2024- present:  Director, Research and Innovation, UHI North, West and Hebrides

2008- present: Professor of Environmental Sciences,  The University of the Highlands and Islands

2003- present: Director, Environmental Research Institute, UHI North, West and Hebrides

2017-2021:  Vice Principal, International (secondment); University of the Highlands and Islands

2013- 2019: Professor (Faculty). Changsha University of Science and Technology, China

2010-2018: Director, VE Marine Ltd

2012-2013: Academic Structures (Secondment); University of the Highlands and Islands

1999-2003: Research & Development Manager, Environmental Research Institute; North Highland College

1997-1999: Senior Scientific Officer - Marine & Atmospheric Centre for Coastal & Marine Sciences (CCMS), Plymouth, UK

1995-1997: Higher Scientific Officer-Marine Ecology (Biogeochemistry), Plymouth Marine Laboratory

1992-1995: Research Fellow (UK NERC) - School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia & Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK

1994: PhD Environmental Sciences - School of Environmental Science, University of East Anglia, UK

1989: BSc (Hons) - Physical Sciences - Robert Gordon`s Institute of Technology (now RGU) - Awarded `Glaxochem Prize for Most Distinguished Degree Student`

1988: BSc Physical Sciences - Robert Gordon’s Institute of Technology (now RGU)

Awards (from 2020)

Nature of Scotland Awards 2024: Nature and Climate Action - The Flow Country Partnership for pioneering innovative and deeply collaborative approaches to the re-evaluation and restoration of blanket bog peatlands across Caithness and Sutherland. Mitigating climate change, grow natural capital, boost sustainability, and address the biodiversity crisis, while delivering social and economic benefits for local community

Environment and Business Awards 2024 : ‘Making An Environmental Difference’. The Flow Country Partnership, working with the Environmental Research Institute,

22nd VIBES Scottish Environment Business awards, 2021: Finalist category ‘Nature Rich Scotland’

7th Annual Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, 2022 – Winner in the Making an Environmental Difference category.

12th Annual British Medical Journal Awards, 2020 – Finalist and Highly Commended in the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change

21st VIBES Scottish Environment Business awards (2020): Winner ‘Innovative Partnership’

PraxisAuril and UKRI KE Awards 2021; Finalist KE Partnership of the Year

6th Annual Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, 2021: – Finalist in the Making a Difference category.

Professional memberships

Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) 2007-

Fellow, Higher Education Academy 2006-

Chartered Scientist (CSci) 2005

Chartered Chemist (CChem) 1994-

 External roles (Current =  *)

*Member of Leadership Council, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) (2022- )

*Chair of Flow Country / Peatlands Partnership (2016- ): The Flow Country Partnership | The Flow Country

Visiting Professor, Hunan Institute of Engineering, China, (2018- 2024)

* Board Member, European Association of Chemistry of the Environment (2009-): Association of Chemistry and the Environment (europeanace.com)

Lead, Thematic Network on Bioregional Planning for Resilient Rural Communities, University of the Arctic (2021-2024 ): UArctic - University of the Arctic - Thematic Network on Bioregional Planning for Resilient Rural Communities

* Visiting Fellow Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics: Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics)

President, European Association of Chemistry of the Environment (2020- 2022)

Network Co-Director GCRF Health, Polluted Water and Soils Network (2019-2021)

Chair of Steering Committee, Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Flow to the Future Programme’ (~£9M); 2016-2019)

Chair, Environment Committee, European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), (2013-2018)

Member, Advisory Panel, Scientific Advisory Committee of Scottish Natural Heritage (2011-2019)

Member Scotland UNESCO Committee (2007-8)

Member of Regional Board, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA); 2005-2010.

