I am a conservation scientist with a background in biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use. In my PhD I'm investigating the impact of land cover change on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the ASALs of East Africa, and also investigating the use of bioacoustic monitoring and soundscape ecology to assess biological diversity over large spatial and temporal scales. My research interests are diverse; Before I joined the London NERC Doctoral Training Programme I studied and worked in conservation in both the UK and further afield - from restoring peat bogs in Cumbria, radio-tracking Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) through to studying the role of earthworms in nutrient retention in tropical rainforests of Borneo. I also have an interest in wildlife sound recording and worked as a broadcast journalist for a number of years before moving into conservation sector.