Mini Profile: EJ Milner-Gulland

EJ Milner-Gulland is Director of the Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment Initiative, which launches this week at Imperial.

She completed her PhD at Imperial in 1991 and has been an academic at the College since 1999, she is Professor of Conservation Science based at the Silwood Park Campus.

EJ is pictured above with a saiga antelope, one of the subjects of her ecological research in central Asia. She is leading a new initiative for Imperial that brings together environmental researchers and teachers from across the globe.

What are the Grand Challenges?

We have identified three grand challenges; difficult and important issues for the environment and society which urgently need new fundamental and applied research in order to be tackled effectively. They are sustainable food and water supplies, managing target species in complex environments, and predicting and mitigating the effects of environmental change.

Why is Imperial’s approach to tackling these unique?

The Grand Challenges initiative aims to be an international hub which promotes creative and interdisciplinary thinking. We have world-class scientists in our team, but we aim to be more than the sum of our parts; by collaborating and reaching out to people in other disciplines and institutions, we will produce novel and innovative research with a focus on real-world impact.

How is this different to what Life Scientists at Imperial were doing before?

Actually the initiative is built upon the foundations of the Centre for Population Biology, which was a world-class research centre at Silwood Park that also emphasised workshops, visitors and training. With that centre drawing to a close in 2009, the Grand Challenges in Ecosystems and the Environment initiative has brought in new staff, at all levels, and this has led to a really exciting and forward-thinking atmosphere.

What challenge are you personally taking on?

My first challenge is to make the initiative a success! In terms my own research, I work mostly on the first two challenges, and that includes understanding how to work with local people to make bushmeat hunting sustainable ecologically and also how to improve human wellbeing as well as conserving biodiversity.

The Grand Challenge Initiative launch event takes place at Silwood Park on 24 October 2013. To find out more or get involved in the research and teaching programme, contact gceeadmin@imperial.ac.uk.