Luke Abraham

*Priority CASE Research Area*

Earth System Modelling, with a particular interest in atmospheric chemistry and the development of next generation atmospheric models.

Stratospheric processes, Tropospheric processes, Climate and climate change

Palaeoenvironments, Palaeobiology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Conservation ecology, Quarternary Science

Solid Earth and Natural Hazards

Climate and Environmental Science

Theoretical and computational geophysics with applications to climate and the solid Earth.

Climate and climate change; Glacial and cryospheric systems; Mantle and core processes

The chemistry of the atmosphere and it’s interactions with the climate crisis

Climate and climate change, Atmospheric kinetics, Radiative processes and effects, Stratospheric processes, Tropospheric processes, Biogeochemical cycles

Scott Polar Research Institute

Department of Geography

Glaciologist with a particular interest in the interactions between ice dynamics, water and climate.

Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Quaternary science, Planetary surfaces and geology

Comparative anatomy and evolution of vertebrates, particularly mammals.

Paleobiology, Paleoenvironments, Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution

Department of Zoology

Department of Genetics

Genetics and evolution of transmissible cancers in marine environments

Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution, Environmental genomics, Ecotoxicology, Survey and monitoring

Antimicrobial resistance ecology across One Health compartments

Population genetics and evolution, Environmental Genomics, Community Ecology

Reconciling biodiversity conservation with people’s needs for food, fibre and a stable climate

Conservation ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Population ecology

The evolution of plant development

Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution, Environmental physiology

Co-supervising only for MT2026 entry.

Carbon cycle dynamics and climate change from ice core gases

Climate and climate change, Quaternary science, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Land-atmosphere interactions

Polar Oceanography with an interest in machine learning and advanced modelling techniques

Climate and climate change, Ocean circulation, Environmental informatics

Biology and Conservation

Climate and Environmental Science

Shells, oceans and carbon.

Climate and climate change, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Biogeochemical cycles, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Environmental informatics, Technology for environmental applications

Polar physical oceanography with a focus on observations.

Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Ocean circulation

I have broad interests in the field of evolutionary palaeobiology.

Paleobiology, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Paleoenvironments, Behavioural ecology, Systematics and taxonomy, Environmental microbiology, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Planetary surfaces and geology, Biogeochemical cycles, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use.

Applied mathematician with interests in modelling fluid flows in the ocean and the atmosphere, particularly where turbulence and buoyancy forces interact, using modern mathematical, computational and experimental methods. 

Boundary-layer meteorology, climate and climate change, regional weather and extreme events, ocean circulation.

Physical oceanographer, with a focus on the global-scale ocean circulation and its transport of heat and carbon

Ocean circulation, Climate and climate change, Ocean-atmosphere interactions

Arthropod evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo).

Population genetics and evolution.

The role played by collagen in the evolution of life

Paleobiology, Paleoenvironments, Palaeoprotemics, Environmental Genomics

Ecosystem change and biodiversity conservation through field research, AI and remote sensing

Uncovering the heterogeneity, flow, and boundaries in the deep Earth using seismology

Mantle and core processes, Physics and chemistry of earth materials

Epidemiological modelling of spread, detection, evolution and control of plant pests and pathogens.

Population ecology; Environmental informatics; Environmental microbiology

Biology and Conservation

Climate and Environmental Science

Solid Earth and Natural Hazards

Sedimentary geology and palaeoenvironments, with an emphasis on deep time co-evolution of life and Earth surface processes and landforms.

Paleobiology, Paleoenvironments, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Planetary surfaces and geology, Earth surface processes

Scott Polar Research Institute

Department of Geography

Antarctic Glaciologist who uses remote sensing and machine learning to better understand ice-shelf vulnerability.

Climate and climate change, Glacial and cryospheric systems

Wildlife conservation in agricultural landscapes, with emphasis on farming system transitions and ecosystem services provided by mobile arthropods

Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Ecotoxicology, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

Using large‐scale genome sequence data to understand genetic variation, population history, and genome evolution.

Paleoenvironments, Population ecology, Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution, Environmental genomics

Volcanologist and igneous petrologist with broad interests in hazards, volatiles, environmental impacts and ore deposits.

