I am a plant ecologist, with interests in research, teaching and knowledge exchange.

I am a Senior Lecturer in Ecology in the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, and Associate Dean External Engagement and Enterprise for the STEM Faculty, at The Open University, UK. This is my personal website, and my university profile is here.

I am a scientist interested in the functional ecology of plant silicon. My research has demonstrated that silicon is an important element in plant ecology with complex roles in the leaf dry mass economic spectrum, abiotic stress alleviation, water movement and herbivory. Other research has focussed on scaling functional traits to whole plant growth, predictors of growth rates, the effects of elevated CO2 on plant physiology at EucFACE, investigating global patterns in plant traits and ecological strategies in invasive plants.

At the Open University I have developed a range of activities and pedagogy that enables a unique experience for each learner, student-led activities, authentic engagement with the primary literature at very early stages, and innovative ways to help distance education students engage in in fieldwork.

I am the author of a children’s book, My Little World, that focuses on the natural history of Black Mountain in Canberra, Australia. Come on a bush walk with me in this In Situ Science podcast recorded in 2016.