Qianyu Chen

I am a PhD student at Fudan University and a visiting student at the University of Cambridge. My research focuses on large-scale biodiversity conservation, especially how species change across time and how we can strike a balance between human development and biodiversity conservation.

My master’s research explored species discovery patterns and the determinants of vertebrate diversity. I am also interested in past biodiversity and what it reveals about the losses we have experienced over long periods of time. For example, by studying bird-and-flower paintings depicted a thousand years ago, I found that many species once common and widespread are now critically endangered.

Currently, my research investigates how land use change affects the habitat ranges of zoonotic host species. As human activities expand and reshape landscapes, biodiversity faces increasing pressure, habitats are lost, and opportunities for zoonotic spillover rise. My research aims to clarify how shifts in land use alter the habitat composition of zoonotic host species and what this means for disease emergence.