My research focuses on “molecular paleoclimatology” – the use of fossil lipids to reconstruct past climate change. Paleoclimate – the study of past climate change – informs us about the nature of climate change on Earth and helps predicts the effects of anthropogenic global warming. I use organic geochemistry, stable isotopic analysis, climate model output, and statistical approaches to piece together the history of Earth’s climate. Much of my research concerns the evolution of the hydrological cycle in the tropics and subtropics.
Awards and Achievements
- American Geophysical Union Macelwane Medalist
- Fellow of the American Geophysical Union