STEM Faculty

Professional biography

Pallavi is a Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry and Palaeoclimatology in the School of Environment Earth and Ecosystem Sciences in the STEM faculty at the Open University. She is the School EDI lead and Athena Swan chair (2022-27) and have led the team to achieve Athena Swan Silver Award from the Advance HE (May 2026). She is also serving as a Chair of University Research Degrees Committee (2023- ) and deputy chair of University Research Committee (2024- ). She has previously supported research degrees students in the STEM faculty as a Deputy Associate Dean (2018-21). Her various external review panels/advisory boards/committees engagements include Research Excellence Framework sub-panel (B7) member (2025-29), NERC peer review college member (2026 -), co-chair of the UK Paleoclimate Society (2022- ) and councillor (2024- Dec 26) of the European Association of Geochemistry.  

Her main research interests are in developing biogeochemical tracers in the modern environment and their application for reconstructing past ocean properties and climate to infer Earth System processes. Some of her current research includea: sensitivity of Indian summer monsoon precipitation during past warm and abrupt climate intervals; climate-carbon cycle dynamics; climate influences on vegetation and phytoplankton evolution; development of new biogeochemical tracers for reconstructing past oceanic environments; Ocean circulation patterns in the warm climate; Caribbean coral reef ecosystems; the impact of microplastic pollution. She was one of the four academic advisors on Blue Planet II, broadcasted on BBC one in 2017, responsible for shaping the scientific content of the programme in association with the BBC production team.

She has also been invited to showcase advances in paleoclimate/monsoon/biogeochemistry research at international fora, for example, INtegrated QUaternary MArine REcord at Sensitive Latitudes (2024), American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (2023) and 14th International Conference on Paleoceanography (2022). 

[Full  CV ]

She is always interested in hearing from motivated students and postdoctoral researchers willing to come and work on geochemical tracers, ocean, and climate (including Monsoon) research at the Open University. Please send me an email to explore possibilities. 

Research interests

• Drivers of Indian Summer Monsoon rainfall during past warm climate (data-model integration approach)
• Controls on trace elements (e.g., Mg, Li, Ba, Nd, Mn, U) and stable isotopes (e.g., oxygen and carbon) incorporation during bio-mineralization
• Application of coupled trace elements/Ca ratios and oxygen isotope in foraminifera to reconstruct past changes in sea surface and bottom water properties
• Study of microfossils species composition and shell parameters (length, size, density and weight) to understand ecology and controls on the calcification process
• Validation and application of isotopic tracers (e.g., Sr, Nd and Li) in microfossils and sediments to understand changes in continental weathering, ocean circulation, and provenance during the Cenozoic
• Modern Coral reef habitat health and conservation 
• Impact of microplastic pollution  

PhD projects 2027/28

Application is open through ILESLA programme, details here (NERC research via OU).

The key differences between these studentships and the OU standard PhD (including advertised CENTA projects) are:

• Students do not apply to a project, they apply to one of the five key research areas (five interconnected themes).
• Students are funded for the full four years (enhanced stipend, £2k extra per year).
• Year one includes training, mostly based in Oxford.
• Students will complete two 12-week rotation projects in year one before proposing their own PhD project.
• If you have any query then please email ILESLA@open.ac.uk 

(Please contact pallavidotanand at opendotacdotuk to discuss if you would like to co-develop future project ideas on Ocean biogeochemistry, Monsoon climate, Coral reef, microplastic pollution and Diversity and inclusion.)

If you are visiting us on campus then please find this 3D OU map !

