I received my PhD from Leeds University in 1989, and subsequently worked for the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology before moving to Aberdeen University in 2007. My research interests lie in conservation and ecology. Much of my earlier work focused on population ecology - what impact do predators, parasites and competitors have on population size and dynamics? Current research is on conservation conflicts - how do we enable coexistence between livelihoods and biodiversity conservation? I increasingly work with a variety of disciplines and stakeholders to address these issues.