Professor Reed is a globally recognised, frequently cited, transdisciplinary researcher known for his academic contributions to environmental governance and research impact. His work focuses on the sustainability and resilience of peatlands and agri-food systems, and on improving how researchers generate, share and apply knowledge to produce societal benefit. In addition to numerous visiting professorships, he serves as Research Lead for the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, sits on the Executive Board of the Peatland Code, and co-chairs the Research Working Group of UNEP’s Global Peatland Initiative.

Since 2015, he has trained more than 10,000 researchers from over 200 organizations in 52 countries. His training focuses on practical approaches to impact planning, stakeholder analysis, theory of change and impact evaluation, with an emphasis on evidence-informed decision-making. He works with universities, research funders, government bodies, NGOs and international organizations, providing training to both academic researchers and professional staff responsible for engagement and impact strategy.

He is listed in Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list, reflecting multiple papers in the top 1% by citations for their field and publication year over the past 11 years, and has authored more than 250 publications cited more than 40,000 times. He is the author of The Research Impact Handbook, The Researcher’s Guide to Influencing Policy, The Productive Researcher and Impact Culture. His work combines empirical research with applied guidance, including widely used resources on planning, evidencing and assessing research impact. He has also contributed to policy-oriented publications, including work underpinning the UK Peatland Code, and has authored commissioned reports for organizations such as the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and United Nations agencies such as the UN Environment Programme.