I'm an Associate Professorial Research Fellow (Reader) at the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University. I lead the EBRI Systems Analysis group and am an experienced research leader in sustainable bioenergy systems and transition to low-carbon societies bridging engineering, natural and social sciences. I have extensive knowledge of the bioenergy sector, including biomass availability, conversion technologies, BECCS, markets, and end-user demand. I have a strong track record of leading and managing research on UKRI- and Government-funded and industry-academic partnership projects with a diverse research funding portfolio (e.g., EPSRC, BBSRC, NERC, ESRC, Innovate UK, UK Aid). Additionally, I have long-term experience collaborating with the industrial, public sector and the wider public. Working over 12 years in academia, I have developed an exceptional interdisciplinary research track record with a wide skill set in quantitative and qualitative methods and interdisciplinary synthesis.

I'm an experienced research group leader, supervising research staff and PhDs and a mentor and ambassador on equity, diversity and inclusion with a focus on STEM and early career development.

My Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) expertise includes leading on the successful Athena Swan Gold Award of the College for Engineering and Physical Sciences and supporting the Race Equality Charter activities of Aston University.

Research areas

• Bioenergy and bioeconomy
• Energy system resilience
• Sustainability
• Climate change
• Negative emissions
• Bioenergy and Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
• Bioenergy in the context of global challenges and development
• Bioenergy and interfaces with forestry and agriculture
• Land use

Skills and methods

• Life cycle assessment
• Emission accounting and carbon budgets
• Environmental and sustainability assessment
• Socio-economic and social assessment
• Policy analysis
• Social justice
• Whole systems approaches
• Stakeholder engagement

• Prince Anthony Okoro: The cost of the transition to a low-carbon future. Economic and socio-economic feasibility of bioenergy in Nigeria (since October 2021)
• Dan Taylor: A political economy approach to sustainable production of bioenergy and bioproducts (since January 2022)
• Dan Abudu: The Future of Forests in sub-Saharan Africa (since October 2022)

Completed PhDs

• Samira Garcia Freites: Using agricultural residues to support sustainable development: A case study of coffee stems gasification to supply energy demands in rural areas of Colombia https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/uk-ac-man-scw:323470

Sustainability and climate change mitigation

• Sustainability assessment of bioenergy, biobased products, net zero and carbon dioxide removal technologies. (LCA, TEA, socio-economics, social impacts) 
• Holistic system dynamic analysis of sustainability and climate change impacts assessing system trade-offs and synergies for risk mitigation and benefit optimisation
• Advising on introduction of holistic sustainability frameworks in organisations, processes and policies

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

• Experienced in writing and reviewing EDI frameworks and strategies
• Advising on introduction of EDI frameworks in organisations, processes and policies

Review and QA

• Experience in reviewing and advising on funding applications, scientific manuscripts, academic and non-academic reports

Associate Editor for Bioenergy for WIREs Energy and Environment 

If you instersted in publishing review articles on any bioenergy topics in any relevant discipline, please get in touch.

Guest Editor for Biomass and Bioenergy, Special Issue Development of modern bioenergy approaches in low- and middle-income countries

Sustainable bioenergy; Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage/use; Carbon dioxid removal; Energy policy; Socio-economic and social aspects of bioenergy deployment