I am currently a NERC Research Fellow in the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds.

My main research interest is in the causes of mass extinctions, and at the moment I am looking at the stratigraphic record of a group of microfossils, called foraminifera, during the Middle Permian extinction. This is part of 3 year, NERC-funded project (2006 on), which involves a multidisciplinary team of palaeontologists (myself and Paul Wignall (PI)), stable isotope geochemists (Simon Bottrell (Co-I) and Rob Newton (Co-I)), a palynologist (Jason Hilton (Co-I)), a magnetostratigrapher (Jason Ali (Co-I)), and a stratigrapher (Lai Xulong (Co-I)) from the Universities of Leeds, Birmingham, Hong Kong, and Wuhan. We are now seeing our results published, which for the first time demonstrate the link between volcanism and mass extinction. We have been studying the Emeishan large igneous province in southwest China, which offers a unique opportunity to study the phenomena of volcanism and extinction in the same sections, because the province is interbedded with shallow marine carbonates. We suggest that although small, eruptions were explosive, which drove global cooling and mass extinction (see our Science paper, 29th May 2009). Our fieldwork is nearly complete now, and has included fun filled trips to China, Greece, Hungary, and Japan.

Our original "hypothesis" can be found using the links to the left. It is interesting to see how our ideas have evolved since 2006 - all part of the scientific process! You can also find out about my previous research into the Late Devonian (Frasnian-Famennian) mass extinction.

Also on the left you can find a link to a full list and download information on my publications.

I also have a more applied research interest, which applies my expertise in sedimentology to the study of placer gold distributions. I am working with Rob Chapman at Leeds on projects in British Columbia and Yukon. We had a successful field season in Yukon in 2006, and I will be returning to Canada in 2009 to continue this work.

I enjoy teaching! My teaching interests are research-led, hence I teach a number of undergraduate courses in palaeoecology and sedimentology. I really enjoy getting out in the field, indeed this is one of the main attractions of the earth sciences, and I teach on most of the undergraduate field classes offered at Leeds

Outside of work I enjoy getting out and about. I play football and cricket to stave off the effects of my real ale habit. I play cricket for Whitehall CC. I am most happy when walking in the hills. I also enjoy brewing and drinking (good quality) beer. This is VERY important in life. I do the odd bit of adult education, having taught evening classes in Basic Geology for the Workers' Educational Association in Leeds, and Ilkley. I also enjoy looking after my wife and two cats.