Overview
Dr. Binbin Li is the Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences at the Environmental Research Center at Duke Kunshan University. She holds a secondary appointment with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. She focuses on the synergy between biodiversity conservation and sustainable development under climate change. She has produced more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in the last six years and published in top journals, including Science, Science Advances, PNAS, Current Biology, Lancet and Conservation Biology. Her work has been widely reported by major media including BBC, CNN, China Daily and others. She has served as PI for more than 10 projects in recent years and secured more than 8.5 million RMB in funding. Dr. Li has been awarded EC50 by Explorers Club, one of the world’s most inspiring explorers. She has received the Outstanding Young Talent by National Natural Science Foundation of China, one of the top talent awards in China to recognize her leading role in scholarship. She serves as the co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) WCPA-protected planet specialist group, and serves on the IUCN Species Survival Commission, World Commission on Protected Areas and the Commission on Prevention of Viral Spillover convened by Lancet and PPATS. Dr. Li also serves on the advisory board of State Forestry and Grassland Administration and Giant Panda National Park. She is the editor-in-chief of Integrative Conservation and associate editor of Frontiers of Ecology and Evolution. She also serves on the editorial board of Conservation Biology, Global Ecology and Conservation, Biodiversity Science and National Parks. Dr. Li is engaged in science communication and nature education. She has been awarded nature photographer of the Year in the Chinese National Geography China Wildlife Image and Video Competition in 2022. She is the founder of the China Anti-bird Collision Action Alliance, the largest citizen science project in China. She is also the board director of SilverLining Conservation Center, which aims to increase the capacity of storytelling for conservation practitioners and to change public behaviors using media instruments.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Duke Kunshan University
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2024 - Present
DKU Faculty
Associate Professor in the Division of Environmental Science and Policy
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2024 - Present
Environmental Sciences and Policy,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Recent Publications
Do livestock feces repel giant pandas? A smelly study investigating behavioral responses in captivity
Journal Article Journal of Mammalogy · May 20, 2025 AbstractGiant Panda (hereafter, panda) habitat in the Mountains of Southwest China is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, and protecting its habitat promotes the conservation of other endemic and th ... Full text CiteThe synergy between protected area effectiveness and economic growth.
Journal Article Current biology : CB · July 2024 Protected areas conserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions but might impede local economic growth. Understanding the global patterns and predictors of different relationships between protected area effectiveness and neighboring community economic growth ... Full text Open Access CiteThe past and future of ecosystem restoration in China.
Journal Article Current biology : CB · May 2024 For decades, China has implemented restoration programs on a large scale, thanks to its capacity to set policy and mobilize funding resources. An understanding of China's restoration achievements and remaining challenges will help to guide future efforts t ... Full text Open Access CiteEducation, Training & Certifications
Duke University ·
2017
Ph.D.