Biography
I am passionate about contributing towards the future of space exploration, through space robotics research, science communication and responsible innovation. As a physicist turned engineer, originally born in South Africa, I have an multicultural and multidisciplinary background. For my undergraduate I did a BSc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Leeds with a heavy emphasis on Astrophysics and Astronomy. Falling in love with everything to do with space and robotics in my undergraduate degree, I decided to pursue an MSc in Robotics at the University of Bristol and UWE, with the intention of entering the rapidly growing field of space robotics. Throughout my academic career I was fortunate enough to have a wide array of valuable experiences, ranging from delivering a well-received research pitch to NASA/ESA representatives, to working on the software for a cube satellite project in collaboration with industrial partners, and volunteering at the Institute of Physics as a host for a space exhibition. For my masters, I thoroughly enjoyed delving into a relatively unexplored area of research, which aimed to utilise a robotic swarm to measure and detect Martian lightning in dust devils on Mars for the first time. Through these experiences, a fire for research grew, and I decided to embark on a PhD.
For my PhD, I’m fascinated in exploring synergies between a variety of different fields – swarm robotics, bio-inspired robotics, Astrobiology and space engineering. My interests also extend to fields outside that remit, including topics such as AI, blockchain and the natural world. Outside of research, I am particularly passionate about issues of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). In my free time, I enjoy martial arts, learning to scuba dive and trying to improve my Italian.