Alexandre Antonelli

Background

About Alexandre Antonelli

My life’s work revolves around understanding and protecting biodiversity to ensure a thriving planet for people and nature. My main job is to lead a team of 900+ scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew working in more than 100 countries. In addition I'm a Professor in Biodiversity and Systematics at the University of Gothenburg, Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford, and Distinguished Scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I’m also proud to serve the conservation and science community as a Trustee of WWF International; member of the International Expert Advisory Panel to IUCN, the Conservation Advisory Panel of the World Land Trust, the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits, the Calleva Research Centre, the Science Advisory Board of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Advisory Group on Technical and Scientific Cooperation for the Convention on Biological Diversity; and editor for the journals New Phytologist and Plants People Planet. As Founder and Chair of the Antonelli Foundations for Biodiversity Research and Conservation and Principal Investigator of the Atlantic Forest Research and Conservation Alliance, I focus on studying and preserving one of the most diverse yet threatened ecosystems on Earth. Over the years, I’ve had the honour of being recognised as a Fellow of several scientific and conservation societies, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Biology. Earlier in my career, I founded the Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre and enjoyed a stint as a Cisneros Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. I’m particularly fascinated by how we can use cutting-edge tools like artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and genomics to solve environmental challenges faster and smarter. My research often brings me to the tropics, where biodiversity—and its threats—are at their peak. I’ve authored over 250 peer-reviewed articles, and my first popular science book,"The Hidden Universe: Adventures in Biodiversity", aims to share the wonders of nature with everyone. Writing it was a journey—one that made me appreciate storytelling as much as science. When I’m not immersed in work, I’m either running in a forest, exploring nature with my family, or sneaking plants and fungi into casual conversations. To learn more about my work please visit: http://antonelli-lab.net & hl=sv