ERI Staff
Andersen, Prof. Roxane – Prof. Peatland Science
Prof. Roxane Andersen leads the “Carbon, Water and Climate” theme.
Bischoff, Dr. Mascha – Researcher – Molecular Plant Ecologist
Mascha’s research explores the chemical ecology of plant communication in peatlands within the “Carbon, Water and Climate” theme.
Boyd, Dr. Kenneth – ERI Head of Learning and Teaching
Kenny is the programme leader for two MSc courses, Renewable Energy Technologies and Developing Low Carbon Communities.
Bremner, Barbara – ERI Finance and Operations + Outreach Co-ordinator
Barbara is a project manager including finance, operational and outreach coordination.
Gibb, Prof. Stuart – ERI Director
Stuart is currently Director of the Environmental Research Institute and is UHI’s leading professor in Environmental Sciences.
Gleizon, Dr. Philippe – Physical Oceanographer (Teaching)
Philippe is a physical oceanographer and hydrodynamics modeller.
Goddijn-Murphy, Dr. Lonneke – Research Fellow – Physical Oceanographer
Lonneke is a physical oceanographer / remote sensing scientist based at the Centre for Energy and the Environment of the ERI.
Guiu, Maider – Analytical Chemist
Maider is carrying out laboratory based analysis within the ‘Environmental Contamination & Ecological Health’ theme.
Isaksson, Natalie – Postdoctoral Researcher
Natalie is a researcher in the ‘Renewable Energy and the Environment’ theme.
James, Dr. Neil – NPA Project Co-ordinator
Neil is the Project Coordinator for the Blue Circular Economy and APP4SEA Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme projects.
Marshall, Dr. Chris – Research Fellow – Peatland InSAR Scientist
Chris’s research focuses on examining landscape scale peatland processes in the present and geological past to understand the controls on peatland resilience to future climatic change.
Masden, Elizabeth – Research Fellow – Ecologist
Elizabeth is a research fellow at the ERI, University of the Highlands and Islands.
McIlvenny, Dr. Jason – Marine Hydrodynamacist (Technical)
Jason’s research interest includes the climate change and renewable energy and the environment.
Mitchell, Dr. Lucy – Postdoctoral Researcher – Ornithologist
Lucy is a postdoctoral ornithologist and ecologist, working primarily on the Horizon 2020 ROBINSON project, with expertise in avian tracking methods and ecological analyses.
Niemi, Dr. Lydia – One Health Breakthrough Partnership Co-ordinator
Lydia researches pharmaceutical pollution in wastewaters and surface waters, and is co-ordinator to the One Health Breakthrough Partnership.
Pap, Dr. Szabolcs – Researcher – Water Technologist
Szabolcs is a water technologist.
Ross, Audrey – Administrator / Co-ordinator
Audrey provides administrative support for ERI and is based at our Castle Street office.
Salvetat, Dr. Julie – Postdoctoral Researcher in Renewable Energy & the Environment
Julie is a postdoctoral researcher in marine active acoustics, working in the PELAgIO on the impact of OWFs on prey availability.
Simpson, William – Captain of the ERI Aurora
William is the captain of the ERI’s research boat, ERI Aurora.
Sinclair, Michael – Laboratory Technician
Michael is a laboratory technician focussing primarily on the analysis of commercial samples while providing support to the students and staff here at ERI.
Slingsby, James – Energy Research Associate
James is a researcher involved with energy-related knowledge exchange activities and research projects as part of the UHI’s Energy Group.
Strother, Dr. Stephanie – Energy KE Co-ordinator
Stephanie’s an environmental researcher with a focus on climate change, energy, and STEM outreach. Currently mapping UHI curriculum across the university from all partners involving green hydrogen and offshore wind sector.
Taggart, Dr. Mark – Senior Research Fellow
Mark is currently Senior Research Fellow and Theme Leader for “Environmental Contamination and Ecological Health”.
Todorova, Desislava – KE & Teaching Associate
Desislava is the Project Coordinator for the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Programme project HUGE.
Williamson, Dr. Benjamin – Senior Research Fellow
Benjamin leads the ‘Renewable Energy and the Environment’ research theme.
