STEM Faculty

Professional biography

I am the Head of School, Physical Sciences and Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the Open University. I joined the Open University in 2005, having previously worked in the Department of Physics, Oxford University. Despite mostly studying the atmospheres of other planets, I'm rather fond of the Earth and am an accredited Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Research interests

My research interests include studying the climate of planetary atmospheres and the interpretation of spacecraft observations using large-scale numerical models of atmospheres. These atmospheres include those of Mars, Venus, the Giant Planets, extrasolar planets and the paleoclimate of the Earth. For the last few years my primary focus has been on Mars discovery and exploration, but my original research topic concerned the dynamics of vortices in the atmosphere of Jupiter and I have also worked on the dynamics of the super-rotating atmosphere of Venus.

Spacecraft science teams on which I have a role include:

• Co-Investigator on the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery (NOMAD) instrument aboard ESA/RosCosmos ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter;
• Co-Principal Investigator on ESA ExoMars 2016 and Rosalind Franklin entry, descent and landing science;
• Co-Investigator on the Mars Climate Sounder instrument aboard NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (2005–);
• Member of the Atmosphere Working Group for NASA InSight (2018–);
• On the 'Council of Atmospheres' for NASA Curiosity (2012–) and NASA Perseverance (2021–);
• Past mission work includes NASA Mars Climate Orbiter, Mars Observer and Galileo (1989–2003).

I have supervised about twenty postgraduate students on a variety of PhD projects in planetary sciences.

Teaching interests

Since joining the Open University I have written, taught on and chaired science modules throughout the curriculum. I have enjoyed working as a tutor at residential schools at all levels and helped to develop materials for online practical science. I recently chaired the production of a new stage three Electromagnetism module.

Impact and engagement

When possible, I give talks to science societies and festivals and have contributed to citizen science projects, connected to monitoring the weather and its human impacts. Results from my work have been used by both ESA and NASA in planning space missions, which can involve collaborating with a variety of users in industry.

A particularly interesting part of my job is as the academic consultant for several BBC television series. Amongst others, I worked on Wild Weather (BBC1, 2014), The Planets (first broadcast on BBC2 in 2019) and A Perfect Planet (first broadcast on BBC1 in 2021).