Kent Redford has been a practicing conservationist for thirty years, and currently is Principal at Archipelago Consulting in Portland, Maine. He is the author, with William Adams, of Strange Natures: Conservation in the Era of Synthetic Biology, a groundbreaking examination of the implications of synthetic biology for biodiversity conservation
After receiving his PhD in biology from Harvard University, Kent taught at the University of Florida. After leaving academia, he spent almost twenty years in non-governmental conservation organizations, first at The Nature Conservancy and then at the Wildlife Conservation Society. In 2012, he founded his own firm, and currently works with a variety of clients from zoos and NGOs to foundations and government agencies.
Kent has published widely on tropical conservation, the links between poverty alleviation and conservation, wildlife ecology, the effects of hunting, and the ecology of mammals. Recently, his focus has been on the interface between synthetic biology and conservation. He has helped organize three international meetings on the topic and regularly engages with students, conservationists, synthetic biologists and the public on the opportunities and threats of this significant development.