Piran's profile
	Dr Jamie Wood Mathematics Read Jamie's profile

Contact us

Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity
lcab-enquiries@york.ac.uk
@AnthropoceneBio