Jackie Caine

Jackie Caine (BSc Zoology 2006) – Science Policy Officer at The Royal Society of Biology

Jackie Caine epitomises a new generation of Manchester alumni quickly making a name for themselves in their chosen careers.

Born and brought up in Middleton, Jackie graduated in 2006 with a first class degree in Zoology, including a year’s placement studying Colobus monkeys and Black Rhino at Paignton Zoo.

After graduation, her work at Paignton led her to Kenya, helping to conserve wild Colobus monkeys and local primate populations along the Diani Coastline.

On her return from East Africa, Jackie showed the commitment and persistence that has been a hallmark of her career to date. She spent six months working for the Society for Education and Exploration as an unpaid intern in London, while at the same time holding down several part-time jobs to fund it.

Her hard work paid off when she was offered a three-month contract by Chester Zoo, researching human-elephant conflict in India. After this, she found work at the Bat Conservation Trust, and began applying for numerous research grants to further her knowledge at masters level.

Her efforts came to fruition when she was offered one of the last NERC grants on a masters in Conservation at UCL, with an emphasis on conservation in the UK. At the same time, she worked as a volunteer for Wildlife and Policy LINK, helping with general administration duties and gaining experience of environmental lobbying and policy work.

Shortly after finishing her master’s degree in 2011, she joined the Society of Biology, working with the policy team to provide government and other policy makers with authoritative, independent, and evidence-based opinion. She is currently Senior Science Policy Officer at the Society.

Outside work, Jackie is a director and co-founder of ‘Groho’ – a non-profit company which aims to make urban greening solutions more accessible to urban communities.