I am an Australian Research Council Future Fellow researching the origin and evolution of life.
I obtained my D.Phil. from Oxford University in 2004 studying the effects of sulfate-reducing bacteria on biomineralization.
My current research focuses on morphological, chemical and isotopic tracers of primitive Archean life, using cutting edge techniques such as NanoSIMS and Transmission Electron Microscopy.
I authored an introductory textbook on Archean life entitled ‘Early Life on Earth: A Practical Guide’, released in 2009.
My research seeks to elucidate how and when life originated on Earth and whether it could have originated on other planets such as Mars. Within this framework, I am part of a multidisciplinary team based jointly at the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis and the School of Earth & Environment.
I use a variety of research tools, including field based mapping and sample collection in Australia, optical and scanning electron microscopy, state of the art computer based imaging, microbiology and high resolution geochemistry.
