EDUCATION
| 2016 – 2020 | Ph.D., University of Sheffield, UK (Centre for Advanced Biological Modelling) Supervisors: Prof David Edwards & Dr James Gilroy Understanding the impacts of tropical selective logging on ecological mechanisms. Investigated the impacts of tropical selective logging on ecological mechanisms that underpin biodiversity change, to determine the long-term conservation value of these logged forests. (Cosset et al. 2019; 2020; 2021; Cosset et al. in review) |
| 2012 – 2016 | Master of Biological Science (MBiolSci) Zoology (1st class), University of Sheffield, UK. Supervisor: Prof David Edwards Final Year Project: “The effects of rehabilitating logged tropical forests on avian phylogenetic and functional diversity.” (Cosset & Edwards, 2017) |
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
| 2024 – present | Applied Ecology & Conservation Consultant – The Biodiversity Consultancy, UK. |
| 2022 – 2024 | Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Florida, USA. Ewel Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Ecology and Environmental Science in the Tropics and Subtropics. Guiding reforestation initiatives in Madagascar using ecologically informed landscape connectivity models and spatial prioritization. Collaborative work with Madagascar National Parks and Centre ValBio. |
2022 – 2024 | Visiting Researcher – University of Sheffield, UK. Research collaboration on forest restoration experiment using liana cutting in Borneo, long-term mist-netting project in Borneo and environmental impacts of armed-conflict in Colombia. |
| 2021 – 2022 | Research Analyst – University of Sheffield, UK. Investigated the impacts of the armed-conflict in Colombia on multiple ecosystem benefits, as part of the Colombia Bio Resources programme. Integrated research across the five UK projects hosted at The University of Sheffield, University of York, University of Exeter, King’s College London, and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH). (Cosset et al. in prep) |
| 2018 – 2024 | Research Expedition Coordinator – Conservation Field Studies International (Voluntary position) Organise and conduct botanical research expeditions, in collaboration with the Oman Botanic Garden, to survey endangered and understudied plant species across Oman. Facilitate knowledge transfer and capacity building activities. |
| 2013 – 2016 | Research Assistant – University of Sheffield, UK. • 2014 – 2016: Long term avian mist-netting project in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. (Messina et al. 2020, 2021; Cosset et al. 2021; Cosset et al. in review) PI: Prof David Edwards & Ms. Suzanne Tomassi • 2014: Data collection and management for tropical land-use change study on birds. PI: Prof David Edwards & Dr Umesh Srinivasan • 2013 – 2014: Preliminary point count surveys of urban avifauna in Malaysia. PI: Dr Karl Evans |
GRANT & AWARDS
| 2023 | IdeaWild Grant (USD$1 480) – Postdoc Fellowship fieldwork |
| 2022 | Ewel Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (USD$138 000) – University of Florida |
| 2022 | British-Omani Society grant (£6 000) – Oman Botanical Research Expedition funding (Conservation Field Studies International) |
| 2019 | British-Omani Society grant (£8 380) – Oman Botanical Research Expedition funding (Conservation Field Studies International) |
| 2018 | Rufford Booster Grant (£9 489)(The Rufford Foundation) – PhD fieldwork funding. |
| 2017 | Rufford 2nd Small Grant (£4 945) (The Rufford Foundation) – PhD fieldwork funding. |
| 2016 | Rufford Small Grant (£4 918) (The Rufford Foundation) – PhD fieldwork funding. |
| 2016 | The Sheffield Graduate Award (University of Sheffield) – Commitment to personal growth. |
| 2016 | J.D. Jones Prize in Zoology (£150) (University of Sheffield) – Best zoological project work. |
| 2016 | Faculty Undergraduate Scholarship (£2 000) (University of Sheffield) – Sustained academic achievement. |
| 2016 | Best Society Volunteering Initiative (University of Sheffield) – Sheffield University Birdwatching Society’s UK bird conservation workshops in primary schools. |
| 2015 | Righ Scholarship (£2 000) (University of Sheffield) – Mist-netting fieldwork in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. |
| 2015 | Scurfield Memorial Bursary (£500) (University of Sheffield) – Mist-netting fieldwork in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. |
| 2015 | Faculty Undergraduate Scholarship (£2 000) (University of Sheffield) – Academic Achievement in the Third Year. |
| 2014 | Faculty Undergraduate Scholarship (£2 000) (University of Sheffield) – Academic Achievement in the Second Year. |
| 2013 | Faculty Undergraduate Scholarship (£2 000) (University of Sheffield) – Academic Achievement in the First Year. |
TEACHING & PUBLIC OUTREACH
| 2021 – 2022 | Science Consultant Involved in creative collaborations for science communication projects. • Hearing Extinction & Audiological Relapse (HEAR) art-science exhibition, UK. • ‘Life Game’ species extinctions exhibition at Festival of the Mind, UK. |
| 2021 – 2022 | STEM Ambassador, UK |
| 2016 – 2020 | Graduate Teaching Assistant – University of Sheffield • Teaching Assistant (Department of Animal & Plant Science – APS) Modules: – R and statistics course for 1st year & 2nd year undergraduates. – Tropical field course for 2nd year undergraduates. – First year practical (APS 135) squirrel behaviour project. • Teaching Assistant (Department of Biomedical Sciences) Module: R and statistics course for 1st year undergraduates. • Facilitator (Faculty of Science Breaking Boundaries module) Preparing and running tutorial sessions (total 36 1st year undergraduates); Assessing individual contributions. • Facilitator (APS departmental Open Day) Preparing and running lab demos for prospective undergraduate students. |
