Dr. Lu Zhi is a Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University, a member of the Advisory Board for the UN Decade of Restoration (2021-2030).
Lu Zhi is the founder of the Shanshui Conservation Center and Peking University's Center for Nature and Society. Her work is multi-disciplinary, covering zoology, ecology, conservation biology, and the crucial intersection of natural resource conservation and sustainable development. Lü Zhi is deeply committed to bridging the gap between scientific research and on-the-ground conservation action. She aims to develop practical, evidence-based solutions that foster a harmonious relationship between human societies and the natural world.
For many years, her research has concentrated on the fundamental ecology and conservation biology of flagship species such as the giant panda and snow leopard, and the ecosystems they inhabit, particularly in the mountainous regions of Southwest China and the Tibetan Plateau. More recently, she has extended her work to include urban and agricultural landscapes. Since 2021, she and her team have established a long-term research base in Medog County of Tibet, a region of exceptionally high biodiversity in China and the world. This base serves as a hub for research and for promoting locally-driven conservation initiatives. Her current key research areas include:
• Understanding the interactions between natural ecosystems and human socio-economic-cultural systems: Exploring how human activities, economies, and cultures impact, and are impacted by, the natural environment.
• Community-based conservation: Empowering local communities to be active participants in, and beneficiaries of, conservation efforts.
• Evidence-based decision-making and mainstreaming biodiversity conservation: : Advocating for the integration of biodiversity considerations into all sectors of policy and planning, promoting the use of robust scientific data to inform conservation and development decisions of governments and businesses.

1988 - 1992, Peking University, Zoology, Ph.D.

1985 - 1988, Peking University, Zoology, M.S.

1981 - 1985, Peking University, Biochemistry, B.S.

2002 - Present: Professor, Doctoral Advisor, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

2001 - 2009: Visiting Professor，Adjunct Researcher, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University

2000 - 2001: David Bell Fellow, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Harvard University

1992 - 2002: Lecturer, Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Peking University

1992 - 1995: Visiting Fellow, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH-NCI)

Laboratory Introduction