Biodiversity and Behavioral Science Team (BBeST)
Group mission
Our mission is to integrate cutting-edge behavioural science with biodiversity conservation to effectively influence human behaviours negatively impacting biodiversity. Through rigorous research, evidence-based interventions, and global collaboration, we aim to drive meaningful and lasting change that promotes sustainability and protects the natural world.
Group vision
Our vision is a world where human behaviours align harmoniously with biodiversity conservation, ensuring thriving ecosystems and sustainable communities. We aspire to be internationally recognised as leaders in behavioural science applications for conservation, shaping practices and policies that safeguard biodiversity for current and future generations.
Our values
Rigour
We commit to the highest standards of scientific rigour, ensuring our methodologies are robust, transparent, and replicable. Our analyses will stand up to peer scrutiny and contribute reliably to the scientific evidence base. Integrity and meticulous attention to detail underpin all aspects of our research, evaluation, and dissemination processes.
Innovation
We foster creativity and embrace innovative approaches to behavioural science and biodiversity conservation. By integrating cutting-edge technology, interdisciplinary methods, and forward-thinking practices, we strive to develop novel solutions that effectively address complex conservation challenges in diverse global contexts.
Solidarity
Our work is grounded in collaboration, empathy, and respect. Recognising that biodiversity conservation is a shared global responsibility, we aim to build inclusive, equitable partnerships with communities, policymakers, and conservation practitioners. Solidarity drives our collective action and enriches our understanding of varied social and ecological contexts.
Purpose
Our research is driven by a clear, compelling purpose—to effect meaningful, evidence-based changes that positively impact biodiversity conservation. We continuously align our projects and interventions with broader conservation goals, ensuring every activity contributes directly to sustainable outcomes and global biodiversity preservation.
Integrity
Integrity guides our actions and decisions, maintaining transparency, accountability, and ethical responsibility. We uphold honesty in communication, openness in methodologies, and fairness in collaboration. Our commitment to ethical standards ensures our research positively influences policy, public perceptions, and community practices without compromise.
Inclusivity
We value diversity in all forms and actively create inclusive environments that amplify varied voices, experiences, and knowledge systems. By welcoming perspectives from different disciplines, cultures, and communities, we enhance our research relevance, increase societal acceptance, and foster a deeper global understanding of conservation issues.
Team members
Katie Blake
Katie Blake is a DPhil Student at the University of Oxford. She is interested in how to influence public perceptions and engagement with biodiversity conservation. Her DPhil explores the role of commercial video games for this purpose, focusing on their design and impact. Learn more here: https://www.katie-blake.com/
Hsin-Cheng Ho
Hsin-Cheng is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford. She is interested in the impacts of free-roaming cats on wildlife. Her DPhil explores the competition between domestic cats and leopard cats in Taiwan, and how human activities intensify these interactions. Recognising that conservation success depends on human behaviour, her work integrates social science to design interventions that address the human practices exacerbating these threats.
Dr. Tuan Nguyen
Dr. Tuan Nguyen is a researcher at Hasselt University. He collaborates with Diogo on the World Archives of Species Perception (WASP) project—a global initiative dedicated to mapping how people perceive the diversity of life across the taxonomic tree. Tuan’s research interests span ecological economics, human–nature relationships, and biodiversity conservation, with a focus on understanding the values and perceptions that underpin support for biodiversity protection.
Dr. Reut Vardi
Dr. Reut Vardi is an Honorary Research Associate at the School of Geography and the Environment and a Junior Research Fellow in Environmental Sustainability at St. Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. Her research bridges ecological and social dimensions. Ecologically, she investigates how anthropogenic changes shape animal behaviour, physiology, and distribution. Socially, she explores digital human–nature interactions, focusing on how novel online platforms can generate new insights and opportunities for conservation.
Yuri Ribeiro
Yuri Ribeiro is a forest engineer with a MSc in natural resources and a specialization in AI and large language models. As a Research Associate at OxBio, Yuri works at the intersection of social science, culturomics, and behavioral insights to inform conservation strategies. He collaborates with NGOs and government agencies to apply data-driven approaches to understanding human–nature interactions and promoting effective conservation action. Yuri is also a member of IUCN CPSG Brazil.
Rúben Oliveira
Rúben Oliveira is a conservation ecologist working across content development, communication, environmental education, and culture in Portugal. Bridging BBeST, CE3C–ULisboa, and the NGO LPN, his PhD explores public attitudes and behaviours towards the Iberian lynx and Iberian wolf through a social science lens, aiming to understand contrasting outcomes and foster coexistence.
Past team members
Nicole Azevedo
Nicole Azevedo is a PhD candidate in Human Ecology at Nova University Lisbon. She is interested in the interface between conservation and community well-being, particularly human–wildlife coexistence and participatory approaches. Nicole’s research explores the effectiveness of local engagement strategies in fostering conservation, integrating themes such as girls’ education, agriculture, and permaculture. Her work also addresses public health challenges, notably malaria prevention and control in Mozambique. Nicole holds an MSc in Human Ecology.