Dr Karen Cameron she/her

Research passion:
I’m fascinated by the ability of microbial communities to thrive on our Earth, acting as powerhouses to make ecosystems work, from peat bogs to industrial wastelands, to rocky costal shores. At the heart of my research passions lies one of harshest environments on Earth; glacial ecosystems, where conditions are often cold, nutrient poor and light limited. Climate warming presents substantial threats to almost all ecosystems on Earth, but with the Arctic warming up to four times as fast as the global average, the direct threat to these frozen environments is stark.

Why this CDT:
Understanding the regional and global ecological impacts of projected climate change is a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary and big-data problem, requiring the brightest minds to innovate and apply new approaches to address this lagging research field. This is where I hope that this CDT can play a role; by capturing exceptional talent from a diverse pool of students, and by harnessing their imaginations, ambitions and drive, to make progress on important ecological research topics. How does the loss of glaciers impact downstream environments? How can we best make use of all the climate and ecological data to project future ecosystems? How effective might our mitigation strategies be?

Making it work:
No matter the study environment that the project focuses on (glaciers, coasts, peatlands, rivers, urban etc), I’m enthused to bring my passion and expertise to the table to support the development of the student. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach to supervising, but the aim is always to support and instil independence wherever possible. I’m a strong advocate of a healthy work-life balance. In my free time, I’m a lover of mountains, and can frequently be found climbing, walking, running or biking around the beautiful landscapes of Scotland.