My principal research interest is the investigation of signals resulting from the electron beam interaction with geological materials. Specifically this is applied to a diverse range of problems such as the mineralogy of exceptionally preserved fossils, from the Cambrian Burgess Shale to the Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China, and the mineralogy and petrogenesis of carbonatite ash deposits.

I experiment with novel techniques in electron microscopy as applied to a range of materials: Variable Pressure SEM offers the possibility of non-destructive analysis of rare and precious fossil material; cryogenic electronprobe microanalysis is applied to the quantitative analysis of volcanic glass and other unstable materials. I also research new advances in EPMA which permit analyses of nanoscale volumes under low accelerating voltages.