I am a tropical biologist, conservationist and primatologist. My broad interests include biodiversity assessments, conservation biology, population ecology and genetics, and primate hibernation. I am also interested in exploration of new sites and the discovery and documentation of new species. This has led me to carry out field research in Peru, Paraguay, Borneo, East Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Madagascar.
I received my PhD from the City University of New York under the supervision of Warren Kinzey and John Oates. My dissertation was entitled "The Costs and Benefits of Nocturnality for Aotus trivirgatus (the Night Monkey)". Afterwards, during my post-doc in Duke University I studied the reproduction and physiology of two species of tarsiers in Borneo, the Philippines and at Duke Lemur Center.
My interest in Madagascar started in 1985, and in 1986 I discovered and described a new species of lemur, the "Golden Bamboo Lemur" Hapalemur aureus. For the past 26 years I have carried long-term research on the behavioral ecology of "Milne Edward's Sifaka" Propithecus edwardsi in Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar, which I spearheaded in 1991. My experience there led me to found the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environment in 1991, and establish the Research Station Centre ValBio in Madagascar, which features the state of the art research facility NamanaBe Hall.