Claudio Padua is a conservation and sustainable development advocate. Claudio is the Vice President of Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (IPE). IPE promotes the conservation of Brazil's biodiversity and sustainable development alternatives for unprivileged communities in five Brazilian regions. The Institute carries out programmes including rare and endangered species research and actions, environmental education, and sustainable alternatives for income generation in local communities. Among numerous awards, Claudio was recognized as a Conservation Hero of the Planet by Time Magazine in 2003. Claudio is a doctorial graduate in Ecology from University of Florida.