Dr Sam Reynolds
- Assistant Research Professor
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About
I am a biologist who has slowly migrated from cells, genes and proteins; to ecosystems, climate change and food security; to applied ecology; and finally, to conservation. I am now exploring how AI-enabled tools may dramatically alter evidence synthesis of grey and published literature to inform conservation action. I am also interested in AI applications in conservation more broadly, both in terms of how they work and how we implement them responsibly and ethically.
I hold a PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge (2021), which focused on harnessing and quantifying the impacts of aquatic invasive species, and an MSc (2013) and BSc (2011) in Biological sciences from the University of Warwick.
Beyond academia, I have worked for environmental NGOs (IUCN & ClientEarth), as a nature documentary researcher (National Geographic), and as an Environmental Consultant (WSP).
I am a faculty fellow for the Digital Statecraft Academy (https://digitalstatecraft.academy/), a global hub for cultivating visionary public leaders ready to navigate the complexities of data, AI, and digital governance; and a founding member of Ai4Nature (https://ai4nature.org/), a cross-sectoral collaborative initiative to advance responsible AI applications in biodiversity data and nature recovery and enhancement.
Research
Artificial Intelligence for conservation and evidence synthesis
I am currently leading a collaboration with the Department of Computer Science and Technology to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies capable of expert-level searching, classifying and summarising to streamline the collation and analysis of evidence from published and grey literature to better inform conservation action. Additionally, I am co-designing AI tools which will allow decision makers to interact with evidence in an intuitive way. This research has led to impact and influence across academic research, academic publishing, conservation NGOs and government policy.
Following my publication in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, ‘The potential for AI to revolutionize conservation: a horizon scan’, I have been further exploring the space between cutting edge AI and conservation science/practice. I am interested in the ethical and environmental considerations of adopting AI technologies, as well as working with conservation organisations to guide responsible adoption. My research was recently covered in a Cambridge University Editorial, ‘To save nature, AI needs our help’.
Invasive species
In this role I also continue to conduct research on invasive species, following on from my PhD research. I worked on a project to co-design a prototype of the first comprehensive and centralised repository for compiling and sharing evidence on invasive species management actions. This research has involved multiple stakeholder workshops involving over 100 participants from around the world. I also guide the application of a novel method of evidence synthesis termed ‘dynamic meta-analysis’ to better understand the effectiveness of invasive species management. This work led to collaboration with Chinese academics and government to support the “Special Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Spartina (2022-2025)”, the outcomes of this work were presented in Science magazine, for which I was interviewed, and were presented to the Chinese Government.
Key publications
S. A. Reynolds et al., (2025) Will AI speed up literature reviews or derail them entirely? Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02069-w
Madahavapeddy, A.*, Reynolds, S. A*. … Crowcroft, J. (Accepted) Steps towards an Ecology for the Internet. Aarhus Conference, Computing through Crisis. (Joint first author)
Reynolds, S. A. et al., (2025) Conservation changed but not divided. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2025.04.002
Reynolds, S. A. et al., (2025) The potential for AI to revolutionise conservation: a horizon scan. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2024.11.013
Iyer, R., Christie, A., Madhavapeddy, A., Reynolds, S. A., Sutherland, W. J., Jaffer, S. (2025) Careful design of Large Language Model pipelines enables expert-level retrieval of evidence-based information from syntheses and databases. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323563
Reynolds, S. A. et al., (2023) Spartina invasive management – a review of evidence. OSF Preprint https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/3BWZX - Presented to Chinese Government and featured in Science magazine.
Brian, J.I., Reynolds, S.A. and Aldridge, D.C., (2022). Parasitism dramatically alters the ecosystem services provided by freshwater mussels. Functional Ecology. DOI 10.1111/1365-2435.14092
Reynolds, S.A. and Aldridge, D.C., (2021). Global impacts of invasive species on the tipping points of shallow lakes. Global Change Biology, 27(23), pp.6129-6138. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15893
Reynolds, S.A. and Aldridge, D.C., (2021). Impacts of invasive quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) on reservoir water quality, as revealed by progressive-change BACIPS analysis. Water Research, 197, p.117105. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117105
Reynolds, S.A. and Aldridge, D.C., (2021). Embracing the Allelopathic Potential of Invasive Aquatic Plants to Manipulate Freshwater Ecosystems. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, p.551803. DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2020.551803
