Harrie Neal

Harrie Neal serves as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity (LCAB) at the University of York, with an interdisciplinary attachment to the Department of History. His research focuses on historical perspectives of non-native species and biodiversity within anthropogenic environmental change.

His academic qualifications include:

• Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History from the University of York
• PhD in English and Related Literature from the University of York, funded by WRoCAH

Neal's research centers on environmental history of the long 18th-century, examining ecological thought in women's writing, vegetarianism, animal ethics, industrialization, and educational practices. His LCAB project investigates historical constructions of non-native species as 'invasive,' analyzing colonial, economic, and cultural frameworks behind biodiversity categorization. A secondary strand explores the 1809-1814 Survey of Irish Bogs and bog reclamation practices in early 19th-century Ireland through Richard Lovell Edgeworth's work.

His scientific recognition includes the competitive WRoCAH PhD Studentship. Current research is funded by the Leverhulme Trust through LCAB.

Within LCAB's interdisciplinary framework, Neal collaborates with natural scientists and social scientists to historicize contemporary biodiversity conservation debates, tracing how historical attitudes shape modern ecological policies and species management.