Interests and expertise
I am a fourth-year student studying Biology (Mbiol) at the University of Oxford, completing my Master’s research under the supervision of Dr William Thompson. My research will be based in Ghana, conducting fieldwork to explore the trade-off between climate adaptation, biodiversity and productivity in cocoa agroforestry systems. Specifically, I will analyse how the functional traits of shade trees alter climate adaptation and yield, aiming to advise policy on the optimum shade tree functional traits and species to implement within these systems.
Background
During my undergraduate degree reading Biology, I specialised in conservation, sustainability and the environment which fostered my interest in NbS. My primary interest lies in utilising NbS to provide climate change mitigation and adaptation, alongside transforming food systems in harmony with a growing population and declining biodiversity.
I am particularly interested in hands on fieldwork, exemplified by a research project I conducted in Danum Valley, Borneo, analysing butterfly activity in relation to the microclimate and predicting future activity windows under different climate change scenarios. Outside of my studies, I am a keen member of Oxford Climate Society and currently hold the position of Director of Education. This involves planning and running the School of Climate Change: an eight-week course for 100 selected students and over 3000 international applicants on topics ranging from climate science, economics and governance. I have also completed an internship with Oxford Net Zero, analysing NDCs of the Global South with a focus on NbS in these regions for climate change adaptation and mitigation.