Professor Brian Huntley

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Brian’s interest in natural history was encouraged from an early age by his parents. His first degree was in Botany, followed by a doctoral degree studying the contemporary vegetation and vegetation history of two National Nature Reserves in the eastern Highlands. After almost five years as a post-doctoral researcher, he was appointed as a Lecturer at the University of Durham. Here he subsequently worked for the rest of his career, progressing to a Senior Lectureship and then a personal Professorship, and serving for 6 years as Head of Department. He retired in 2018, since when he holds an Emeritus Professorship. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the IUCN SSC Climate Change Specialist Group, has acted as a consultant to the Bern Convention Group of Experts on Biodiversity and Climate Change, and has been a member of various national and international working groups addressing issues related to the conservation of biological diversity in a world with a changing climate. He has published four books, over 50 book chapters, and more than 175 papers in scientific journals. His research has ranged from global in scope to studies of the Southern Alps in New Zealand, Southern Africa, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula and the European Arctic, as well as Scotland.