Research contribution highlights

Pivotal moment for humanity as threats and opportunities from climate tipping points accelrates 

The Global Tipping Points Report 2023 is out. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

(Image copyright: Pallavi Anand)

OU Research Excellence Award 2022, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (runner-up)

NERC funded diversity and inclusion EDI enrichment project (2021-22)

Evaluating diversity and inclusion within the (geochemistry) academic ladder (E-DIAL)

Climate change: evidence from the geological record

Geological Society of London Scientific Statement: What the geological record tells us about our present and future climate

Monsoon

OU research finds human impacts on monsoon rainfall could exceed natural changes over last 30 million years​ (June 2021)

• also published in Deccan Herlad 

A million years of past South Asian monsoons suggests stronger rainfall in the future (June 2021)

• the research story is aslo communicated via digital print media: The New York Times and Deccan Herald

Research shows how rainfall responded to past climate change (March 2021)

Research reveals role of Indian Summer Monsoon on global climate stage (March 2019)

Coral Reef

Artificial reef could restore sea urchin populations and coral reefs (April 2021)

Ocean health

Transforming attitudes about the health of our oceans

Postgraduate Research Support

Current PhD research projects

OU projects

• Reconstruction of Indian Monsoon dynamics in response to Pliocene climate (Shardul Pandit, CENTA2) (2024-)
• Impact of microplastic pollution on soil nutrient and vegetation (Joanna Jesionkowska, OU/CENTA2, part-time) (2021) (project info; authored article)
• Integrating technological solutions to modernise the study and assessment of coral reefs (Shannon Cameron, Opwall and OU, part-time) - 2020 (project info)

External

I have had privilege of working with the following researchers:

Dr Tim Cutler (Evolution of the climate-carbon cycle through the last interglacial) - OU Phd 2025 (PDRA at Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University)

Dr Jinrong Gan (Orbital scal variability and evolution of the South Asian Monsoon during the Miocene-Pleistocene) – Exeter/OU PhD 2024 Follow our Indian Monsoon research progress   

Dr Emmeline Gray (Plio-Pleistocene monsoon-driven coccolithophore productivity and stratification reconstructions) – OU/CEREG PhD 2023 

Dr Sophie Alexander (Onset of the Antarctic circumpolar current and the oceanographic isolation of Antarctica) - CENTA2 PhD 2023 (project info)

Dr Andrew McIntyre (Climate and carbon cycle instability during extreme ‘greenhouse’ warmth) - CENTA2 PhD 2022 ((project info))

Dr Yasmin B. Friberg (Reconstructing Indian Summer Monsoon variability during the Pliocene-Pleistocene) - OU/STEM PhD 2021

Dr Charuta Kulkarni (Marie Curie fellow) on project EARNEST (Examining the Agroforestry Landscape Resilience in India to inform Social-Ecological Sustainability in the Tropics)

Dr Katrina Nilsson-Kerr (Reconstructing the Indian monsoon response to global climate change)- CENTA PhD 2019 research info

Dr Max Bodmer (Restoration of the long-spined sea urchin, Diadema antillarum) - OU-Opwall PhD 2018 research highlight

Dr Adele Cameron (Ocean Circulation during Eocene extreme ‘greenhouse') - NERC PhD 2015

Dr Kate H. Salmon (Impact of ocean acidification on biocalcification) - NERC/UKOARP PhD 2014

Dr Joe Stewart (Silicate weathering across the Oligocene-Miocene boundary: evidence from lithium and neodymium isotopes) - NERC PhD 

Dr Emily Stevenson (Stable strontium isotope fractionation in marine and terrestrial environments) - NERC PhD   

Dr Eleanor H. John  (Weathering and Climate: new insights from the marine records of Li and Nd ) - NERC Postdoc

Mr Bailey Bigger (Nature and distribution of microplastic pollution in the Atlantic Ocean) - Oxford Brookes

External PhD examinations (Panel/Committee)

I have experience of PhD thesis examinations in the UK, Europe, India and USA

Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (India); Heriot Watt (UK); Cardiff University (UK); Glasgow University (UK); Brown University (USA); Lund University (Sweden); Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai (India); Indian Institute of Science, Banglore (India); Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India)

Teaching interests

Teaching modules

• Questions in Science (S111) - module presentation
• Environment: responding to change (SDT306) - module production
• Environmental Science (S(FX)206) - module update (production) and presentation 
• Earth processes (Oceans) (S309) - module production and presentation
• Environment: sharing a dynamic planet (DST206) - module update and presentation
• Science and society (S201) - module production 
• An introduction to the Earth - Life System (S279) - module presentation and examination board chair
• Practical Sciences (S288) - module presentation
• Oceanography (S330)​ -  module presentation and examination board chair

External Examiner

• B Sc. Environmental Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, UK (2024 - )

Impact and engagement

I was one of the academic advisers on the production of Blue Planet II, the landmark BBC one natural history series (2014 to 2017). I co-authored a poster to communicate about our Blue Planet in 'Oceans' poster: order your free poster here and communicated our research impact of BPII in a workshop organised by BAS (Cambridge) to bring different stakeholders in communicating plastic pollution challenges and solutions.

