Current members of the lab group
Emily Hollingsworth
PhD student (2020-2024)
Research Focus: Eocene paleoclimate, biomarkers, climate-biochemistry interactions
Email: e (dot) hollingsworth (at) soton.ac.uk
Bio: After completing her undergraduate in Physical Geography at the University of Birmingham, Emily continued to pursue the field of palaeoclimatology during a 2-year Earth Science MSc at Utrecht University where she was able to hone her skills in the analysis of lipid biomarkers, and palynology, for both Eocene and modern sediment samples.
Twitter: @emzyholl
Joe hingley
PhD student (2022-2026)
Research Focus: Oligocene paleoclimate, biomarkers, hydrology
Email: J (dot) Hingley (at) soton.ac.uk
Bio: Joe completed his MSc in Organic Geochemistry at the University of Bristol (supervisor: Dr. David Naafs) and is currently funded via the Royal Society and NERC. Joe is using a suite of biomarkers to reconstruct changes in temperature and hydrology during the Oligocene, an interval characterised by higher CO2 than modern.
dr ash abrook
research fellow (2022-2025)
Research Focus: Holocene paleoclimate, chironomids, biomarkers (GDGTs)
Email: A (dot) Abrook (at) soton.ac.uk
Bio: Ash is a research fellow on the UKRI funded DECADAL: Rethinking Palaeoclimatology for Society project and researches different themes within the field of Quaternary Science. Ash has previously completed a PhD in Quaternary Science at Royal Holloway University of London. Outside of academic research Ash has previously held positions within a University REF team as Impact Evidence Co-ordinator, and within the Natural Environment Research Council as Programme Manager.
dr mark Peaple
research fellow (2022-2024)
Research Focus: Holocene and Neogene paleoclimate, biomarkers (n-alkanes, GDGTs), CSIA, machine learning
Email: M (dot) D (dot) Peaple(at) soton.ac.uk
Bio: Mark is a research fellow on the NERC funded PROMS project that aims to reconstruct hydroclimate variabiltiy in the South PAcific during the last 3000 years. Mark has previously completed a PhD in Organic Geochemistry at University of Southern California (Supervisor: Prof. Sarah Feakins). Mark has expertise in various biomarkers (including n-alkyl lipids, GDGTs) and compound specific isotope analysis (carbon, hydrogen). He also brings strong numerical skills (e.g,. data assimilation, machine learning)
TOBIAS AGTERHUIS
RESEARCH FELLOW (2024-2026)
Research Focus: GDGTs, alkenones, clumped isotopes, benthic foraminifera, high CO2 climates
Email: T (dot) Agterhuis (at) soton.ac.uk
Bio: Tobias is funded on NERC Large Grant TONIC (‘Solving the Oligocene Icehouse Conundrum’) and will be generating new biomarker-based temperature and CO2 records during the enigmatic Oligocene interval. Prior to joining he was a PhD student at Utrecht where he measured the stable and clumped isotopic composition of well-preserved planktonic foraminifera to reconstruct deep ocean temperatures.
mckenzie bentley
research technician (2023-2024)
Bio: McKenzie is a research technician on the Royal Society funded DETECT project that will reconstruct organic carbon cycling in past warm climates.
DR SARGE BRAY
research Scientist
Bio: Sarge has been employed as a research scientist in the Organic Geochemistry labroatory since 2014. Sarge is responsible for overseeing day-to-day laboratory operations and maintaining our state-of-the-art analytical facilities. His research background includes analysis of organic matter from sediments, coal, rocks, oils, biomass, aerosols, and waters.
Past members of the lab group
Jack darch
Msc student (2023-2024)
Research Focus: Miocene paleoclimate, biomarkers (GDGTs, alkenones), paleoceanography
Bio: Jack is a MSc student working with myself, Gavin Foster and Alex Auderset to reconstruct sea surface temperature across the late Miocene using a combination of paleotemperature proxies, including alkenones and GDGTs.
Yufan Feng
Msc student (2022-2023)
Research Focus: Holocene paleoclimate, biomarkers (n-alkanes)
Bio: Yufan was a MSc student working with myself, Pete Langdon (Geography) and Ash Abrook to reconstruct hydrological and ecosystem change in a varved lake spanning the last 10,000 years. Her work has focused on the analysis of leaf wax biomarkers in modern leaves, soils, and lake sediments.
Dr MArlow cramwinckel
Research Fellow (2020-2021)
Research Focus: Eocene paleoclimate, dinoflagellates, biomarkers
Bio: Margot studies past warm climates, particularly those of the Eocene epoch that lasted from 56 to 34 million years ago, in order to better understand Earth System functioning under increased CO2 forcing. cysts. They have leading expertise in the application of organic proxies, including a range of lipid biomarkers and organic-walled dinoflagellate
Current position: Assistant Professor at Utrecht University
Eleanor Stanton
Royal society funded summer student (2022)
Research Focus: Eocene paleoclimate, leaf wax biomarkers, organic carbon cycling
Bio: Eleanor spent ~6 weeks in the Organic Geochemistry labs working on samples from IODP Site 302 (Lomonosov Ridge). She extracted and analysed n-alkane distributions to help constrain the source of OM within marine sediments.
elizabeth mitchell
Royal society funded summer student (2022)
Research Focus: Arctic biogeochemistry, organic carbon cycling
Bio: Elizabeth (Lizzie) spent ~6 weeks in the Organic Geochemistry labs working on modern marine surface sediment samples from the Arctic to constrain changes in organic matter sources.