Born and raised in Malawi, Lessah Mandoloma is a conservation scientist specialising in people–nature interactions and the design of effective, context-specific solutions that balance biodiversity conservation with human wellbeing. She serves as an in-house consultant for Jamma Conservation and Communities, where she also coordinates the Human-Centred Conservation programme.

Lessah holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Oxford. Her interdisciplinary research focused on developing a framework for integrating biodiversity conservation and agriculture within shared landscapes, using Malawi as a case study. Her work draws on ecological modelling, social science methods, and participatory approaches to address complex conservation challenges in human-dominated landscapes