I was born and raised in North Wales and grew up speaking and learning in Welsh. I obtained an MEarthSci degree from Oxford University in 2018, during which I developed an interest in planetary sciences through various internships and summer research placements at Oxford and NASA.

Before pursuing a PhD in planetary sciences, I enjoyed an 18 month break from academia when I tutored, among other jobs and volunteer roles, and crossed off some of my travel bucket list. I then spent 4.5 years pursuing my PhD in Martian geomorphology at the University of Texas in Austin, which I began during COVID-19 and graduated in August 2024 with two published articles and two in preparation, among a series of conference presentations and other awards. The majority of this research was funded by my own proposals to NASA.

Since October 2024 I have been a research fellow here at Trinity College, where I will use my time to learn more about and apply my expertise to rivers here at home, on Earth, given the unprecedented speed of climate change we face and the multitude of effects this will have on riverine processes and environments.

My research focuses broadly on rivers and their surrounding landscapes. In the field of geomorphology we use description and measurement of the shapes of features, like rivers, to inform about the underlying processes operating. This has also often resulted in mathematical descriptions of processes. In my research I have used satellite images to measure characteristics of valleys on Mars and Earth to understand how they were formed. I have also used measurements of certain isotopes to inform on formation timescales of valleys on Earth, and utilised pre-existing mathematical descriptions to run numerical simulations to see how rivers interact with the very uneven topography created by meteorite impacts.

During my time at Trinity, I will apply these skills to rivers on Earth, with a particular interest in how the effects of climate change (e.g., increased number and severity of storms) could affect river processes and change river behaviour, hazards, and mitigation efficacy. I am now more than ever interested in applying my research with a look to solutions to some of the large challenges we face in the coming decades.