Dr. Gustavo Fonseca is the Executive Director for Center for Applied Biodiversity Science and Vice President at Conservation International. As Executive Director of the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, a research and development organization part of Conservation International, Fonseca helps to mobilize science and a network of experts in order to coordinate large-scale collaborative projects that examine important issues for biodiversity conservation.

Prior to becoming Executive Director of the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Dr. Fonseca was Conservation International's Vice President for Brazil and professor of zoology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Dr. Fonseca completed a Master's degree in Latin American Studies and a doctorate in Wildlife Management and Conservation at the University of Florida.

His research has resulted in close to 60 publications emphasizing wildlife management, community ecology of mammals, primate ecology and behavior, and biogeography. Additionally, Dr. Fonseca continues to investigate the challenges facing the conservation of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and other major Brazilian biomes. His current research in this area is interdisciplinary, linking biodiversity conservation with aspects related to economics and human demography. Dr. Fonseca also co-founded Fundaçåo Biodiversitas, one of the leading environmental NGOs in Brazil, and he is currently on its board of directors.

Dr. Fonseca has recently been involved in the evaluation of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), examining its portfolio of biodiversity projects. Moreover, he is assisting in the formulation of a GEF biodiversity project for Brazil.