I am a Senior Lecturer in in the School of Biological Sciences.

• Senior Lecturer, Zoology, University of Portsmouth.
• Lecturer, Zoology, University of Portsmouth.
• Research Fellow, University of Southampton. 
• Demonstrator, University of Southampton.
• PhD Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton. 
• MSc Biological Anthropology, Bournemouth University. 
• BA Biological Sciences, University of Oxford.

Module lead:

• Biodiversity and Evolution
• Experimental Biology

Lecturer

• Biodiversity and Evolution
• Experimental Biology
• Animal Adaptations
• Ecology, Plants, and Human Impact
• Introduction to the Biological World
• Ecology, Evolution, and Environment

Research project supervisor

Tutor

I study the interactions between form, function, and environment to understand the physical basis for and constraints in evolution and development. In previous work, this has included traits-based approaches to large scale ecology questions, 3D morphometric approaches to understanding evolution and development in extant and extinct animals, and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental processes. I have two main study systems: evolution and development in modern and fossil birds, with a particular focus on skeletal microstructure, and the plant-soil continuum. In both cases, I am driven by making the invisible visible – bringing new insight to questions of adaptation in biology through visualisation and modelling of structures and processes that are usually difficult if not impossible to see. With a background in biology, a masters in anthropology, and a PhD in engineering and the environment, I also really enjoy bringing together ideas and approaches from different disciplines, particularly applying engineering approaches to biological questions.

For my PhD, I developed metrics for interpreting the age of fossil birds through studying the bone microstructural development of extant model species. I am now working on similar questions on the causes of intraskeletal variability in modern birds, including sexual dimorphism, developmental constraints, and biomechanical function. In these projects, I gather data from modern animals to make interpretations about animals we can no longer study in life.

In parallel, I am also interested in physical interactions between plants and their environments, largely in the context of developing more sustainable agricultural practices. This was work that I began through a post-doc position and have maintained and built on through established and new collaborations. In this work, I again focus on visualising adaptive and environmental processes, and collaborate with highly interdisciplinary teams.

In previous projects, I have studied how root morphology and soil properties influence a plants ability to take up phosphorus, how the properties of root exudates can influence soil hydraulics, and how plants defend against biofilms in the deadly plant disease Xylella fastidiosa.

I am currently working on a number of projects that come together to develop monitoring and analysis approaches for plant-soil imaging, with the aim of better understanding plant adaptations and responses to environmental challenges.

My main technique expertise is in X-ray imaging, most often in synchrotron-based systems (beamlines at Diamond Light Source, Swiss Light Source, and ESRF). I have also used X-ray diffraction, light microscopy, microdialysis for chemical sampling, and often work with mathematicians and engineers to develop mathematical modelling approaches to explore processes in more detail. A new collaboration will be looking at monitoring soil microbiota using acoustic methods.

I am always open to applying innovative techniques to interesting problems and am keen to collaborate, particularly on interdisciplinary projects.

I supervise PhD students and undergraduate projects in the areas of skeletal biology and evolution, plant-soil interactions, and techniques in 3D imaging and quantitative morphological analysis.

PhD students (co-supervisor):

Abi Crane - The biology of Mesozoic birds. INSPIRE DTP.

Oli Clark-Hattingh - The Sounds of Soil – understanding the relationships between soil structure, biodiversity and ecoacoustics – SoCoBio DTP.

External collaborations:

• Siul Ruiz, Bioengineering, University of Southampton
• Neil Gostling, Evolution and Palaeobiology, University of Southampton
• Tiina Roose, Biological and Environmental Modelling, University of Southampton
• Daniel McKay Fletcher, Scotland’s Rural College
• Christopher Sandom, University of Sussex
• Alice Eldridge, University of Sussex
• James le Houx, ISIS proton and muon source
• Sharif Ahmed, DIAD, Diamond Light Source
• Elis Newham, Bioengineering, Queen Mary University, London
• Chiara Petroselli, Chemistry, University of Perugia
• Katy Rankin, mu-VIS X-ray imaging, University of Southampton
• Steven Dodsworth, Birkbeck, University of London

Internal collaborations:

• Lena Grinsted, School of Biological Sciences
• Matt Guille, School of Biological Sciences
• Annie Godwin, School of Biological Sciences
• Charles Wood, Zeiss Global Centre
• Natalia Przelomska, School of Biological Sciences