STEM Faculty

Professional biography

2023 - present:  Professor of Planetary Sciences

2015 - 2023:  Senior Lecturer (Research) in Planetary Sciences

2011 - 2015:  Lecturer in Planetary Sciences

2008 - 2011:  UK Space Agency Aurora Fellow, PSSRI, The Open University.

2004-2008:  Research Fellow, PSSRI, The Open University.

2003-2004:  Beagle 2 Operations Research Assistant.

Spaceflight instrument involvements

• ESA SpotLight (Mars orbiter). HiRIME (Phase A study) – PI.
• ESA LightShip (Mars orbiter). DESI (selected) – PI.
• ESA LightShip (Mars orbiter). MADWiL (selected) – Co-PI.
• ESA EnVision (Venus orbiter). VenSpec-U Co-I. 
• ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (Mars orbiter). NOMAD Co-PI. 
• ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (Mars orbiter). CaSSIS Co-I. 
• ESA ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (Mars orbiter). ACS instrument Co-I. 
• ESA ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover (Mars surface rover). Enfys Co-I. 
• ESA ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover (Mars surface rover). PanCam Co-I. 
• ESA JUICE mission (Jupiter and icy moon orbiter).  JANUS Co-I.  
• NASA InSight mission (Mars lander).  Mission-level Associate Scientist. 
• ESA Comet Interceptor mission (comet fly-by).  Mission-level Associate Scientist. 
• ESA ExoMars Surface Platform (Mars lander). AMELIA science team member.
• ESA ExoMars Schiaparelli (Mars lander). AMELIA science team member.
• ESA ExoMars Schiaparelli (Mars lander). DREAMS science team member.
• ESA ExoMars rover/GEP (Mars rover and lander).  AEP+ instrument team member.
• NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens (Titan lander).  SSP instrument team member.
• ESA Mars Express/Beagle2 (Mars lander).  ESS instrument Co-I. 

Research interests

• Design of Optical Instrumentation for Planetary Investigations.
• Mars and Venus global climate and mesoscale research.
• Radiative transfer modelling and retrievals for UV and visible light through planetary atmospheres.
• Opacity studies of dust storms and dust devils.
• Environmental simulation of planetary/icy body surface environments.
• Hypervelocity impact investigations within the Solar System. 
• Having lots of fun.

Teaching interests

S283 - Planetary science and the search for life