Dr Alison Eyres

I am an interdisciplinary ecologist and data scientist working at the interface of evolution, conservation, and applied ecology science. My research uses large-scale datasets and quantitative approaches to understand past, present, and future biodiversity change, with a particular focus on how land-use decisions translate into extinction risk.

In my current role at the University of Cambridge, I developed the LIFE (Land-use Impacts on Future Extinctions) metric, which enables the quantification of the biodiversity impacts of land-use change in terms of expected species extinctions. A central aim of my work is to ensure that biodiversity research is policy-relevant and capable of informing real-world decision-making.

Alongside my academic research, I am a British Ecological Society Policy Fellow at the Office for Environmental Protection, where I work on the role of Protected Landscapes in delivering national and global biodiversity commitments. Prior to this, I worked at the RSPB, examining the trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and carbon outcomes associated with nature-based solutions.

A key theme underpinning my research is that understanding future biodiversity change requires an understanding of the past. To this end, I also apply macroevolutionary and paleoecological approaches to establish baselines, assess evolutionary potential, and understand how biodiversity has responded to past environmental change.

Conservation Science Group