Meet the Oryx team

Viola joined Fauna & Flora as Editor of Oryx in 2026, after a 16-year stint at the British Trust for Ornithology, where she worked initially as a seabird research ecologist, and then for more than 10 years as Science Communications Manager, editing the Trust’s membership magazine among other duties. She also spent five years editing the open-access journal Seabird. Viola studied at the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff, and has also worked for the RSPB and the European Institutions in Brussels. She is particularly passionate about supporting early-career researchers and authors for whom English is not a first language, to help amplify diverse voices and broaden participation in scientific publishing. 

Martin joined Fauna & Flora in 2001, having previously carried out research and lectured in ecology and conservation at universities in Nigeria, Oman and Fiji. He studied at the Universities of London and East Anglia, and has a particular interest in the conservation and natural history of environments at the extremes of the rainfall spectrum—deserts and rainforests—in improving the contribution of scientific journals to conservation science, and in capacity building for conservation. In 2011 he was awarded the Silver Medal of the Zoological Society of London for contributions to scientific publishing and related outreach and training activities.

Julia joined the Oryx team in 2017, eager to combine her experience in scholarly publishing with her passion for biodiversity conservation. Before taking up her current position, she worked with a variety of journals at Cambridge University Press, having previously gained experience in books and journals publishing and trade in Berlin. Prior to pursuing a career in academic publishing, Julia completed her degree in biology, with a special focus on zoology, ecology and behavioural physiology, at the universities of Jena and Leipzig in Germany.

Cecilia joined the Oryx team in 2025, excited to support the dissemination of research that informs conservation action. Since completing a Biological Sciences MSci at University College London, Cecilia has worked in academic science publishing for various journals including the Nature Portfolio and the Natural History Museum’s journals. Alongside her professional work, Cecilia has volunteered with several conservation charities, including the RSPB and the London Natural History Society.