An award-winning researcher, explorer, author, and speaker, Dr. Berger was the recipient of the Academy of Science of South Africa Science-for- Society Gold Medal and was the 2016 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. His work has brought him recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, the Royal Geographical Society, The Explorers Club, and the Academy of Science of South Africa. His explorations into human origins in Africa, Asia, and Micronesia for the past two and a half decades have resulted in many new discoveries, including two new species of early human relatives— Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi. These discoveries were recognized by the Smithsonian as among the top ten scientific discoveries of the decade in 2019. The 2015 PBS Nova Episode Dawn of Humanity about Dr. Berger’s discovery of Homo naledi and the Rising Star expedition was nominated for an Emmy. In 2016, Time magazine recognized him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. He is a Founding Trustee of the nonprofit Lee R. Berger Foundation for Exploration and was a founder of the Palaeoanthropological Scientific Trust and founding Trustee of the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa. He is a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and Distinguished Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. He holds a doctorate of science and PhD in paleoanthropology.