PhD Researchers Cohort 1

Project Title: ‘Floods in drylands: converting flood hazard into drought mitigation in East Africa’

Studying at: University of Bristol

I am originally from Pakistan, where I completed my Bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering on a full scholarship at NUST, the country’s top university. I then gained three years of experience as a water consultant, collaborating with esteemed organizations like the World Bank, WaterAid, WWF, and the Pakistan government.

For my MSc in Water in a Changing World at Cardiff University, I received a prestigious full-tuition scholarship and was the top student among the five recipients. During my master’s, I worked as a Research Assistant on an EU Horizon 2020 project, DOWN2EARTH, where I developed the world's first high-resolution spatiotemporal surface water dataset for the Horn of Africa.

My research interests include dryland hydro-climatology, flood and drought management, remote sensing and GIS, and nature-based solutions.

Outside of my academic and professional pursuits, I enjoy playing table tennis, reading, and exploring new places.

Project Title: ‘Flood gardens: ruin, resilience and renewal in a wet world’

Studying at: University of Southampton

My name is Chloé Combs and I was born and raised in New York City. I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees at the City University of New York in anthropology with a concentration in archaeology and a minor in environmental science. My academic and research experience has existed at the intersections of climate change, environment and communities past, present and future. My work spans various geographical locations from the urban landscapes of New York City, the remote and coastal Orkney Islands, to the wetlands of Northeastern Iceland.

My current research, based at the University of Southampton and the National Oceanographic Centre, explores how floods are impacting the aesthetics of English public gardens. I question if flood disturbances invite a reshaping of human-nature relationships in the UK amid uncertain climate futures. My research situates gardens as sites of co-collaborative survival based on aesthetic principles that challenge Western dualisms and create a space for newly imagined forms of beauty, identity and belonging. My work employs a mixed method approach that utilises GIS, multispecies and sensory ethnography, and creative writing based practices. In my free time, one will often find me writing mostly poems, though sometimes short stories, or wandering through the woods identifying plants and collecting rocks.

Project Title: ‘Modelling and mapping social vulnerability and flood risk in cities in low-income countries’

Studying at: University of Bristol

After completing a master's in Environmental Policy and Management at the University of Bristol, Chris has worked for various consultancies, ENGOs, and research institutes as a GIS technical specialist over the last five years. During this time, he has investigated a wide range of terrestrial and hydrological projects, from flood modelling, rewilding assessment potential, and tree planting suitability analysis, to climate change adaptation in rangeland agricultural systems. He is particularly passionate about rewilding, flood modelling, and urban dynamics and is looking forward to getting stuck into his research with the University of Bristol. When not at his desk, you might find him freediving around the coast, or rambling through the hills.

Project Title: ‘Using historic data to assess changes in flooding in the Clyde Estuary, Scotland’

Studying at: University of Southampton

Hi my name is Christian Kenwright and I live in Poole, in Dorset, where I was born. As an oceanographer I love getting out on the water anytime I can whether that be swimming, paddle boarding or kayaking, I would also love to learn how to surf one day.

I completed my integrated masters in oceanography at the University of Southampton and spent a semester studying in French in Bordeaux during my third year. During my final year project I digitised old tide charts from the Clyde Estuary in Glasgow, identifying long term water level trends and extreme water level events. I hope to further this in my PhD which can aid the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency better adapt forecast models and flood preventative strategies.

Project Title: ‘National-scale groundwater flood modelling and forecasting – integrating groundwater and high-resolution hydraulic models’

Studying at: Loughborough University

Euwan will be joining FLOOD-CDT as a doctoral student with Loughborough University and the British Geological Survey, where she will develop a national groundwater flood modelling and forecasting platform. Euwan recently graduated from Duke University with a BS in Earth and Climate Sciences and a Certificate in Energy and Environment.

Her previous research with the US Department of Defense and Department of Energy focused on integrating machine learning and groundwater modelling for aquifers impacted by the agriculture and nuclear industries. Euwan is originally from New Jersey but has lived all across the US and is excited to explore the UK. In her free time, Euwan loves to fish, backpack, and snowboard.

Project Title: ‘Understanding process interactions that cause wave overtopping for hazard managers’

Studying at: University of Southampton

I am a prospective Flood CDT PhD student born and raised in Tehran, Iran. After completing my undergraduate studies in Applied Mathematics in Tehran, I moved to the USA for my master’s studies in physical Oceanography where I focused on Hurricane modeling. As an Oceanographer with a strong background in Applied Mathematics, my research interests lie in numerical and ocean modeling with contributing parameters.

I love applying my mathematical knowledge to real-world data and natural phenomena like floods, hurricanes, etc. I enjoy mid-intense workouts, playing chess, and practicing Spanish in my free time.

