Matthew LeBreton grew up in the world heritage Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Australia, where he discovered a passion for the bush and for wildlife. Since then he has spent time working with local communities, governments, companies, non-profit organizations and individuals in Africa, Australia and Europe to help understand more about biodiversity throughout the world. Much of his research has dealt with the practical interactions between people and wildlife. Since 2000 he has lived and worked in Africa and while writing a book on the reptiles of Cameroon discovered a number of new species of lizards and snakes. He has assisted in national and international assessments of protected and endangered species. Matthew has published around 35 papers and chapters on conservation, disease emergence, biogeography, biodiversity and wildlife ecology.
With GVFI Matthew supervises research into the ecology of wildlife and other animal diseases. He has overseen the development of a number of unique participatory research actions, enhancing community involvement in research efforts which has both benefited local communities and improved research outcomes. He supervises the collection of specimens and data from wildlife in Cameroon. He also manages data related to sample collections and the sample repository.
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