Postgraduate Researcher

October 2023 - present

Project title: "Integrating multi-taxa biodiversity conservation into upland ecosystem service land-use models"

Currently carrying out a biodiversity audit for the North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales, for future integration with RSPB land-use modelling.

Research Associate

May 2023 - September 2023: River Mun Biodiversity Audit.

More responsibilities in a smaller, more targetted audit. Carried out all species guilding, data analysis, GIS mapping and stakeholder communication, as well as drafting the report.

Work on this project was continued during the first year of the PhD, with a stakeholder workshop in November 2023, and publication of the report in spring 2024 following a 2 month interruption finalising it.

May 2022 - April 2023: Biodiversity Audit of the Norfolk Coast, Phase 2 & 3.

Assembling and managing biological records and species attribute data using R, as well as producing GIS maps. Contributed to data analyses, research, stakeholder communication and report writing.

MSc Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Distinction) - Queen Mary University of London, 2020

A taught masters with a focus on ecosystem function, analysis and policy. Developed critical analysis skills in assessing scientific research and processing data using R.

Further experience and expertise was gained for both R and linux programming languages whilst working on the research project: "An individual based model comparing asymmetric and symmetric mutual mate choice under varying environments". The model produced was simulated using a high performance computer cluster, with output standardised and analysed using R. 

BSc Palaeontology - University of Portsmouth, 2019

My undergraduate studies covered areas of geology, evolutionary biology and environmental sciences. Extensive field training was undertaken across the Isle of Wight, Jurassic Coast and Germany. Laboratory skills developed include sentimentological and mineralogical analysis of both hand specimens and thin-section microscope work, taxonomic identification of macro- and micro-palaeontological samples, as well as specialised techniques in microfossil processing for further study.

This culminated in a dissertation project titled: A multifaceted palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Albian (Early Cretaceous) at East Wear Bay, Folkestone (England). Work for this project included providing assistance to local palaeontologist Steve Friedrich in dating dinosaur trackways in the study area of the project. This work contributed to the 2021 paper co-authored by Friedrich: "The youngest dinosaur footprints from England and their palaeoenvironmental implications" (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.04.005).