Helena is a biologist, holds a Master’s degree in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Conservation from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Helena has more than 8 years of experience working with topics related to biodiversity conservation, land-use change, environmental economics, and political ecology. Throughout her career, she has obtained experience in developing and managing interdisciplinary projects that aim at conciliating nature conservation and future human needs.
In her Ph.D., Helena has assessed the role of the “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) established in Aichi Target 11 (CBD), and the effectiveness of local communities in avoiding deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Helena is supporting the UNEP-Brazil office, with a special focus on the TradeHub and TEEB Agrifood projects