Michael Loevinsohn is an ecologist and epidemiologist. He has worked for many years at the interface between environment, rural society and health, seeking to throw light on the dynamics of systems undergoing rapid change. Often this has involved making use of natural experiments. In each case, the work has suggested opportunities for multiple benefits from more equitable and durable environmental management.

His current interests include:

• the “prevention dividend”, the generally inadvertent contribution to disease avoidance and ecosystem service protection from efforts that have gone some way toward making food and livelihood more secure: demonstrating its reality, significance and potential in different contexts;
• assessing and contributing to spaces such as multi-stakeholder platforms that promote research, better informed policy and action and continued learning;
• assessing and joining efforts that stimulate local innovation and contribute to a rapid and equitable evolution in agriculture and natural resource management commensurate with the pace of environmental and social change.

Michael joined the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in October 2009 as a Research Fellow. Before joining IDS, Michael directed Applied Ecology Associates in the Netherlands. Earlier, he worked with the CGIAR, IDRC and FAO.

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