Thompson, Thomas – Laboratory Technician
Thomas is a laboratory technician focussing primarily on providing support to research staff and students, while also working on the analysis of commercial samples.
Robertson, Morag – Energy Systems Modeller
Morag joined ERI as an Energy Systems Modeller working on the SATE project.
ERI Students
Cakin, Ilgaz – PhD Researcher
Ilgaz is researching a new toolkit to help maximise performance of reed bed wastewater treatment systems in Scottish whisky distilleries.
Costagliola-Ray, Melissa – PhD Researcher
Quantification of seabird use of tidal environments: Novel methods to address potential biases in vantage point survey data.
Godwin, Liam – PhD Researcher
Liam is researching how the effects of land-use change across the Flow Country impacts stream and river ecosystem, in particular to Atlantic Salmon populations
Jones, Amy – PhD Researcher
Amy is using novel remote-sensing techniques to quantify fine-scale seabird and hydrodynamic habitat associations in tidally driven currents, with a focus on radar for seabird tracking above water.
Langlois Lopez, Samuel – PhD Researcher
Sam is investigating the foraging ecology of great black-backed gulls and their interactions with other seabirds, especially Atlantic puffins.
McWilliam, Anna – PhD Researcher
Anna is researching innovative brash management to enhance water quality following peatland restoration and forestry operations.
Petzinna, Nicholas – PhD Researcher
Nicholas is a PhD researcher looking at possible changes in behaviour around Marine Renewable Energy Sites using multi beam sonar to extract movement data from targets in the water column.
Thompson, Callum – PhD Researcher
Callum is developing a trait-based approach to understand Sphagnum responses to hydrological stress in the context of peatland restoration.
Webber, Sam – PhD Researcher
Sam is exploring the properties and functions of peatland margins to determine their role in the resilience of blanket peatlands to extreme climate events.
Witherington, Jake – PhD Researcher
Jake is PhD researcher modelling the resilience and ecohydrological feedbacks of restored peatlands in the context of climate change.
McHenry, Robert – PhD Researcher
Robert researches how forestry access roads affect the functioning of the peatland ecosystem and how those effects change as roads are restored back to peatland.
Harris, Caitlin – PhD Researcher
Caitlin researches the impacts of floating offshore wind infrastructure on the distribution and behaviour of fish and marine mammals.
Turner-Dockery, Chloe – PhD Researcher
Chloe researches validation of next-generation biophysical and metocean monitoring techniques for offshore renewable energy.
ERI Associates (External)
Brown, Prof. Barbara – ERI Associate
Barbara is an Associate Professor at the ERI at UHI following a collaboration with Professor Stuart Gibb on the role of pigments in tropical corals.
Dufaur, Juvenal – ERI Associate
Juvenal is a Marine Engineer, specialised in Oceanography in Fluid Dynamics theory and in Offshore petroleum.
Elsby, Dr. Derek – ERI Associate
Derek investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria within the wildlife of the Scottish Highlands for his PhD at ERI. Currently employed as an ecologist to examine deer management results in collaboration with the RSPB.
O’Hanlon, Dr. Nina – ERI Associate
Nina is a seabird ecologist researching the impacts of anthropogenic threats to marine birds.
Tamsett, Duncan – ERI Associate
Duncan’s interests are sonar and sub-seabed profiling in geological, environmental and engineering investigations of the seabed.
Todd, Dr. Victoria – ERI Associate
Victoria is a marine ecologist specialising in anthropogenic impacts on marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates – her focus is rigs-to-reefs.
Walker, Dr. Mark – ERI Associate
Mark is the previous theme leader for the Environment, Economy and Society theme at ERI. Currently based at the University of Hull.
Williamson, Dr. Laura – ERI Associate
Laura is a marine mammal ecologist specialising in species distribution modelling and behaviour of harbour porpoise.
Youngson, Alan – ERI Associate
Alan is a part-time Senior Research Fellow at the Environmental Research Institute.
Gilbert, Dr. Peter – ERI Associate
Gaffney, Dr. Paul – ERI Associate
Bond, Alex – ERI Associate