I hold a First Class Hons Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation (University College London, England; 2015-2018), a Masters by Research in Conservation Genetics (Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU), University of St Andrews, Scotland; 2020-2021) and a Ph.D. in Behavioural Ecology and Conservation Genomics from SMRU, University of St Andrews and the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2022-2025). My Ph.D. was supervised by Prof Oscar Gaggiotti, Dr Luke Rendell and Dr Morten Tange Olsen.
My MSc(Res) and Ph.D. research focused on the development of non-invasive metagenomic sampling of large whales at sea using environmental (e)DNA and drones for exhaled breath, or ‘blow’, collection – generating whole genome data of humpback whales and fin whales foraging within Gitga’at First Nation territory in the Northeast Pacific for population genomics.
My research interests range from the decolonisation of ecology, through marine mammal population genomics and behavioural ecology, to the integration of diverse ethnoecological knowledge systems for marine conservation and equitable ocean governance. When I’m not at work, you’ll probably find me outdoors – cold water swimming, hiking or planting trees.
I am currently a Postdoctoral Researcher on the JPI-Oceans funded PAGES project (Process-based Assessment for Good Environmental Status) at ATU, working on the integration of eDNA-sourced biodiversity and community composition estimates in an interdisciplinary framework for improvement to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive’s ‘Good Environmental Status’ of the oceans.