I am a biologist, social scientist and science communicator. I am also a writer and occasional illustrator, and work well in the space where curiosity, scientific rigour and creativity overlap and where collaborative opportunities arise.

I am originally from Ireland, although I spent much of my childhood in Wales and England. 

I graduated from University College Dublin, Ireland, in 1998 with a first class Honours BSc in Environmental Biology. In 2005, I returned to UCD and completed a PhD on the ecology of harbour porpoises. 

I began my career as a cetacean (whale and dolphin) researcher, and spent ten years working on a range of species including North Atlantic right whales, Atlantic humpback dolphins and Heaviside's dolphins.

Since 2012, my research has focused on chondrichthyans (sharks, rays and chimaeras). I have used a combination of historical ecology and social science methods (interviews), landings surveys, bycatch surveys on industrial fishing vessels, and baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs). My research aims to investigate the threats to rare species, but also their socio-economic and cultural importance to communities, to inform their conservation. 

​​I'm passionate about high-quality, relatable science communication and my recent projects have prioritised communicating research activities and findings to local communities through social media, public talks and meeting stakeholder groups. Producing accessible communication outputs such as short films, picture books, magazine articles and posters has also become an important part of my work in Global South countries that lack locally relevant educational resources about sharks, rays and the marine environment.  Links to some of these resources are in the Outreach and education page. 

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I am currently devoting more time to the creative endeavours I left on the sidelines some decades ago. I write children's books about marine wildlife, and do some illustration.