In this episode of the Hopecast, Dr. Jane Goodall is joined by Dr. Lilian Pintea, Vice President of Conservation Science at the Jane Goodall Institute USA. Dr. Lilian oversees all science activities and functions at JGI, supporting country offices by integrating research, analysis, tools, and technological innovation to support our mission. In Jane’s words, he’s a “brilliant and innovative scientist with a deep understanding and respect for the people and wildlife he works with.” And, one of her favorite people.

In this fireside conversation, Jane and Lilian talk about his journey to becoming a scientist that was shaped by his education from all over the world – from Russia to Romania to the United States to Tanzania. Together, they reminisce on the early days of the Tacare program and reflect on how by sharing technologies like Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and maps with the communities around chimpanzee habitats, JGI is able to create a common understanding of landscapes, opportunities, and threats.

Through these tools, local communities can lead better decision-making for their own lands – for sustainable development and conservation goals alike. Dr. Pintea shares with Jane about the future innovations being developed now that will further the potential of how people and technology can come together to overcome challenges. In one example, Gombe Stream Research Center partners with Microsoft’s Project Premonition to better track and predict zoonotic disease spillover using mosquitoes as indicators. Lilian’s focus on both the technological potentials, tools, and realities of local knowledge advances conservation in innovative ways by “connecting scientists to decision makers.” As Jane always says, “the head and heart need to work in harmony to attain our full potential,” and Dr. Lilian Pintea is proof of that.

Read this episode’s full transcript here.

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