Submitted by lb503 on Mon, 12/05/2025 - 12:06
Chris Sandbrook has been appointed as the new Director of the Conservation Research Institute, with immediate effect. Chris is Professor of Conservation and Society in the Department of Geography. He is an interdisciplinary scholar, having studied conservation in zoology, biology, anthropology and geography departments. He has been working in Cambridge with the MPhil in Conservation Leadership since it was founded in 2010, giving him a deep knowledge of the different university departments and conservation organisations that are based in the David Attenborough Building and beyond.
Reflecting on the Directorship, Chris says: “It is very exciting to be taking up this important role. The institute brings together scholars working on conservation from multiple disciplines across the university. I am looking forward to working with students and staff to foster transdisciplinary research in partnership with members of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative. Together we can deliver new knowledge that has a real impact for nature – including for people.”
Chris has also been awarded the Royal Geographical Society Cuthbert Peek Award 2025. This award is given to those who "advance geographical knowledge of human impact on the environment through the application of contemporary methods, including those of earth observation and mapping". Chris says: “Receiving the Cuthbert Peek Award is a great honour that highlights the value of social research on the relationship between people and the environment at a time of crisis for the natural world. I am deeply grateful to all the students and collaborators with whom I have worked and who have made this award possible.”
Emma Mawdsley, Head of Department, is delighted. She said, “Chris is a world leading conservationist. His research and his leadership on the MPhil in Conservation Leadership are having genuine and critical impacts for global biodiversity conservation. The RGS award is wonderful recognition of this. We are also celebrating the fact Chris is taking on leadership of the Conservation Research Institute, where he will be able to lead and amplify cross-University strategic research and initiatives, including through partnerships with the many conservation institutions also quartered in the iconic David Attenborough Building”.