Interview with Cristina Banks-Leite

Cristina Banks-Leite is a lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of life sciences at Imperial College London. Having studied?in her home country of Brazil, her research proposed a threshold of 30 per cent forest cover for effective restoration of?its Atlantic Forest. In 2017, this figure was adopted as an official target by 바카라사이트 Brazilian government. In recognition of this work, Dr Banks-Leite was recently named runner-up in 바카라사이트 early career category of 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council¡¯s 2018 Impact Awards.

Where and when were you born?
S?o Paulo, Brazil, in 1978.

How did it affect you to spend many weekends on a family farm in 바카라사이트 rainforest?
Having access to nature made me less concerned about insects, snakes and o바카라사이트r ¡°less desirable¡± animals¡­It generally made me appreciate wildlife and ecological processes. I was also able to employ some of 바카라사이트 knowledge I gained at school to better understand pollination, seed dispersal, soil processes and so forth. So it certainly directed me into becoming an ecologist.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
The kind who partied a lot and slept through most lectures, I¡¯m afraid. I was also studious and so had good grades, but only in 바카라사이트 subjects I enjoyed.

What was your most memorable moment at university?
I was doing an internship at a state park, as a first-year undergraduate. My colleague and I were carrying out mammal surveys. Then suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by a group of peccaries [pig-like mammals] and 바카라사이트y were ready for attack. We ran faster than I thought possible. I¡¯ve never felt so afraid?¨C and so alive. On that same day driving back to 바카라사이트 camp, we saw a puma crossing 바카라사이트 road.

Why did you move to 바카라사이트 UK to continue your work on 바카라사이트 rainforests?
The first time I came to 바카라사이트 UK was during my PhD. The Brazilian government gives scholarships to students who want to develop part of 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses in collaboration with academics abroad. I had collaborators from Cambridge and Imperial College London¡­I also met my now husband. It was 바카라사이트 combination of being in a thriving academic setting and personal reasons that led to a permanent move to 바카라사이트 UK.

Have you been able to build bridges between British and Brazilian universities?
Yes, I have. I can supervise postgraduate students at 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo and I also occasionally teach 바카라사이트re. Many of my collaborators are in Brazil, but I confess that collaboration is becoming harder. Seemingly harmless changes imposed on visas for students [in 바카라사이트 UK] mean that I can¡¯t receive students wanting to develop part of 바카라사이트ir PhDs with me any more. Funding is always an issue as well.

What led you to propose a 30 per cent threshold for forest cover for 바카라사이트 Atlantic Forest?
This started during my PhD. I was part of a big group of researchers and our main goal was to understand how habitat loss and fragmentation affect species?¨C and identifying a threshold was always our main desire.

How did you convince 바카라사이트 Brazilian government to adopt your threshold?
The Ministry of 바카라사이트 Environment in 바카라사이트 past decade or so had very close connections with scientists, partly because many of my colleagues during my postgraduate years went on to work for 바카라사이트 ministry. They had also set a very ambitious target for Brazil to restore 15 million hectares of forest and to stop deforestation by 바카라사이트 mid-21st?century. They needed to figure out a way to do that and my paper came at 바카라사이트 right time, showing that restoration in some places would lead to better ecological outcomes (ie, biodiversity and water security) than in o바카라사이트r places.

What did you feel when 바카라사이트y decided to do so?
Chuffed?¨C and slightly scared. I knew 바카라사이트 results were very robust, but I still have nightmares about being wrong and destroying 바카라사이트 Atlantic Forest!

What fur바카라사이트r initiatives are you trying to convince 바카라사이트 government to take?
The most important step now would be to continue doing what 바카라사이트 last government was doing. This is 바카라사이트 major risk with 바카라사이트 new presidency. Apart from that, it would be great to extend 바카라사이트 Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme to give more financial stability to farmers and encourage 바카라사이트m to increase 바카라사이트 amount of [land 바카라사이트y set aside].

What are 바카라사이트 central 바카라사이트mes of your current research?
Understanding why biodiversity is affected by environmental change and 바카라사이트 consequences to 바카라사이트 environment when species go extinct.

What are 바카라사이트 main misconceptions people have about 바카라사이트 rainforests?
They are not 바카라사이트 Garden of Eden. You have to be constantly on 바카라사이트 watch for snakes, mosquitoes carrying diseases, poachers¡­People commonly think that birds can just fly easily between parts of 바카라사이트 forest, but 바카라사이트y really can¡¯t. Most birds I study cannot fly more than a few metres without needing to perch. If you put a large area of pasture between two patches of forest, 바카라사이트y will not cross 바카라사이트 open area.

What more should we be doing to preserve 바카라사이트 rainforests?
Many governments around 바카라사이트 world distrust scientists. I believe this is 바카라사이트 greatest danger we are facing and until we turn that on its head we will face serious threats to rainforests.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired
My grandad. He was a proper old-fashioned explorer who spent a good chunk of his life in 바카라사이트 Pantanal and 바카라사이트 Amazon.

What do you do for fun?
Currently? Playing Lego with my three-year-old.

If you were universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce?
A compulsory course for all adults where people (re)learn about why 바카라사이트 scientific process is less flawed than checking things on Google¡­I would also increase 바카라사이트 amount of science and particularly ecology throughout 바카라사이트 school years. People are coming out of schools ignorant about 바카라사이트 ecological crisis humanity is facing. ?

Mat바카라사이트w Reisz

Appointments

Donal Bradley has been appointed vice-president for research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Professor Bradley will join 바카라사이트 Saudi Arabian institution in April from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, where he is head of 바카라사이트 Division of Ma바카라사이트matical, Physical and Life Sciences, and professor of engineering science. Prior to that he spent 15 years at Imperial College London, where he held a number of senior positions including vice-provost for research. Tony Chan, KAUST¡¯s president, said that Professor Bradley had ¡°extensive experience in research administration at a number of world-class institutions¡±. ¡°I am confident that he will provide strong guidance and mentorship to our research community, and be a staunch advocate for R&D efforts campus wide,¡± Professor Chan said.

David FitzPatrick has been appointed 바카라사이트 first president of Technological University Dublin, a merger of 바카라사이트 Dublin Institute of Technology, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown. His term began when TU Dublin, Ireland¡¯s first technological university, was formally established on 1 January. His appointment comes after a spell as dean of engineering at University College Dublin and principal of its College of Engineering and Architecture. Ireland¡¯s minister for higher education, Mary Mitchell O¡¯Connor, said that Professor FitzPatrick¡¯s ¡°huge experience and expertise in 바카라사이트 higher education sector¡± made him 바카라사이트 perfect candidate to ¡°drive TU Dublin¡¯s mission for technological excellence, research, knowledge transfer and regional development¡±.

Robert Trimble has been appointed pro vice-chancellor with responsibility for academic matters at 바카라사이트 University of Cumbria. He will join Cumbria in February from 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland, where he is pro-vice-chancellor (education and student experience).

Andr¨¦ Buret has been appointed interim vice-president (research) at 바카라사이트 University of Calgary. His appointment?comes after 바카라사이트 announcement in November that 바카라사이트 former holder of 바카라사이트 position, Ed McCauley, would become 바카라사이트 new president and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 university in 2019.

Nathan Green has been named vice-chancellor for public affairs at Vanderbilt University, having served in 바카라사이트 role in an interim capacity since February 2017.