Dr. Luisa Arnedo is a Primatologist, Conservationist, and Senior Program Officer for wildlife at the National Geographic Society.  Luisa, a native from Colombia, received her M.Sc and Ph.D in Biological Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2010, where she specialized in animal behavioral ecology. Her work as a primatologist took her to study the behavior and vocal communication of two of the most endangered species of primates in the Neotropics, the white-bellied spider monkey in Colombia and the northern muriqui in Brazil. After finishing her Ph.D, Luisa worked for the Conservation Leadership Program at Conservation International, and later became Senior Manager for the Toyota TogetherGreen Program at the National Audubon Society.  In 2014 Luisa joined the National Geographic Society to oversee the portfolio of  grants focusing on research and conservation of species. Currently she manages the Big Cats Conservation, the Recovery of Species on the Brink of Extinction, and the Biodiversity Exploration and Discovery RFPs. Luisa also manages the National Geographic Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation in Africa and Latin America.