Research interests

1986-1989                    BSc, Bristol University, Biochemistry

1990-1994                    DPhil, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, Molecular Biophysics

1995-1997                    National Academy of Sciences Associateship, NASA Ames Research Center, California, Exobiology

1997-1998                    Visiting Scholarship, Dept. of Biology, Stanford University

1998-1999                    Visiting Scientist, Dept. of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona

2000-2005                    Research Scientist, British Antarctic Survey, Microbiology

2005-2011                    Professor of Geomicrobiology, Open University

2011-                           Professor of Astrobiology, University of Edinburgh

My research group is interested in astrobiology and microbiology. Our particular research focus lies in the study of life in extreme environments, understanding the diversity, processes and biosignatures of life in extremes, and the potential habitability of extraterrestrial environments.

We have done some of our work through the UK Centre for Astrobiology in 2011, a virtual centre that we set up. Through this centre we've implemented a variety of activities from establishing the world's first underground astrobiology lab that we've used to study life in the deep subsurface through to launching several experiments to the International Space Station. We have used this centre to develop education projects, including the Life Beyond project in Scottish prisons. You can read about this virtual centre here: www.astrobiology.ac.uk