Isla's PhD is focussed on understanding the conflict over raptors in Scotland. This conflict has become a deep-rooted and contentious issue, stemming from values embedded in society, and affects not only the conservation of birds of prey but the relationships between involved stakeholders. This novel research utilises social science methods to investigate an ecological issue, where parties have reached a stalemate.

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In her spare (ish) time, Isla is a freelance specialist researcher for the BBC, working on factual science and natural history programming. She is also a wildlife journalist and blogger. Isla divides her time between Scotland and Africa, where one day she hopes to work on conflict with large mammals.