BIO
Research Scientist, Lecturer and Director of MSc Programme in Global Change: Ecosystem Science and Policy As a research scientist, my main goal is to understand the workings of natural ecosystems to ultimately provide guidance to stakeholders in the fields of policy, industry, civil society, and natural resource management. The purpose of my research is to consolidate knowledge about climate change and its impacts on ecosystem dynamics and I am dedicated to the transfer of my expertise into action that promotes sustainable practices. My current research interests are: the biogeochemical cycles and management of peatlands and organic soils (for the mitigation and adaptation to climate change and for biodiversity; greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils; peatland forestry; after-use of cutaway peatlands; environmental monitoring and water quality; ecological modelling; appropriate assessment (assessment of impacts on protected areas). Lecturer / Director MSc Global Change: Ecosystem Science and Policy developed between UCD and Justus-Liebig-University Giessen (Germany), the philosophy of policy-relevant evidence is the central core of this Masters programme aiming to give graduates skills to bridge the gap between science and policy. I co-ordinate and lecture the following modules: ENVB 40040: Environmental Impact Assessment & ENVB40530: Impact Assessment procedure (on-line) ENVB40310: Peatlands and Environmental Change & ENVB40360: Peatlands and Global Change (on-line) ENVB40540: Ecological mapping and QGIS BIOL40780: Designing a Global Change Research Project BIOL40130: Research Project BIOL40120: Work Placement and teach in : BIOL10030: Plant Cell Biology ; BIOL20010: Global Environmental Change and Agriculture ; AESC40410: Soil, Plant and Water Professional: -Lead Author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2014 Wetlands Supplement, and contributing author to the IPCC Special Report on Climate change and Land 2019 (SRCCL) on Chapter 4: Land degradation. -Member of the Advisory Group to the Peatland Council set up by the government to assist Ireland to respond to the requirements of EU and domestic law relating to the protection of important peatland habitats and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board to the National Peatland Strategy set up by the government to assist Ireland to respond to the requirement s of EU and domestic law relating to the protection of important peatland habitats.