Member Advisory Group -  Moray Firth Partnership, 2004-2007

Reviewing roles:

UK – Small Business Research Initiative; Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); UNESCO Women in Science Programme; Carnegie Trust

International - US National Science Foundation Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); Research Council of Norway; US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Ruđer Bošković Institute, Croatia; Hungarian National Office for Research and Technology

Selected projects

1.       Current

One Health Breakthrough Partnership (Joint Founder): Brings together key regional and national stakeholders across the water, environment, and healthcare sectors who are committed to reducing the environmental impact of healthcare including addressing pharmaceutical pollution in the environment (One Health Breakthrough Partnership)

Bridging Waters: The project aims to enhance cross-national collaboration to develop sustainable practices in pharmaceutical use and environmental health. By fostering interdisciplinary research and education, this partnership seeks to address pharmaceutical pollution, water quality, and the interconnected health of humans, animals, and ecosystems Funded by Scottish Government)

University of the Arctic Thematic Network on Bioregional Planning for Resilient Rural Communities (Lead): international network of interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners committed to understanding the role that bioregional and systems strategies can play in supporting rural Northern communities and activating strategies in a place-based way to promote resilience in the face of climate change & other disruptive events.

2.       Complete

Strategic

Bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage Site status for the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland World Heritage | The Flow Country.  Secured 2024, site officially opened by King Charles 3rd
News - Scotland’s Flow Country secures World Heritage status

GCRF Health, Polluted Water and Soils Network (Network Co-Director): Aimed to reduce health problems related to water and soil pollution in climate–stressed, rural and deprived urban communities in Kenya, Jamaica, and Grenada, through a network of excellence

MERIKA: Aim to establish UHI as a European research & innovation hub for marine energy - focussing on environmental issues underpinning development of the sector. €4.4 million  - EU 7th Framework Programme.

Marine Renewable Energy & the Environment (MaREE); Secured £4 M to support applied and fundamental research to inform the development of marine renewable energy in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. Funding:  EU ERDF, Scottish Funding Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Centre for Energy and the Environment (CfEE); Development of Centre funded by the ERDF, Scottish Funding Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology), rated CfEE as the UK’s most sustainable higher education building upon completion.

Addressing Marine Renewable Energy Capacity in Scotland:  Strategic Research Development Grant (SRDG) - Scottish Funding Council (SFC); Total grant £990k.

UHI SuperGen Plus PhD programme; Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the European Regional Development Fund. Total programme approx. £1470K

UK / EU joint programmes: in a variety of roles since 2000; examples including:

ENERGYMARE: Applied research project around the development of marine renewable energy in the Atlantic Area; TURNKEY: Transforming Underutilised Renewable Key Energy Yields; GREBE: Generating Renewable Energy Business Enterprise; RASLRES:  Regional Approaches to Stimulating Local Renewable Energy Solutions Programme;  Sustainable Strategy for Water Treatment and : Increasing Business Competitiveness, Creating Employment and Increasing Income and Analytical Services for Sustainable Development both ERDF Priority 1

UKRI- NERC programmes

UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC) project: Developing frameworks for eco-directed sustainable prescribing: Towards reducing environmental pollution from healthcare practices” (2022-23); LOCATE Programme: Land Ocean CArbon TransfEr (2016-19); Virus driven biogeochemistry – implications of lysis-driven nutrient regeneration on microbial growth”  (2004-2007); “Towards a vulnerability assessment for the UK coastline”; NERC / Tyndall Centre for Climate Change ; With  SOC, POL, Universities of Southampton, East Anglia; 2000-2004); United Kingdom Marine Climate Change Impacts Programme (MCCIP)

Research

As a researcher in: UK Atmospheric Chemistry in the Marine Environment (ACSOE) Programme; DETR Impact of UV on Aquatic Ecosystems; UK Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) Programme (partners from USA, Spain, UK, France); NERC Phytoplankton Reactivity in the Marine Environment (PRIME) Programme; EU Ocean Margin Exchange Programme (OMEX; partners from UK, Germany, France, Pain, Portugal, Norway, Ireland); UK ARABESQUE Indian Ocean Programme (partners from USA, Canada, UK); EU European River-Ocean Study (EROS; partners from France, UK, Spain).

Participated in a number of inter-disciplinary oceanographic research cruises (1993-9) and a fieldwork season in Antarctica (1998–9)

Supervised ~ 20 PhD students to completion.

Acted as an internal examiner > 12 times and external examiner for universities including Newcastle, Girona, Plymouth, East Anglia

Currently supervising 2 PhD students