Overview

Biography

I earned an MSc in Petroleum Geology from the University of Pau, followed by nine months at the research centre of TotalEnergies in Pau, where I worked on the characterisation of carbonate source rocks from the Aquitaine Basin. I subsequently undertook Erasmus + research projects at the University of Aberdeen, focusing on terrestrial microbial carbonates.

From 2017 to 2021, I completed a PhD in Geology, developing renewed approaches to understanding mineral–water interactions at alkaline anthropogenic waste sites. Alongside my doctoral research, I contributed to undergraduate teaching in geology and physical geography, including laboratory instruction across a broad range of sub-disciplines, field teaching support, and assessment activities.

I then worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Heriot-Watt University in the field of Greenhouse Gas Removal. This role focused on the development of novel carbon dioxide removal strategies, particularly ocean alkalinity enhancement through the creation of new materials. My work centred on material characterisation and geochemical kinetics and formed part of a large international consortium assessing the feasibility of ocean alkalinity enhancement. This included evaluating national and international inventories of suitable rocks, their extraction and processing potential, and the short- and long-term opportunities for deployment, alongside contributions to wider projects in CO₂ capture, utilisation and storage, and negative emission technologies.

I am currently a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow within the GALLANT programme, working on the project “Simultaneous carbon sequestration and pollution remediation.” My research focuses on chemical and microbially induced mineral carbonation to permanently sequester CO₂ while immobilising contaminants in degraded urban soils. The work integrates laboratory studies with pilot-scale field experiments on derelict land, aiming to restore soil functionality, reduce environmental risk, and enhance the climate mitigation potential of urban environments.

My research sits at the interface of carbonate geochemistry and environmental science, a space in which I developed pioneering work during my PhD. I am now extending this research to larger, applied scales to address questions of major societal relevance at the intersection of climate change mitigation, contaminated land remediation, and sustainable urban development.

Areas of expertise

Sedimentology; Carbonate systems; Anthropocene environments; Microbialites; Pre-salt reservoirs; Carbonate source rocks; Hyperalkaline steel slag; Geochemistry; Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR); Mineral carbonation; Ikaite; Mineral–water interactions; Contaminated land remediation.