Dr. Matthew Holden is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the School of Mathematics and Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Queensland. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University, where he applied dynamical systems, optimal control, and statistical theory to formulate policies for managing invasive species, agricultural pests, and fisheries. His Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis, included winning the University Medal for research on habitat fragmentation's effects on the persistence of endangered species. Holden also holds an ARC DECRA Fellowship and serves as President of the Resource Modeling Association, an international society dedicated to quantitative methods in natural resource management. He is Deputy Director of Research for the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science and an affiliate of the Centre for Marine Science.

Holden's research integrates mathematical modeling to optimize environmental outcomes in biodiversity conservation, theoretical ecology, fisheries, and natural resource management, with a focus on enhancing human well-being at minimal cost to biodiversity. His contributions include frameworks for protected area expansion and enforcement, analyses of marine protected areas' benefits in regulated fisheries, value of information for data collection, and cost-benefit evaluations of ecosystem modeling for fisheries management. Key publications include 'The future of artificial intelligence in ecosystem modeling' (BioScience, 2026), 'Trap cropping to maximize agricultural yield: balancing land allocation trade-offs between main crop production and effective pest management' (Natural Resource Modeling, 2026), 'Towards a unifying theory of conservation in production systems' (Biological Conservation, 2026), 'How monitoring matters for nature conservation: 15 reasons framed in a theory of change' (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2025), 'Why shouldn't I collect more data? Reconciling disagreements between intuition and value of information analyses' (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2024), and 'The biodiversity benefits of marine protected areas in well-regulated fisheries' (Biological Conservation, 2023). Recognized as a 2024 Queensland Young Tall Poppy, Holden's work, with an h-index of 20, influences decision-making in conservation and resource management.

Professional Email: m.holden1@uq.edu.au