Tom Oliver

Biography

Tom Oliver is Professor of Applied Ecology at the University of Reading UK. He spent four years as leader of their Ecology and Evolution research division and is now a senior Fellow with the UK government (Defra) advising on the set up of a new Systems Research Programme. This has involved advising on the design of environmental targets for the UK Environment Bill, and land use policy to achieve net zero and other outcomes. Tom has provided advice for UK funding councils and spent four years on the European Environment Agency scientific committee as a ‘socioecological systems expert’. His primary research focuses involves developing methods and tools to better quantify and communicate environmental risk to support environmental decision-making. He has published more than 90 scientific papers in world-leading interdisciplinary journals. His writing has appeared in the Guardian, Independent and BBC Science Focus and he is author of the critically acclaimed book ‘The Self Delusion: The Surprising Science of Our Connection to Each Other and the Natural World’.