iLEAPS Interview Series

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Sebastian Leuzinger is a broadly interested plant ecologist working at the interface of experimental and modelling work. Coming from an ecophysiological background (plant - atmosphere relations), he is increasingly interested in meta-analyses and overarching trends in the response of plants to global change drivers. More specifically, he is researching how an increase in atmospheric CO2 can cause plant communities to change through the less known indirect effects operating via soil moisture savings. He is involved in a number of international efforts to synthesise global results from elevated CO2 experiments. On a smaller scale, he is interested in how plants transport water and how this relates to carbon exchange and storage. Mangroves provide a great model ecosystems for this purpose, as they are mature forests, yet accessible and located in very homogenous conditions. 

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Dr. Ravindra Khaiwal, a distinguished figure in the field of Environmental Health and Public Health. Dr. Khaiwal is currently holding the esteemed position of ‘Professor of Environmental Health’ at the Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health (DCM&SPH), PGIMER, Chandigarh. With an illustrious career spanning both academia and research, he has made significant contributions to the understanding of environmental health risks, air pollution, and climate change adaptation strategies.

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Dr. Yamagiwa graduated from the Faculty of Science at Kyoto University, followed by a doctoral program at the Graduate School of Science in the same university.  After working as a visiting researcher at the Karisoke Research Center in the Republic of Rwanda. He also worked as a researcher at the Japan Monkey Center, an assistant at the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, an assistant professor and professor at the Graduate School of Science at Kyoto University. He then became the Dean of the Graduate School of Science and the Dean of the Faculty of Science, and was the 26th President of Kyoto University. He is now the director of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature.  He specialises in Human Evolution and engaged in socio-ecological research on wild Japanese macaques in Yakushima and wild gorillas throughout Africa.  

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Dr. Boileau is currently the Head of the Global Environment Outlook programme at the UN Environment Programme.  In this role he is leading his team and over 200 experts to complete the seventh edition of the Global Environment Outlook, or GEO-7.  This more solutions-focused assessment, will build off of the findings of the sixth Global Environment Outlook, published in March, 2019, as well as 6 regional environmental assessments, published in May, 2016, which Pierre also led.  Pierre’s team is also increasing its work with GEO collaborating centres and providing supporting services to Member States and other stakeholders in the areas of capacity building, knowledge generation and support for policy making.