Projects

I'm engaged in a number of projects from my PhD research / teaching at Cambridge & Oxford to wildlife film making and using Antarctic seal grime to change the face of polar research.

COVERAGE

An industry partner perspective: Prem Gill (British Antarctic Survey) - Alan Turing Institute Interview
The polar explorer using Grime to break the ice - Cambridge University profile
Ships, Sea and the Stars: Royal Museums Greenwich & BBC Culture in Quarantine (Keeping in touch - Communication in Isolation) - with presenter Helen Czerski.
National Geographic Kids Magazine Feature - National Geographic Kids
The AI revolution in scientific research - The Royal Society

AWARDS

Best Performance in Final Year - Cardiff University.
College Senior Scholarship for academic excellence (2019 and 2020) - Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge.
President's Cup 2019 for Best Oral Presentation - Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc19).
Going the Extra Mile Award 2020 - British Antarctic Survey.
Turing Enrichment Studentship (2020 and 2021) - the Alan Turing Institute
National Geographic Emerging Explorer 2021 - 1 of 15 global awardees, National Geographic Society.

Antarctic Fieldwork

I have conducted training and led fieldwork in the Arctic and the Antarctic.

In March 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic, I led a team to conduct the first spectral survey of Antarctic seals using spectral sensors and thermal cameras. This involved finding and surveying seals on sea ice out at sea and on land.

Experience was gained in driving powered boats in polar waters, working in proximity to various seal species and penguins, and using fragile fibre optic glass scientific equipment within harsh environmental conditions.

Teaching

I have experiencing in teaching masters and undergraduate students at Oxford and Cambridge, this has included supervisions, guest lecturing and workshops.

In Feb 2020 as a guest lecturer on Oxford University's Biodiversity, Conservation and Management Msc, I organised a full day of lectures and workshops on AI & Immersive Technology for Conservation at the Alan Turing Institute and Digital Catapult, the leading institutes for computer science and digital technologies within Britain. This event brought together partners from WWF Insight, Zoological Society London's Conservation Technology Team, Accenture UK, Royal College of Architecture, Digital Catapult, the Alan Turing Institute.

Group photo with the Oxford University conservation masters students at Digital Catapult.

PhD Research

For my research I lead the Seals from Space project with World Wildlife Fund, British Antarctic Survey and Cambridge University's Scott Polar Research Institute. For this project, I investigate how satellite imagery and drones can be used in the monitoring wildlife from space, focusing on ice seals and their sea ice habitats.

In the photo I am showing a group of students Antarctic ice core that contain bubbles of air that are several thousands of years old. These students were part of Citizen Science project I led where they were taught state of the art wildlife monitoring skills, in order to map ice seal and penguin colonies. On the final day of the project, the students witnessed the discovery of new emperor penguin colonies with Dr Peter Fretwell .

Polar fieldwork training

I have conducted training in order to lead safe and effective field projects in polar regions. Based within one of the world's northernmost settlements, Ny Alesund, Svalbard, I was taught rifle training for polar bear safety, offshore surveying in the Arctic ocean, and on ice ( glacier) work .

Wildlife filming making

With the BBC Natural History Unit (NHU), I work as a researcher helping to produce the landmark wildlife series Frozen Planet II.

Polar Impact: Minorities in Polar Research

I am the founder of Polar Impact, a network of racial and ethnic minorities in polar research, where my team of volunteers spearhead projects to retain talent from nontraditional backgrounds within polar and conservation science, and change the face of polar exploration.

We run a variety of engaging projects. If you're interested in supporting our work or getting involved, contact us via http://polarimpactnetwork.org.

Workshops

I have run workshops for a range of audiences, from educators to academics. The image is from a 2019 workshop on introducing the science of monitoring of polar wildlife from space into the classroom. This was attended by a wide audience of journalists, educators and academics such as Professor Terry Callaghan.

Public speaking

I am an invited speaker across industry and academia.

Speaking invitations include the Hutton Club (University of Edinburgh), The Linnean Society, Isaac Newton Institute (Cambridge University), and AGU 2020.

COVERAGE

An industry partner perspective: Prem Gill (British Antarctic Survey) - Alan Turing Institute Interview

The polar explorer using Grime to break the ice - Cambridge University profile

Ships, Sea and the Stars: Royal Museums Greenwich & BBC Culture in Quarantine (Keeping in touch - Communication in Isolation) - with presenter Helen Czerski.

National Geographic Kids Magazine Feature - National Geographic Kids

The AI revolution in scientific research - The Royal Society

AWARDS

PROJECTS