Project Title: ‘Global storm surge modelling under diverse climate scenarios and modes’

Studying at: University of Bristol

Hamish is the candidate for the "Global storm surge modelling under diverse climate scenarios and modes" project. His academic background is in the geographical sciences and climate change. He studied Earth Sciences at Swansea University, graduating in 2018 with First Class Honours. He subsequently worked jobs as a GIS Analyst and Geotechnical Engineer.

Hamish returned to study part-time in 2020 at the University of Bristol, taking a MSc in Climate Change Science and Policy. Alongside he worked as a Climate Risk Analyst for Terrafirma, where he developed geohazard models. He graduated with Distinction in 2022, and joined the flood modelling company Fathom. Here he works primarily on coastal hazard, specifically development of tropical cyclone modelling frameworks.

Outside of work Hamish enjoys adventure sports. He is a keen rock climber and sea kayaker, and previously kayaked around Ireland. He was born in Australia, but grew up in Northern Ireland.

Project Title: ‘Extreme fluvial flood risk in groundwater-dominated catchments’

Studying at: University of Southampton

After graduating with a BSc Geography (Hons) from University of Southampton and a MSc Hydrology in Environment Management from Imperial College London, I have been fortunate to spend many years working as a hydrologist on projects both in the UK and globally. I have a passion for improving our knowledge around the field of hydrology and alongside my studies I work part-time on strategic improvements to UK flood hydrology at the Environment Agency.

I am excited to have come full circle back to Southampton to study part-time, where I’ll be exploring extreme fluvial flood risk in groundwater-dominated catchments. These catchments, at the interface of hydrology and hydrogeology and with their multi-temporal scales of response have long been a challenge for hydrologists to understand and model reliably. Wetter winters, anticipated as our world warms, are likely to change the fluvial flood risk in these catchments and I’m keen we understand more about this. When not working or studying I can be found running around after my young family or swimming in the River Itchen.

Project Title: ‘Spatial optimization of catchment-wide natural flood management strategies’

Studying at: Newcastle University

I grew up in the countryside of Tiverton, Mid Devon. As a competitive swimmer, water has implicitly been an important part of my life, but now it takes on a greater meaning and value.

I studied an MEng in General Engineering (Systems & Control) with a Year in Industry at the University of Sheffield. During my placement year in health technologies at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), I researched the freshwater change boundary of the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Planetary Boundaries framework.

Having a greater awareness of the climate emergency, along with inspiration from the garden city vision of Singapore during a summer school, I pivoted my career focus from product design to the built environment. My interest is now in how to bolster climate resilience by reconciling natural cycles with urban planning and learning how to live within the Planetary Boundaries.

For my final year, I chose my dissertation topic to be on modelling human migration to increasing coastal flood inundation due to extreme climate change scenarios.

Consolidating these interests with my background, I now aim to bring a multidisciplinary approach to my CDT project. This is the multi-objective spatial optimisation problem of designing catchment-scale natural flood management strategies. I shall investigate new hydrological modelling approaches and identify the environmental and socioeconomic tradeoffs to better inform catchment stakeholders.

Project Title: ‘Advancing large scale flood modelling with the surface water and ocean topography mission’

Studying at: University of Bristol

I'm Izzy, and I grew up in Harpenden. My hobbies include skiing, walking, travelling, cooking and going to the gym. My PhD project will focus on advancing global flood models using data from the new NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission.

I have a keen interest in maths, which I studied at undergrad at Cambridge University, and in particular dynamics, fluid mechanics and motion. I hope to use these skills, along with my 3 years experience at Fathom, to trial new and innovative methods to improve our knowledge of flooding on a global scale, in particular in areas relatively unstudied until now.

Project Title: ‘Improved hydrodynamic modelling with UAV-derived topography and bathymetry’

Studying at: Newcastle University

I graduated from Newcastle University in 2016 from the Surveying and Mapping Science BSc program in 2016. Since then, I have worked for a Major Civil Engineering contractor where I was involved in constructing the A14 Improvement Scheme between Huntingdon and Cambridge. Following this, I then worked for a specialist surveying contractor covering the nation to provide surveying and engineering services using the latest technology to provide accurate and reliable surveys.

Whilst undertaking my degree, my dissertation involved monitoring cliffs on the North Yorkshire coastline to determine the amount of erosion that has taken place since original measurements were undertaken approximately 10 years prior. Some of the schemes I have worked on as a professional have involved in surveying current flood defences, providing accurate surveys of flood prone areas and initialising construction sites to ensure works tie into existing geospatial data for the construction of new flood defences.

