Leader of the ‘MITSILO’ lab
I elected to come back to my home country Madagascar late 2019 after 11 years of studying and working overseas (mostly in the UK). I have led or co-led research teams of two or more individuals across more than six internationally-funded projects since 2020 and have published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles. I founded the Mitsilo lab in March 2024 out of desire to establish a solid infrastructure for social science and interdisciplinary research in Madagascar.
The Mitsilo research group undertakes a wide range of research, outreach and engagement activities on various themes such as forest conservation, landscape restoration, human-wildlife conflicts, climate-smart agriculture, social safeguards, migration and rural livelihoods. We also develop and apply inter and multi-disciplinary methods and approaches to i) understand processes of agricultural technology adoption and environmental changes, and ii) evaluate the social impacts of policy interventions. By identifying what works (and what doesn’t) and why, our research aims to support the design of policies, and technologies that contribute to the long-term wellbeing of people and nature.
Engagement and mentoring
I am passionate about building the capacity of African (especially Malagasy) junior scholars through teaching, mentoring and thesis supervision. At the Mitsinjo lab, I currently advise three PhD candidates and two MSc students. I am also committed to using evidence-based and innovative approaches to support policy. With my team, I have provided technical support for the reform of the protected area social safeguard policy in Madagascar, and a series of training to protected area managers, policy makers and local communities on the social issues of forest conservation and restoration (February 2020, October 2021, and February 2023, and June 2023).
Honors
I have been listed in the top 100 Young African Conservation Leaders in 2021, as one of the 25 World Academy of Sciences Young Affiliates (2021-2025; honour given to developing-nation researchers who show potential for a high-impact career), and a Young Affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences (2022-2026; a recognition awarded to African scientists to support their efforts to develop into outstanding research leaders). I was also the recipient of the 2022 TWAS-Samira Omar Innovation for Sustainability Award.
Degree
2023-2027: Honorary Research Fellow at Bangor University, UK
2020-present: Senior Research Fellow in Environmental Socioeconomics at the Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
2016-2019: Postdoctoral researcher on the ConFooBio (Resolving conflicts between biodiversity conservation and food security under uncertainty) project University of Stirling, UK
2013-2016: Joint PhD degree in Environmental & Development Economics at Bangor University, UK and University of Copenhagen, Denmark (part of the Forest for Nature and Society – FONASO programme). Thesis: Improving the estimation of local welfare costs of conservation in low-income countries using choice experiments: Empirical evidence from Madagascar.
2011-2012: Double MSc degree in Sustainable Tropical Forestry at Bangor University, UK and Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
2009-2010: Diploma of Advanced Studies in Forestry, Development, and Environment, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
2004-2008: BSc in Agricultural Sciences, Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Agronomiques, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar