H. Charles J. Godfray

H. Charles J. Godfray is the Hope Professor of Entomology at the University of Oxford. He is also Director of the Oxford Martin Future of Food Programme, a member of the Strategy Advisory Board of the UK Global Food Security Programme, and a member of the Steering Group of the UK Government Green Food Project. Godfray is both an active researcher and a prominent figure interacting at the interface of science and policy. A population biologist by training, Godfray’s research focuses on fundamental and applied areas of ecology, evolution and epidemiology. His lab is currently investigating questions across three main research areas: (1) experimental studies using the pea aphid model system of insect-bacteria mutualisms, ecological speciation, host-natural enemy coevolution and indirect ecological effects; (2) population biology of mosquitoes and other insects that vector diseases and modeling novel means of vector control; and (3) biodiversity informatics & taxonomy. Godfray’s simultaneous policy work with NGOs, government agencies, and multilateral organizations spans diverse topics, including: food security, bovine TB, tropical rainforest research and conservation, and biodiversity informatics. Of these diverse subjects, Godfray has most extensively interacted on the topic of food security. He is interested in how the global food system will need to change and adapt to the challenges facing humanity in the 21^stcentury, and in particular in the concept of sustainable intensification, and the relationship between food production, ecosystem services and biodiversity. He has chaired the Lead Expert Group for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skill’s Foresight project on Global Food and Farming Futures, was a member of the High Level Panel of Experts Project Team on Climate Change and Food Security set up by the UN’s Committee on World Food Security, and is currently the Director of the Oxford Martin Future of Food Programme which works to bring together research on any aspect of food throughout the University. Godfray’s work has been recognized with the Huxley Medal, the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London, the Linnean Medal, and a New Years Honours CBE from the British Government. In addition to his American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership, he is a fellow of the Royal Society and the Linnean Society. His articles appear in Food Security, Nature, and Science.