Binbin Li

Dr. Binbin Li is Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at Duke Kunshan University, with a secondary appointment at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Her research explores the synergy between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development under climate change. She focuses on the synergy between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development under climate change. Her research covers conservation planning to promote synergetic solutions to climate change mitigation and human health, One Health framework, endangered and endemic species conservation in China such as giant pandas, sustainable infrastructure building and bird collisions in urban environment. She promotes to use of innovative technology, market tools, citizen science, and policies to solve conservation problems and assist sustainable local community development. Her honors include the 2026 Rolex Award, the 2025 National Geographic Wayfinder Award, and recognition as an EC50 Explorer. She co-chairs the IUCN WCPA Protected Planet Specialist Group and serves on multiple IUCN commissions and the Lancet-PPATS Viral Spillover Commission. Dr. Li is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Integrative Conservation and serves on the editorial boards of Conservation Biology and other journals. A dedicated science communicator, she was named 2022 Nature Photographer of the Year in China. Dr. Li founded the China Anti-bird Collision Action Alliance, the nation’s largest citizen science project, and serves on the board of the SilverLining Conservation Center, which uses media to empower conservation storytelling.