Douglas's training is in forest ecology, management and conservation and his multidisciplinary research interests address the assessment and management of biodiversity and ecological processes in changing forest landscapes. His main field experience is in East Africa and Southeast Asia and worked at CIFOR from 1998 to 2008 to lead the “Multidisciplinary Landscape Assessment” and “Life After Logging” activities among others. He remains a CIFOR senior associate and now works at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.