I have also contributed to the following science communicaton and public outreach events:

• contribution to the Climate statement (2020) - Geological Society of London Scientific Statement: what the geological record tells us about our present and future climate
• invited talk on "Climate change and the Marine World: engaging with the public" for the World Oceans Day organised by Cambridge University Marine Conservation Society and Cambridge Conservation Forum (2019)  
• invited panel member to share oceanographic field experience at Female in the Field: Challenges and Opportunities event organised by the Geological Society London (20th May 2019) 
• invited to speak at a STEM outreach event “Grow from your STEM”, part of the Inspiring Women Campaign, organised by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK. 
• New Scientist Live (2018)
• share academic experiences at 500 Woman in Science, London pod (2017)
• invited at  Milton Keynes Soapbox Science to talk about plankton and climate research (2017) 

Nuffield research palecement (2009 - )

I am passionate about inspiring and giving opportunities for research placements to young people ('A' level) in our local area working in partnership with the Nuffield Foundation. I have supported >30 students through the Nuffield partnership over more than a decade, particularly focussing on giving research experience to students from diverse background (NRP endorsement). These placements have allowed students to be involved in cutting-edge research and making a valuable contribution to wider research while working along side PhD students/academics across STEM. Some of these experiences are captured as blog posts- Read most recent post here and previous blogs (e.g. Coding ocean properties; Fishing in the Atlantic; Mud and monsoon;  Supporting a Nuffield research student; Searching for diamonds in the rough)

Also, I host undergraduate placement research experience students between June-September supported by NERC/UKRI (read Owen Drabwell's experience in 2019).

External collaborations

Ongoing collaborative projects

Firoze Quamar (BSIP, India), Ramananda Chakraborty (IISc, India), Sambuddha Mishra (IISc, Bangalore, India), P D Naidu (NIO, India)

Kate Litter (Exeter University), Melanie Leng (BGS, UK)

Clara Bolton (CEREG, France), Oscar E. Romero (University of Bremen), Ed Hathorne (GEOMAR, Germany)

Marci Robinson (USGS), Priyank Jaiswal (USA), Steve Clemens (Brown University), Maureen Conte (BIOS, Bermuda)

International links

Scientific community service

• Co-chair of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee of the European Association of Geochemistry (2023- 25)
• Advocate for the Earth and Space Scince (ESS) in Global and domestic policies task team (AGU - Advancing Earth and Space Science) - (2022 - 25)
• BBSRC-NERC Doctoral Landscape Award (2024)
• UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College (2023-24)
• 'Deep Dive' Focus Group on Marine and Polar Scientific Support and Facilities (S&F)- NERC - (2022)
• National Environmental Research Council - NERC Advisory Network - (2022 - 23)
• Editorial board - Associate Editor of Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology (2021- 2023)
• National Environmental Insotope Facilities (NEIF) Peer review (Panel C) (2021-24)
• Member of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committees of Euopean Association of Geochemistry and Geochemical Society (2020- 2022)                                   

           Geochemical Society and EAG Townhall/panel discussion meetings: promoting EDI in geochemistry |  mentoring |  covid 19 impacts |

• Committee member of the UK Palaeoclimate Society (2020 - 2022)
• NERC standard grant moderating panel member (2020-21)

Conference organisation

Lead organiser of the International Conference on Paleoceanography 2025 (15^th ICP) (Bengaluru, India) - 31^st August to 5^th September 2025 

Member of the Science committee for Chapman conference (AGU) - 5^th to 9^th January 2020 (Washington DC, USA)

International co-ordinator of Monsoon theme at 36^th International Geological Congress - 2020 (New Delhi, India)

Convener of Monsoon session for Goldschmidt Conferences (2017, 2018)