Professor Piran White
Biography
Professor Piran White was appointed chair of Defra’s Science Advisory Council Exotic and Emerging Animal Disease Subgroup (SAC‑ED) in February 2025 for a 2‑year term.
He is a Professor of Environmental Management in the environment and geography department at the University of York. He previously served as a member of Natural England’s Scientific Advisory Committee (NE‑SAC) from 2013 to 2024.
Professor White was Deputy Director (2011 to 2016) and then Director (2016 to 2017) of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) research programme on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS).
He has also served on programme review boards and grant assessment panels for the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). He was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) journal Wildlife Research from 2009 to 2022.
He was Editor‑in‑Chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) journal Wildlife Research from 2009 to 2022.
His research focuses on how people and nature interact, with an emphasis on managing species, habitats and ecosystems in relation to animal and human health. His work is interdisciplinary across the natural and social sciences, using field ecology, ecological modelling, and both quantitative and qualitative social research. He works closely with decision‑makers, industry and practitioners.