Dr. Christopher O'Bryan

Chris is an Assistant Professor of Planetary Health within the System Earth Science Department at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.  He has a background in ecology, biogeography, and conservation science. 

Having conducted research in the United States, Australia, and now the Netherlands, Chris has led projects on the global impacts of humans on biodiversity, the implications of invasive species for climate change, the contribution of predators and scavengers to human wellbeing, and improving conservation decision-making. 

Prior to his current role, Chris worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Chris obtained his PhD degree in Conservation Biology from The University of Queensland, his Master's degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from Clemson University, and his Undergraduate degree in Biology from Austin Peay State University. 

E-mail: c.obryan [at] maastrichtuniversity.nl

Arjun Shandilya

Arjun is a PhD student at Maastricht University, supervised by Chris and Prof. Pim Martens. Joining the lab in 2025, his research explores the co-benefits for large carnivores and agriculture.  Currently, Arjun is investigating how the media has portrayed the recent change in protection status of wolves across Europe.

Arjun holds a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University and Research, where he studied the diet and activity patterns of leopards and the diet of martial eagles. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the College of Forestry, Ponnampet, India. His research interests include carnivore ecology and human-wildlife conflict.

E-mail: arjunsridhar.shandilya [at] maastrichtuniversity.nl

Mohammod Foysal

Foysal is a PhD student at Maastricht University, supervised by Prof. Pim Martens and Chris. Joining the lab in 2026, his research explores the impacts of climate change and urbanisation on Red-headed Falcon populations in Bangladesh.

Foysal has led and contributed to a range of research and conservation initiatives in Bangladesh, with a particular focus on raptor ecology and threatened bird species. His work includes long-term studies on the Red-headed Falcon, as well as research on raptor migration and waterbird conservation. He has extensive field experience in bird surveys across wetland and forest ecosystems, bird ringing, satellite tracking, and community-based conservation programmes.

Foysal holds a BSc and an MSc in Zoology from Jagannath University, Bangladesh.

Email: mohammod.foysal [at] maastrichtuniversity.nl

Li Hongli

Hongli is a PhD student at Henan University and is co-supervised by Dr. O'Bryan at Maastricht University. Joining the lab in 2024, Hongli's PhD is based on remote sensing of big data, focusing on the study of conflicts and benefits between large carnivores and humans. 

Prior to his PhD studies, Hongli obtained his Master's degree in Physical Geography at Ningbo University in China where he conducted research on the phenology of plant flowering. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Geographical Science at Anyang Normal University in China.

Rik Lardinois

Rik joined the lab in 2025 for his bachelor thesis research investigating the human impacts on Earth's large carnivores. Now, Rik is doing an internship in the lab as part of his MSc. His research interests vary a lot; from investigating the chemical ecology of invasive insect species to assessing the IUCN threats for tropical plant families. 

Wang Zihan

Joining the lab in 2024, Zihan is pursuing a graduate degree in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems at Henan University and is co-supervised by Dr. O'Bryan from Maastricht University. Her research interests primarily focus on the intersection of tourism and GIS, with a particular emphasis on using remote sensing technology to study the impact of low-cost travel and airline routes on global protected areas. 

Prior to her graduate studies, Zihan completed her undergraduate studies at Henan University of Economics and Law, majoring in Geographic Information Science. 

Josephine Benoist

Josephine joined the lab in 2026 for her bachelor's thesis by research project at Maastricht University within the Maastricht Science Programme.  Her project will focus on assessing how agricultural productivity relates to different forms of environmental degradation. By mapping these relationships, her work aims to identify areas where high yields are achieved efficiently, as well as regions where productivity is associated with higher environmental costs. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the trade-offs between agricultural performance and environmental pressures, with relevance for the development of more sustainable farming practices.

Riccardo Pinto

Riccardo joined the lab in 2025 for his capstone thesis project at Maastricht University. He conducted a global systematic review on the role of invasive plants at exacerbating wildfire risk. His research identified non-native plant species and their traits that are linked to increased intensity and frequency of wildfire to help policy makers and conservation practitioners prioritise management. 

Clara Wittig

Clara joined the lab in 2025 for her bachelor thesis at Maastricht University, studying how forest fragmentation impacts forest raptors. Clara is interested in climate change and ecosystem-based strategies and policymaking for mitigating its effects at local and national levels. Her thesis research focused on how forest fragmentation affects raptors globally, aiming to identify patterns within characteristic traits and understand which species are most impacted.

Camilla Colotte

Camilla joined the lab in 2024 for her capstone thesis project at Maastricht University exploring the drivers of decline of Earth's largest saltwater clams. Her background is quite interdisciplinary because of the nature of her degree, but she is particularly interested in marine conservation, which is a complex challenge that relates not only to ecology, but also to human health, economy, heritage studies, and international relations. As such, for her capstone she conducted the first systematic review on the drivers of decline of pen shells, a unique group of bivalves, which will undoubtedly galvanise future research on the topic.

Dr. Nisansala Abeysinghe

Nisa conducted her PhD research at The University of Queensland, with Dr. O'Bryan as co-supervisor. Finishing in 2024, her research focused on identifying factors influencing the success of collaboration in invasive species management. Nisa also explored the use of social network techniques for understanding and improving collaborative invasive species management. Her work has direct application to how organisations make decisions on the ground for tackling collective action problems.

Before joining the lab, Nisa obtained her Master’s degree in Environmental Management at Griffith University in Australia and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Sri Lanka in Agricultural Economics. 

Zhouyao Zhang

Zhouyao joined the lab in 2023 for her master's research project focused on habitat assessment, conservation effectiveness, and ecosystem carbon dynamics. Her work assessed the effectiveness of protection schemes on mountainous ecosystems in Hainan Island. Now, Zhouyao is a PhD student at Nanjing University examining how land conversion and land use intensity impact regional ecosystems including carbon sinks across terrestrial and marine environments. Her work attempts to provide insights for better conservation strategies and sustainable land management.