Search

Professor William Sutherland CBE FRS

Honorary Fellow
Evidence-based practice, Conservation, Ecological restoration
Professor and Director of Research, Department of Zoology

Professor Bill Sutherland was formerly the Miriam Rothschild Chair of Conservation Biology in the Zoology Department and is an Honorary Fellow of the College. He has written seven books and edited another five. He started as a birdwatcher and his main research interest has been in combining field observations of behaviour with theoretical models to predict the consequences of environmental change, such as changes in agricultural practice and climate change. His main current interests involve collaborating with policy makers to improve global conservation practice. This includes identifying environmental issues that have attracted insufficient attention using horizon scanning, collaborating with practitioners to identify the key knowledge gaps and establishing evidence-based conservation as a standard approach. He regularly provides advice to government and practitioners.

Häkkinen,H., Petrovan, S., Taylor, N.G., Sutherland, W.J. & Pettorelli, N. (2023). Seabirds in the North-East Atlantic. Climate Change Vulnerability and Potential Conservation Actions. Open Books.

Sutherland, W.J., Brotherton, P.N.M., Davies, Z.G., Ockendon, N. Pettorelli, N. & Vickery J.A. (eds) (2020). Conservation Research, Policy and Practice. Cambridge University Press

Sutherland, W.J. (2022). Transforming Conservation: a practical guide to evidence and decision making. Open Books.

Tyler, C., Akerlof, K.L., Allegra, A., Arnold, Z., Canino, H., Doornenbal, M.A., Goldstein, J.A., Pedersen, D.B., Sutherland, W.J. AI tools as science policy advisers? The potential and the pitfalls. Nature 622, 27-30

Sutherland, W.J. & Wordley, C.F. 2018. A fresh approach to evidence synthesis. Nature 558: 364–6.

Wauchope, H.S., Jones, J.P., Geldmann, J., Simmons, B.I., Amano, T., Blanco, D.E., Fuller, R.A., Johnston, A., Langendoen, T., Mundkur, T., Nagy, S. & Sutherland W.J.  2022. Protected areas have a mixed impact on waterbirds, but management helps. Nature, 605(7908), pp.103-107. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04617-0

2023 Fellow of Royal Society;
2023 Member of the Academia Europea;
2023 International Ecology Institute Prize in Terrestrial Ecology;
2023 Vice Chancellor's Award for Research Impact and Engagement;
2021 CBE for services to Evidence-based Conservation;
2019 Honorary Member British Ecological Society;
2016-2019 ISI Highly Cited Researcher;
2015 University of East Anglia established the ‘UEA Bill Sutherland Scholarship in Conservation Biology;
2013-2015 President British Ecological Society;
2013 Society for Conservation Biology Distinguished Service Award;
2013 The Sir John Burnett Memorial Lecture Medal;
2012 Ecological Engagement Award, British Ecological Society;
2005 Marsh Award for Conservation Biology;
2001 Marsh Award for Ecology;
1997 Scientific Medal, Zoological Society London.
2008
2024