William James Sutherland is a distinguished leader in conservation biology whose career has been defined by bridging scientific research with practical conservation policy. He currently serves as Director of Research at the University of Cambridge Department of Zoology a position that follows his tenure as the Miriam Rothschild Professor of Conservation Biology. Educated at the University of East Anglia BSc and Liverpool Polytechnic PhD where he completed his thesis on Oystercatchers and cockles a predatory prey study in 1980 Sutherland has dedicated his career to advancing evidence based approaches in conservation science. His leadership extends to his role as President of the British Ecological Society from 2013 to 2015 and his position as an Honorary Fellow at St Catharine's College Cambridge.
Sutherland's most significant contribution lies in his pioneering development of evidence based conservation methodologies that have transformed how conservation decisions are made globally. His creation of ConservationEvidence.com which reviews evidence for over 3155 conservation actions represents an industrial scale collation of scientific evidence that practitioners can directly apply to real world conservation challenges. His theoretical work linking behavior and population ecology through game theory models was synthesized in his influential Oxford University Press monograph From Individual Behaviour to Population Biology. Sutherland has also led horizon scanning exercises that identify future priority issues across multiple disciplines including ecology poverty prevention and global agriculture resulting in his identification of 100 important questions that guide research agendas worldwide. With over 23955 citations and an i10 index of 277 his research on bird population ecology and the biodiversity impacts of agricultural practices has established foundational knowledge for sustainable land management.
Recognized with a CBE in 2021 for services to evidence based conservation and the 2023 Vice Chancellor's Award for Research Impact and Engagement Sutherland's influence extends beyond academia into global conservation policy. His edited open access book Transforming Conservation a Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making has become a standard reference for practitioners seeking to implement evidence based approaches in their work. Sutherland regularly advises government agencies and conservation organizations worldwide ensuring that scientific evidence directly informs policy decisions that affect biodiversity conservation. His current research continues to focus on horizon scanning to identify emerging environmental issues and developing tools to embed evidence into conservation decision making processes. As one of the world's leading voices in conservation science Sutherland remains committed to transforming how conservation practice is conducted globally through rigorous evidence and systematic approaches.
