Research interest

I am a biogeochemist with an interest in the ways in which microbial carbon cycling functions under stress in different ecosystems. My PhD research is a part of the DRought Impacts on soil microbial metabolism in a central European foRest (DRIER) project with the goal of understanding microbial carbon metabolism by applying a novel technique of hydrogen isotope ratio analysis of lipids in drought-affected forest soils. The research will apply increasingly complex experimental designs from soil mesocosms to in situ changes in an experimental plot subject to a multi year drought. The experiments will also combine multi ‘omics approaches to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the in situ behaviour, and changes over the prolonged stress of the drought. Overall, this research will help to provide insights into drought in a natural temperate European forest and the consequent impacts on soil microbial function and carbon cycling.

Educational background and work experience

Sept 2025 - present: PhD Candidate in the Organic Geochemistry group of Prof. Dr. Nemiah Ladd, University Basel (CH)

Feb 2025 - August 2025: Intern at Wageningen Marine Research (Den Helder, NL) 

Sep 2023 – July 2025: MSc in Environmental Science, Wageningen University and Research (NL), Thesis: The effect of extreme temperature events and benthic sediment biofilm on methane cycling in urban ponds in the Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Research Group (NL)

Jan 2020 - May 2020: Exchange Semester University College London (UK)

Sep 2017 – May 2021: BA in Political Science, First Honours, McGill University (Montreal, Canada)