Dr. Howard Nelson, PhD (Wisconsin-Madison), MPhil (West Indies), BSc (West Indies) is a University Affiliate Lecturer and FFI Lecturer in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge, as well as a Fellow and Acting Vice President of Lucy Cavendish College. His expertise lies in Caribbean island ecology, sustainable natural resource use, and the science-policy interface of wildlife conservation, forestry, and protected area management.

With nearly three decades of experience, Dr. Nelson has held key positions in academia, policy, and conservation. He was Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Wildlife Conservation at the University of Chester, CEO of the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad, and a biodiversity specialist for Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of the Environment. His research integrates wildlife ecology, socio-ecological conservation dynamics, and forest system responses to climate change, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Dr. Nelson serves on the Darwin Expert Committee of the UK’s DEFRA and the IPBES taskforce on knowledge and data. He has consulted for FAO, UNDP, and global NGOs such as CANARI, BirdsCaribbean, and The Global Diversity Foundation. His current work focuses on species conservation, sustainable hunting, and the climate resilience of Caribbean forests.