I'm broadly interested in physical constraints that impact biological functions or shape habitats. I currently focus on physical processes such as solid/fluid mechanics and mass/energy transport in soils and monitor how these processes play a role in promoting/hindering biological activity from soil fauna and flora, such as earthworms and plant roots. I use imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography (XCT) or neutron radiography in order to monitor insitu activity and use this information to generate image based models that can be used to better understand processes that are otherwise difficult to measure. My work has been able to link earthworm biomechanical limitations and hydro-mechanical properties to global distributions, multiphase liquid distributions in the soil porspace to predict the impacts of local cytotoxic regions for microbial activity generated by fertiliser pelets, and generally inform plant water and nutrient acquisition through fluid flow and mass transport.
I'm currently developing techinques to understand quantify local insitu biomechanical stresses associated with root growth using coupled XCT and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements coupled with image based models. I aim to enable these techniques to be extended for broader biomechanical applications.
I'm formally trained in applied mathematics and mechanical engineering and focussed on soft robotics during my Msc designed for biomedical applications. I make use of biomemetic devices to emulate biophysical activity, but I focus on developing mathematical models based on first principles.