Our Team

Dr. James Ball is the Academic Programme Lead for Cambridgeshire Cultural Exchange Centre and a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Conservation Research Institute and the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. 

With an academic background spanning several prestigious institutions, Dr. Ball has established himself as an expert in the fields of forest ecology, remote sensing, and conservation technology.

Dr. Ball's academic journey began at the University of Oxford, where he earned an MPhys in Physics, focusing his thesis on the optical properties of volcanic ash, a study later published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. His early interest in environmental science and climate change led him to pursue an MSc in Environmental Technology at Imperial College London, where he graduated with distinction, ranking first in his class. His master’s thesis, which explored spatial conservation planning in the Ecuadorian Amazon, was published in Conservation Biology.

Dr. Ball completed his PhD in Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a NERC studentship. His doctoral research, supervised by renowned experts Prof. David Coomes and Dr. Gregoire Vincent, broke new ground in understanding tropical forest dynamics through the integration of remote sensing and deep learning. His innovative approaches have contributed significantly to the field, particularly in the automatic delineation of tree crowns using cutting-edge computer vision techniques. His research has been published in several high impact international journals including Nature, Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, and Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Dr. Ball's research has also involved extensive fieldwork in tropical forests across French Guiana and Indonesia, using on the ground findings to further our understanding of forest ecology, restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Beyond his research, Dr. Ball is an accomplished educator and mentor, having supervised numerous students at the University of Cambridge and AgroParisTech in French Guiana. His dedication to teaching was recognized with a nomination for the Janet Moore Prize in 2023. He has also developed and led practical courses on remote sensing and statistical analysis, helping to equip the next generation of scientists with the tools needed to address complex environmental challenges. He has delivered presentations at major conferences worldwide, including the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting and the Living Planet Symposium. His work has also garnered attention beyond academia, with features in publications such as Nature.

Dr. Ball’s career is characterized by a commitment to advancing scientific understanding and applying innovative technologies to solve pressing environmental issues. His interdisciplinary expertise, from deep learning to conservation planning, places him at the forefront of ecological research, with a clear impact on both academic knowledge and real-world conservation efforts.

Iris is a researcher at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology where she investigates the consequences different food system trajectories for biodiversity and evaluates potential conservation strategies. She is interested in interdisciplinary research topics that may help us reconcile biodiversity conservation and human needs. Her work explores how landscapes can be optimally managed for the benefit of both biodiversity and livelihoods, quantifying the changing state of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, and understanding and tackling the underlying drivers of biodiversity decline.

Iris also holds an MSc from the University of Oxford in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management; she is a National Geographic Explorer and compliments her vast experience in conducting overseas field assessments with cutting-edge modelling and system analyses. She has had a life-long passion for nature, conservation science and the outdoors. Spanning five continents, her research fieldwork has included conducting bird surveys in a previously unexplored forest in Sumatra, identifying ecological corridors in Brazil and Guinea, and assessing chimpanzee habitat quality in Uganda. Iris has also managed to squeeze in occasional non-academic adventures – cycling across Bolivia, trekking in Tajikistan, and trail-running in Kenya.

Dr. Seth Flaxman is an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford in the Department of Computer Science and a Tutorial Fellow at Jesus College. His research focuses on machine learning methods and the application of artificial intelligence to public policy and social science. His work has had an impact in a broad range of domains including public health, forest conservation, crime prevention, and voting patterns.

Prof. Flaxman earned a BA in Mathematics and Computer Science from Harvard and completed a PhD in Machine Learning and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to his position at Oxford, he held academic roles at Imperial College London, where he was a key part of the Imperial College COVID-19 response team (modelling the spread of the disease to inform UK Government Policy).

He has worked with the World Health Organisation, Microsoft Research and received a Samsung AI Researcher of the Year Award. With colleagues in the UK, Denmark, Germany, and Singapore, Prof. Flaxman runs the Machine Learning & Global Health Network. Prof. Flaxman has taught a wide range of courses at university level; his engaging teaching style and ability to simplify complex concepts have made him a favourite among students (see  What is Machine Learning? ).

Website: https://sethrf.com/

Nelson is an accomplished agronomist and horticultural consultant with extensive experience in managing and developing horticultural businesses in Chile and England. Nelson specialises in sustainable farming systems and environmental remediation having completed his postgraduate studies at Imperial College London and gained extensive experience in bioengineering project management through collaborations with organisations such as BAA, The Environment Agency, Cam Conservators as well as civil engineering and construction companies.

With over 12 years of experience in civil engineering, Nelson has played a pivotal role in the BAA Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 project, overseeing the production of more than 160,000 native wildflowers grown in coir to promote habitats and control erosion. He also contributed to a successful initiative by the Environment Agency to reintroduce the nationally scarce Great Water Parsnip, propagating over 1,000 plants from just 15 specimens.

As an independent horticulture and landscape consultant for over 10 years, he designs environmentally friendly solutions and have worked on projects that integrate green spaces in urban settings. Nelson is passionate about educating communities on sustainable agriculture and promoting urban horticulture, making a positive impact on both the environment and local communities.

Nelson’s innovative spirit is evident in my recent work, such as enhancing workplace well-being using ornamental plants at an AI start-up company in Cambridge and participating in a pilot wastewater treatment system using reedbeds in collaboration with a university spin-off in Chile.

Nelson represented over 20,000 higher education students in a Lifelong Learning Forum in the south of London and earned a regional award as an Outstanding Student for his contribution.

Fluent in English and Spanish, with basic knowledge of French, he combines excellent communication skills with a customer-oriented approach, and he is passionate about promoting sustainable agriculture and community engagement. In his spare time, he enjoys wildlife photography, tennis, and volunteering for local initiatives.

Areas of expertise:

-Wetland construction and water plant identification

-Sustainable and regenerative agriculture

-Erosion control

-Native wildflower production

-Landscape design

-Soil and water remediation

-Seeds production

-Environmental project management

-Office spaces enhancement using ornamental plants

-Community engagement

Joe's interests lie in environmental sustainability and intercultural education and he has gained a wealth of experience in establishing international partnerships over the years. 

Joe has a rich and varied background in management and education beginning with his own university education in Tianjin, China. His outstanding accomplishments during his university studies culminated in being awarded several fully-funded scholarships for international study at Novancia Business School in Paris and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology in Poland. His talents were also recognized by the BI Norwegian Business School at the University of Oslo who awarded him a full-scholarship to participate in studies in Intercultural Management in 2015.

On completion of his studies, Joe was selected for the prestigious Headmasters Training Programme at Kongyi International School in Chengdu, China, where he went on to gain in-depth experience in educational management and leadership. 

Since, then Joe has taken on a variety of managerial roles, including overseeing several international educational programmes for secondary school students as part of Qiufeng International and as London Branch Manager of a Fortune 500 organisation.