Paleoenvironments, Geohazards, Volcanic processes, Survey and monitoring

Tropical forest ecology and conservation, with an emphasis on understanding the impacts of logging, restoration, and wildlife trade on biodiversity

Climate and climate change, Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use

Global change impacts on tropical forest diversity and dynamics.

Climate and climate change, Community ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use

Icebergs as critical components of coupled ice sheet – ocean – climate systems

Climate and climate change, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Ocean circulation, Environmental informatics, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

Biomechanics, ecology and evolution of insect-plant interactions

Climate and climate change, Behavioural ecology, Environmental physiology

Vertebrate palaeontologist and evolutionary biologist investigating macroevolutionary transitions and the origins of major vertebrate groups, with a focus on birds

Conservation biology with an emphasis on wildlife ecology and landscape conservation

Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Environmental informatics

Cloud interactions and climate impacts of aerosol from sea ice and polar oceans.

Boundary layer meteorology, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Tropospheric processes, Water in the atmosphere, Climate and climate change

The role of terrestrial processes in the climate system with an emphasis on vegetation and the global carbon cycle.

Environmental physiology, Land-atmosphere interactions, Biogeochemical cycles, Earth surface processes, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Climate and climate change

Evolution of our planet and the interaction of deep Earth and surface systems.

Earth resources, Mantle and core processes, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Tectonic processes, Volcanic processes.

Atmospheric aerosol formation and composition in the present and in the past.

Land-atmosphere interactions, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Tropospheric processes, Climate and climate change, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Quaternary science, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use

I am interested in the evolution and development of flowers and the features they have that attract pollinating animals.

Behavioural ecology, Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution

Extreme events in geophysics using data, theory, and numerical models.

Geohazards, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Hydrological processes, Land-atmosphere interactions, Land-ocean interactions, Physics and chemistry of Earth materials, Regional weather and extreme events, Survey and monitoring, Tectonic processes, Volcanic processes

Investigating how neurotransmitter receptor diversity evolves and functions in response to ecological pressures, with applications in sensory biology and parasite control.

Environmental biotechnology, Environmental physiology, Behavioural ecology

Biology and Conservation

I use the biological palaeontological record of invertebrates, such as molluscs and brachiopods, to understand both their evolution and to explore the adaptations to their environments

Ecology, Biodiversity, Systematics

Climate and Environmental Science

Solid Earth and Natural Hazards

Experimental and computational approaches to study of the properties and behaviour of magnetic nanoparticles in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments

Paleoenvironments, Environment and Health, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Planetary surfaces and geology, Pollution, Environmental Biotechnology, Environmental informatics, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

Vertebrate palaeontology and herpetology with emphasis on tropical faunal change in relation to climate through time.

How does somatic evolution in long-lived oak trees facilitate environmental adaptation.

Climate and climate change, Population ecology, Population genetics and evolution

Animal behaviour and its causes and consequences – integrating sensory ecology, predator-prey interactions, and social behaviour.

Behavioural Ecology

Mathematical modelling of complex geophysical fluid flows

Geohazards, Glacial and Cryospheric systems, Hydrogeology, Hydrological processes, Volcanic processes

Plant biologist who is interested in the evolution of photosynthesis, with a particular focus on the C₄ pathway which allows increased productivity, water use and nitrogen use efficiency. Plants using the C₄ pathway dominate open habitats in the tropics and sub-tropics.

Environmental physiology, Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution

Evolution and diversity of chromatin in bacteria, focusing on non-model species

Environmental microbiology,  Population genetics and evolution

Geochemist who studies Earth’s past climate using marine and lake sediment cores and speleothems.

Science-based archaeology, Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Quaternary science, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Biogeochemical cycles, Ocean circulation, Earth surface processes

Petrologist with broad interests in igneous and metamorphic rocks. 

Earth resources, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Volcanic processes

Evolutionary genetics of people and microbiomes

Population genetics and evolution; behavioural ecology; science-based archaeology; environment and health

The genomic study of insect evolution and diversification

Population Genetics and Evolution, Environmental genomics

I am interested in how parasites and pathogens drive rapid evolution in their hosts, and the consequences of this for the evolution of genomes, survival of populations and pathogen dynamics.

Population ecology, Population genetics and evolution, Environmental microbiology, Environmental genomics

Evolutionary Biology, with broad interests in social evolution, co-evolution, animal behaviour and behavioural ecology.

Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Population ecology, Population genetics and evolution

Environmental and geophysical fluid dynamics with broad interest in mixing, particle transport and phase change, notably in clouds.

Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport, Water in the atmosphere, Regional weather and extreme events, Pollution, Mantle and core processes

Physiology of photosynthesis and its interactions with environmental drivers such as light, water, temperature and CO₂

Plant & crop science, Environmental physiology

Long-term consequences of heat stress vulnerability during critical periods of development – understanding mechanisms to find solutions.

Medical & health interface:  Environment and Health

Tephrochronologist studying Quaternary environmental change and explosive volcanism.

Quaternary science, Paleoenvironments, Science-based archaeology, Volcanic processes, Geohazards

Seismology, geophysics, global and regional seismic tomography. Dynamics and evolution of the lithosphere and underlying mantle. Seismic thermography. Earthquakes and seismic hazard, origins of intraplate volcanism and geothermal energy resources.

Mantle and core processes, Geohazards, Earth resources, Tectonic processes, Volcanic processes, Technology for environmental applications

The evolution and impacts of socially transferred materials

Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Population genetics and evolution, Environment and Health, Environmental physiology

Environmental fluid dynamics with a focus on turbulent mixing and its implications for coastal oceanography

Climate and climate change, Pollution, Ocean circulation, Water quality

Biology and Conservation

Climate and Environmental Science

Primatology and primate behavioural ecology focusing on inter-group competition, cooperation, culture and human-primate interfaces

Climate and climate change; Behavioural ecology; Community ecology; Population ecology; Systematics and taxonomy; Population genetics and evolution; Environment and Health; Environmental microbiology; Environmental genomics; Environmental Biotechnology

Forest ecologist interested in the use of remote sensing (from ground to satellites) and data science techniques to understand forest structure, function and dynamics.

Land-atmosphere interactions, Radiative processes and effects, Climate and climate change, Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Environment and Health, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Earth surface processes, Environmental informatics, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

The Neoproterozoic–Cambrian origin and early evolution of animals, and the co-evolution of animals with the Earth System.

Paleobiology, Paleoenvironments, Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Systematics and taxonomy, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Biogeochemical cycles, Earth surface processes

Combining observations, reanalysis, and model simulations to understand atmospheric processes driving extreme weather in the polar regions.

Scott Polar Research Institute

Department of Geography

Coupling between the biotic and abiotic components of the Earth System, with a focus on cold regions, and over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales.

Land-atmosphere interactions, Climate and climate change, Regional weather and extreme events, Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Quaternary science, Biogeochemical cycles, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Soil science, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

Magmatic processes, quantitative approaches to igneous petrology.

Volcanic Processes, Tectonic Processes, Mantle and core processes

Understanding the response of animals to past environmental change.

Population genetics and evolution, population biology, Climate and climate change

Ice shelf dynamics and deterioration

Glacial and cryospheric systems; Climate and climate change; Geohazards; Physics and chemistry of earth materials; Land-ocean interactions

Understanding climate change and variability within the polar regions and links to the wider Earth system

Climate and climate change, Regional weather and extreme events, Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport

Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport, Climate and climate change, Regional weather and extreme events, Earth Engineering, Geohazards, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Mantle and core processes, Quaternary science, Tectonic processes, Biogeochemical cycles, Land-ocean interactions, Ocean circulation, Earth surface processes, Technology for environmental applications

Department of Earth Sciences

British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

Southern Ocean circulation and properties, and their impact on the Antarctic and global climate.

Climate and climate change, Ocean circulation, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Glacial and cryospheric systems

Department of Zoology

Department of Plant Sciences

I am interested in the evolutionary interplay of animal weapons and behaviour

Behavioural Ecology

Co-supervising only for MT2026 entry.

Atmospheric dynamicist interested in understanding mechanisms.

Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport, Radiative processes and effects, Stratospheric processes, Climate and climate change

Role of ecological processes on evolution through deep-time, from the first animal communities of the Ediacaran to the present.

Paleobiology, community ecology, marine ecology.

Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Population ecology, Systematics and taxonomy, Population genetics and evolution

Department of Earth Sciences

British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

Ocean circulation and ocean carbon storage with an emphasis on the Southern Ocean and long-term climate change from the Eocene to present day

Ocean circulation, Biogeochemical cycles, Paleoenvironments

Rapid climate change and ocean dynamics: past, present and future

Climate and Climate Change; Quaternary science; Glacial and cryosphere systems; Arctic; Antarctic; Oceanography, Volcanic processes; Ocean circulation; Sediments and sedimentary processes; Environmental informatics

Island systems with broad interests in forest and vertebrate ecology, terrestrial protected areas and the dimensions of human interactions with these systems.

Climate and climate change, Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

Department of Earth Sciences

Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP)

Fluid dynamicist with an interest in subglacial hydrology, groundwater flows and river erosion, magma ocean solidification and magnetic field generation, and geological carbon storage.

Glacial and cryospheric systems, hydrological processes, mantle and core processes

Isotopic Ecology and Archaeology

Science-based archaeology, Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Population ecology, Quaternary science, Biogeochemical cycles

Co-supervising only for MT2026 entry.

I am interested in all aspects of volcanology

Science-based archaeology, Tropospheric processes, Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Regional weather and extreme events, Environment and Health, Geohazards, Quaternary science, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Volcanic processes, Survey and monitoring, Technology for environmental applications

The processes responsible for climate change and variability in polar and high-mountain regions.

Climate and climate change, Boundary layer meteorology, Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport, Land-atmosphere interactions, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Stratospheric processes, Tropospheric processes, Regional weather and extreme events, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Hydrological processes

Climate dynamics across timescales; integrating climate proxies, observations, and models to refine future projections; paleoclimate data assimilation; cryosphere–climate change

Climate and climate change, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Quaternary science, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Ocean circulation, Radiative processes and effects, Regional weather and extreme events

Landscape archaeologist with interests in palaeoclimate, palaeoenvironment, hydrology, settlement archaeology, material culture analysis and absolute dating.

Archaeology, Science-based archaeology, Climate and climate change, Palaeoenvironments, Regional weather and extreme events, Geosciences, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Earth surface processes

The ecology, life history and conservation of seabirds

Regional weather and extreme events, Behavioural ecology, Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Population ecology, Ecotoxicology, Pollution

Climate and climate change, Ocean Circulation, Palaeoenvironments, Quaternary science, Glacial and cryospheric systems

Biology and Conservation

Biological anthropologist specialising in palaeoanthropology and human osteology with interests in the evolutionary biology and palaeoecology of Neanderthals and modern humans.

Paleobiology, Science-based archaeology

Seismic imaging of the Earth’s interior, volcano seismology and earthquake hazard, with applications in Iceland and southeast Asia

Geohazards, Earth resources, Tectonic processes, Volcanic processes

Sunlight-driven carbon dioxide reduction to solar fuels.

Climate and climate change, Physics and chemistry of earth materials

Biology and Conservation

Climate and Environmental Science

Paleobiology and paleoecology of late Cenozoic faunas and terrestrial ecosystems in Africa during ape and human evolution.

Paleobiology, Science-based archaeology, Paleoenvironments, Community ecology, Taxonomy and systematics, Quaternary science

Geodynamicist with broad interests in mantle and magma dynamics, theoretical geophysics and geochemistry.

Mantle and core processes, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Volcanic processes

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the evolution of organismal diversity (eco-evo-devo) using East African cichlid fishes as a model system

Climate and climate change, Population genetics and evolution, Environmental Genomics

Human evolutionary genetics and ancestry.

Population genetics and evolution, Paleobiology, Environmental genomics

Atmospheric dynamics on weather and climate timescales, phenomena such as gravity waves, Rossby waves, the jet stream, storm tracks, extratropical cyclones and extreme weather. Modelling across complexity levels, including very high-resolution models, idealized models, the development of machine learning parameterisations to data-driven forecasting.

Atmospheric physics and chemistry, climate and climate change, Tools, technology and methods

Department of Earth Sciences

Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP)

Fluid physics of climate, environmental, and planetary systems, especially ice-covered and polar regions

Climate and climate change; Glacial and cryospheric systems; Planetary Surfaces and Geology; Ocean Circulation; Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions

Planetary geochemistry, how the mantle, atmosphere, and oceans of Earth co-evolve

Mantle and core processes, Physics and chemistry of Earth materials, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Volcanic processes, Paleoenvironments, Planetary surfaces and geology

British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

Earth system dynamics during current and past warm climates.

