Alvin Helden

Alvin Helden is an Associate Professor at the Anglia Ruskin University School of Life Sciences in Cambridge. With expertise in insect ecology, urban biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration, he specializes in Hemiptera (leafhoppers, planthoppers) and Coleoptera, focusing on biodiversity patterns in agricultural grasslands, urban environments, and restored gravel pits.

• Collaborated with RSPB, Teagasc, and Hanson on habitat restoration projects
• Won 2014 UK Quarry Life Awards First Prize for gravel pit invertebrate research
• Current research includes documenting Auchenorrhyncha in Kibale National Park

Research Themes: Biodiversity conservation through grassland structural heterogeneity, species-abundance relationships, and arthropod community dynamics. His work bridges field-based experiments (e.g., dung islet manipulation) with global biodiversity databases like PREDICTS.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society
• Fellow of the Linnean Society of London
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Editorial Board Member: Agricultural and Forest Entomology

Teaching & Supervision: Supervises research in Invertebrate ecology, conservation, and taxonomy. Coordinates PhD project opportunities in Biology Sciences.