I am a Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography with internationally recognised expertise in high-precision geochronology, particularly in tephrochronology, age modelling, and radiocarbon dating. My research focuses on understanding abrupt climatic events and their impacts on environments and societies, with a particular emphasis on the Last Glacial–Interglacial Transition (c. 16,000–8,000 years ago).

After completing my BSc in Geography (2002) and MSc in Quaternary Science (2003) at Royal Holloway, University of London, I obtained my PhD in 2009, developing pioneering applications of tephrochronology to wetland archaeology. I was appointed Lecturer at Royal Holloway in the same year and have since established a research portfolio at the interface of palaeoecology, sedimentology, and geochronology. My work generates high-resolution records of past temperature and environmental change to provide crucial insights into how the Earth system responds to rapid climate shifts, informing our understanding of future environmental challenges.

A central theme of my research is the advancement and application of tephrochronology in Northern Europe, integrating it with radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age modelling to deliver robust chronological frameworks for palaeoenvironmental and archaeological archives. My contributions to best practice in the field are reflected in my role as a co-author of Historic England’s "Scientific Dating of Pleistocene Sites: Guidelines for Best Practice", where I shaped the guidance on tephrochronological methods. I also serve as Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council’s Radiocarbon Panel A.

• Abrupt climate change in Europe over the last 16,000 years, with a focus on high-precision reconstructions of environmental and climatic responses.

• Development and application of cutting-edge chronological tools, including tephrochronology, radiocarbon dating, and Bayesian age modelling.

• Integration of palaeoecological and sedimentological proxies to reconstruct past climates and landscapes.

• Investigating the interactions between abrupt climate change and human societies through collaborative archaeological research.

My teaching integrates cutting-edge research in geochronology, past climate change, and environmental reconstruction, ensuring that students gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills directly relevant to contemporary debates in Earth and environmental sciences.

• GG2041 – Environmental Change: This second-year core module explores how past climates and environments inform our understanding of present and future change. Students gain practical training in laboratory and field methods, learning how to generate and interpret data with precision and accuracy. The course bridges theory with practice, preparing students to design and carry out independent dissertation research.

• GG3043 – Past Climates and Environments: A final-year specialist module that challenges students to investigate the drivers and impacts of climatic change during the Quaternary Period. We explore themes such as Milankovitch forcing, abrupt ocean–atmosphere shifts, tipping points, and the chronology of past climate events. Students engage with cutting-edge debates and develop transferable skills in time-series analysis, data visualisation, and synthesis, equipping them for both research and applied careers.

Together, these modules give students a unique opportunity to engage with the science of past environmental change, while developing the critical skills needed to address today’s most pressing questions about climate and society.