| 2015 – 2018 | Outreach Volunteer • Organised outreach activities for the Edwards lab with collaborations from other labs at ‘Discovery Night’, University of Sheffield, UK. • Science Brainwaves, University of Sheffield, UK. • Christmas Lecture, University of Sheffield, UK. • Curator at Alfred Denny Museum, University of Sheffield, UK. • Ran workshops about UK bird conservation in local primary schools with the Sheffield University Bird Watching Society as part of the RSPB Big Schools Bird Watch initiative. |
MENTORING
| 2023 – present | MSc | Andrianalijaona Najoro Jean Chatain – University of Antananarivo, Madagascar |
| 2023 – present | BSc | Bella Gonzalez – University of Florida, USA Impacts of forest fragmentation on Malagasy bird behavior. |
| 2023 – present | BSc | Marina Marquis – (UF Scholars Program) University of Florida, USA The consequences of water loss on the decision making and performance of Malagasy frogs. |
| 2023 – present | BSc | Ashley Walford – University of Florida, USA The effects of traits and phylogeny on water loss in Malagasy frogs. |
| 2023 – present | BSc | John Boyle – University of Florida, USA The effects of traits and phylogeny on water loss in Malagasy frogs. |
| 2021 – present | BSc | Zachary Chu – University of Sheffield, UK Effects of tree diversity and liana infestation on soundscapes in logged tropical forests. (Chu et al. accepted) |
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
| Committees | • 2018-2020: PhD student representative, Faculty of Science Graduate School Committee (University of Sheffield, UK) • 2018-2019: Treasurer, Sustainability Committee (University of Sheffield, UK) • 2017-2020: PhD student representative, Animal and Plant Sciences Graduate Committee (University of Sheffield, UK) |
| Peer reviewer | ● Journal of Ecology ● Biological Conservation ● Biodiversity and Conservation ● Forest Ecology and Management ● Oecologia ● IBIS ● Current Landscape Ecology Reports ● International Journal of Biometeorology ● Journal for Nature Conservation |
| Professional affiliations | • British Ecological Society (BES) • Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) |
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
| 2022 – present | • Departmental Seminars – IFAS, University of Florida, USA. • Tropilunch Seminars – Tropical Conservation & Development Program, University of Florida, USA. |
| 2023 | • Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Associate Certificate – Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Florida, USA. |
| 2023 | • The Postdoc Academy: (Edx Course) Building Skills for a Successful Career – USA |
| 2016 – 2022 | • Departmental Seminars – School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK. |
| 2020 – 2021 | • Political Ecology Reading Group Meetings – University of Sheffield, UK. |
| 2016 – 2020 | • Doctoral Development Programme – University of Sheffield, UK. Research Ethics & Integrity; Data management; Advanced statistics; Science in Policy; Public Engagement; Science and the Media; Networking skills; Career management; Research impact; Science and Innovation. |
| 2015 – 2016 | Sustainability Skills and Education Programme – University of Sheffield, UK. |
SKILLS
| Data Analysis | Advanced statistical and modelling techniques: Bayesian methods, Frequentist methods, Spatial analysis. |
| Coding Languages | R & Python |
| GIS | ArcGIS & Google Earth Engine. |
| Language Skills | English (mother language), Malay (fluent), French (conversant), Spanish (basic), Malagasy (basic) |
INVITED TALKS
| 2020 | The impacts of tropical selective logging on ecological processes. Ecology and Conservation Seminar Series, University of Sheffield, UK. |
CONFERENCES
- Cosset, C.C.P., Cifuentes, E., Feldpausch, T., Urrego, D., White, P., Alterio, H., Gerard, F., Dawson, T. & Edwards, D.P. (2022) How has the peace agreement affected forests & ecosystem benefits? Bogota, Colombia. Oral presentation at the ColombiaBio: Potential uses and prospects conference.
- Cosset, C.C.P., Gerard, F., Dawson, T., Feldpausch, T., Urrego, D., White, P., Alterio, H. & Edwards, D.P. (2021) Understanding the changing states of Colombia’s land cover, multiple ecosystem benefits and socioeconomic factors following the peace agreement. Pre-recorded talk at the 2021 Virtual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC).
- Cosset, C.C.P., Gilroy, J.J., Tomassi, S., Benedick, S., … , & Edwards, D.P. (2020) The impacts of tropical selective logging on demographic processes. Twitter presentation at the Bio-Diverse Festival & Conservation Optimism Twitter Conference 2020.
- Cosset, C.C.P., Gilroy, J.J., Tomassi, S., Benedick, S., … , & Edwards, D.P. (2020) The impacts of tropical selective logging on demographic processes. Pre-recorded talk at the online Bio-diverse Festival 2020.
- Cosset, C.C.P., Gilroy, J.J., Tomassi, S., Benedick, S. & Edwards, D.P. (2019) Understanding the impacts of tropical selective logging on avian movement patterns. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Oral presentation at the 29th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB), Society for Conservation Biology.
- Cosset, C.C.P., Gilroy, J.J., Tomassi, S., Benedick, S. & Edwards, D.P. (2019) Avian movement patterns after selective logging in Borneo. Edinburgh, UK. Poster presentation at joint meeting of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) and the British Ecological Society Tropical Ecology Group (BESTEG).
- Cosset, C.C.P. & Edwards, D.P. (2018) How does restoring logged tropical forests affect biodiversity. Kuching, Malaysia. Oral presentation at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Annual Meeting.
Dr Cindy Cosset 