In my spare time, I am a keen cricketer, hiker, climber and skier. I enjoy spend as much time as possible in the outdoors especially in the Lake District or in the Alps. I also have gained a Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu.

Project Title: ‘Analysing household level adaptation to flood risk’

Studying at: University of Southampton

Hi, my name is Lily. I grew up and live in Greater London but am both a British and New Zealand citizen. I enjoy reading and cycling as well as participating in voluntary work such as wildlife conservation and supporting the academic development of young people.

I recently completed my undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Southampton, during which I spent a semester studying at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Over the course of my degree I developed a particular interest in climate adaptation strategies, specifically relating to flood events. In line with the Global Stocktake, outlined in the Paris Agreement, I’d like to build our understanding of what people are doing to adapt and what incentivises/disincentivises adaptive activity.

Project Title: ‘The cascade effect of flooding-drought cycles on aquatic ecosystems’

Studying at: Loughborough University

Being from Cornwall, I have always had a keen interest in the impacts of pollution and a changing climate on our coasts and waterways. From this, I completed a BSc in Geography at The University of Bristol. After, I undertook a MScR in Global Environmental Challenges, also at Bristol University, focusing on researching the freshwater ecosystem impacts of microplastic pollution on freshwater invertebrates.

I am also looking at the impacts of trophic transfer on microplastics and their impacts to begin to consider the human impacts. This area is my big research interest and I am excited to be able to build upon this with the FLOOD-CDT.

Project Title: ‘Sea level variation around the UK coast and its effect on flood risk’

Studying at: University of Southampton

Hi, my name is Taza. I was born and raised in Indonesia, a country uniquely positioned between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and well-known as an archipelagic state. I completed my undergraduate studies in Geomatics Engineering at the Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember. Following this, I pursued further education in the field of oceanography at the National Central University in Taiwan.

Currently, I am employed at the Center of Marine Meteorology within the Indonesia Agency for Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical. Over the years, I have witnessed the progressive development of Indonesia’s ocean observation data and prediction systems. This evolution has fueled my passion to expand my knowledge and skills, leading me to pursue a PhD in the Flood CDT program. My research will focus on sea level variations around the UK coast and its effect on flood risk.

In my leisure time, I enjoy playing badminton, reading novels, and travelling.

Project Title: ‘An integrated framework for resilient flood risk management in data-scarce watersheds’

Studying at: Newcastle University

Hi! I’m Pamela, originally from the Bolivian Andes. I hold a degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad Técnica de Oruro. After several years of professional experience in Bolivia, I was awarded a Latin American scholarship to pursue an MSc in Water Engineering at The University of Sheffield, which I completed in 2019. Upon returning to my home country, I worked on various water-related infrastructure projects, including earth dams, sewerage systems, wastewater treatment plants, and potable water networks. I truly enjoy being involved in diverse water projects, they continuously challenge me and fuel my desire to keep learning.

When I first came to the UK, I was deeply impressed by how flooding is studied and managed here. Unfortunately, in much of Latin America, the approach remains largely reactive, often resulting in significant damage and loss of life. Motivated by these challenges and supported by a Bolivian government scholarship, I began a PhD focused on developing a proactive and integrated methodology for flood risk assessment in data-scarce and topographically diverse regions like many found across Latin America. Outside of work, I enjoy mountain biking, trekking, video games, and playing the guitar. I'm excited to be part of the FLOOD CDT team and to contribute while learning from others in this field.

Project Title: ‘Intergenerational approach to understanding flood risk’

Studying at: Loughborough University

I was born and raised in Lisbon (meaning I have four family names, in good old Portuguese fashion), but have been lucky enough to call London my home for nearly a decade now. My background is in social science – I have an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a bachelor's in International Politics and Law, and seven years of experience working in various research and consultancy roles.

My research interests fall within the broad areas of disaster risk reduction and disaster risk creation, social justice, and education. Connecting these themes, my PhD project will seek to improve understanding of the effectiveness of education and decision making in the context of climate related flooding, with a particular focus on children and young people.

Project Title: ‘Optimizing gully blocks to reduce flood discharge’

Studying at: Newcastle University

I’m Sarah and I’m from Sunderland. I have recently completed both of my Batchelors and Master’s degrees in Earth Sciences at Newcastle University, where I worked in collaboration with the National Trust. Outside of my degree, I enjoy all things horses, travelling and love spending my weekends following Formula 1.

I’m looking forward to working with the CDT team and I’m very interested in exploring the optimum features of gully blocks in the South Pennines by understanding the relationship between discharge and water level across the area through analogue modelling. I’m excited to undertake a current project and make a positive contribution to the team and the local environment through upland flood mitigation surrounding Manchester.