I’m a Lecturer in Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol and a palaeobiologist interested in understanding how animals evolved. I studied Geology with Palaeobiology at the University of Leicester before returning to Bristol to complete a NERC/CASE PhD in Geology, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, London. My PhD research investigated the origin and early evolution of the vertebrate skeleton, and established my interest in combining fossil evidence, anatomy and evolutionary biology to understand the history of vertebrates.

Following my PhD, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Manchester and the University of Bristol, where I developed my research in vertebrate palaeobiology, phylogenetics and computational evolutionary biology. My work has increasingly brought together traditional approaches to studying fossils with quantitative and computational methods, including evolutionary simulations and programming. I joined the University of Bristol as a Lecturer in Palaeobiology in 2024 and became a Lecturer in Biological Sciences in 2025.

Alongside my research, I have a strong interest in teaching, public engagement and developing the next generation of palaeontologists and computational biologists. I co-direct the University of Bristol’s MSc Bioinformatics programme and teach programming, phylogenetics and evolutionary biology. I am also Education Officer for the Palaeontological Association and an EDI Lead and Steering Committee member for Open Palaeontology. I have been involved in palaeontology outreach for many years, including as a co-founder, presenter and editor of the Palaeocast podcast