Rheyda’s main interest is the application of science to biodiversity conservation. Her previous experience in the environmental field is varied – ranging from captive breeding and reintroduction, conservation genetics, wildlife medicine and invasive species management. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Science in Conservation Biology from Massey University (New Zealand) and a PhD in Applied Ecology from the University of Canberra. Her PhD focused on improving eDNA detection probabilities for monitoring aquatic species.