Land-atmosphere interactions, Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Water in the atmosphere, Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Glacial and cryospheric systems

Past climate and carbon cycle change; using proxy data and numerical methods to understand the Earth System.

Climate and climate change, Paleoenvironments, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Regional weather and extreme events, Science-based archaeology

I study ocean dynamics across a range of scales and marine carbon dioxide removal

Biogeochemical cycles, ocean circulation

Dissecting the forces by which transposable elements drive genome evolution

Population genetics and evolution

Climate and Environmental Science

Isotope geochemist with an interest in the terrestrial carbon cycle, Earth surface processes, chemical weathering and enhanced chemical weathering.

Hydrogeology, Hydrological processes, Quaternary science, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Pollution, Biogeochemical cycles, Land-ocean interactions, Earth surface processes, Soil science, Water quality, Survey and monitoring

Geochemist and mineralogist broadly interested in the relationships between natural fluids, minerals, and environmental conditions.

Paleoenvironments, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Sediments and sedimentary processes, Planetary surfaces and geology, Biogeochemical cycles, Earth surface processes, Water quality

Key processes in global biogeochemical cycles, including the carbon cycle, and how they have varied over Earth history.

How human-dominated landscapes can be managed for biodiversity, and associated ecosystem processes, with a particular focus on insects.

Climate and climate change, Regional weather and extreme events, Behavioural ecology, Conservation ecology, Earth surface processes, Survey and monitoring

Department of Earth Sciences

Department of Geography

Hazard, risk, and disaster research with a particular focus on multihazard and the impact of human activity on hazards.

Climate and climate change, Environment and Health, Geohazards, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Tectonic processes, Volcanic processes, Environmental informatics, Survey and monitoring

High-temperature rock deformation over both tectonic and human timescales investigated through experiments, fieldwork, microstructural analysis, and theory

Geohazards, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Mantle and core processes, Physics and chemistry of earth materials, Tectonic processes

Environmental Archaeology with a focus on past agro-ecology and the development of agricultural systems

Paleobiology, Science-based archaeology, Paleoenvironments, Community ecology

Evolutionary geneticist, interested in predicting the outcomes of cross-species hybridisation.

Population genetics and evolution

Understanding the formation of magmatic critical metal deposits essential to the green transition.

Paleoenvironments, Geohazards, Volcanic processes, Survey and monitoring, Earth resources, Physics and Chemistry of Earth Materials, Tectonic Processes, Volcanic Processes

Investigating how mantle convection influences Earth’s surface and palaeoclimate.

Tectonic processes, Mantle and core processes, Paleoenvironments

Developing novel isotope tools and applying them to solid Earth and planetary processes, including accretion, Earth volatile origins, magma oceans, Archean tectonics, subduction zone redox cycles, ‘critical metals’, and polar weathering processes.

Scott Polar Research Institute

Department of Geography

Glaciology, with particular emphasis on climate, hydrology, and dynamics of glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets, and their changes through time.

Land-atmosphere interactions, Ocean-atmosphere interactions, Climate and climate change, Regional weather and extreme events, Glacial and cryospheric systems, Hydrological processes, Land-ocean interactions, Earth surface processes, Survey and monitoring

Geothermal power; thermal batteries in the ground; aquifer thermal energy storage; hydrogen storage in aquifers; carbon storage ; mixing of potable reservoirs with bubble plumes; gravity currents; particle laden flows ; plastic dispersal in the ocean

Earth Engineering, Hydrology, Sediments and transport, Volcanic processes, Hazards, Ocean mixing

Coastal ecosystem ecology and conservation, with and emphasis on understanding restoration opportunities and the ecosystem services provided by vegetated coastal ecosystems.

Climate and climate change, Community ecology, Conservation ecology, Ecosystem-scale processes and land use, Land-ocean interactions, Survey and monitoring

British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

Climatologist and numerical modeler with broad interests in abrupt climate changes and earth system dynamics.

Abrupt climate change, Tipping points, Atlantic meridional overturn circulation, Antarctic, Arctic, Artificial intelligence and machine learning, Earth System – ice sheet modelling, Quaternary science

Developing wholistic methodologies for studying the microbial-material/environment interactions, particularly in the contexts of coral bleaching, photosynthesis and biofouling.

Environmental microbiology, Environmental physiology, Biogeochemical cycles, Environmental Biotechnology