PhD student to Ice Warrior: Chloe Moss to take part in ground breaking polar expedition

UCL PhD student Chloe Moss has been chosen to take part in the

ice-warrior.com/" target="_self">Ice Warrior Project, an ambitious polar expedition, which aims to be the first expedition in history to reach the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility.

The Northern Pole of Inaccessibility remains the last truly significant place in the Polar Regions, yet to be reached by mankind and is over two hundred miles further than the Geographic North Pole. The 800-mile journey leaves from the northern shores of Canada and will take in the North Magnetic Pole.

Chloe, who is studying for a PhD in Molecular Biology, will embark on the expedition in February 2016 and will be part of one of four teams taking on a 200-mile leg of the journey. She was selected for the Ice Warrior Quest after a gruelling weekend in Dartmoor and is currently undergoing a comprehensive and intensive training programme.

Talking about the mammoth challenge Chloe said, "I've always wanted to do something different and have my own real-life adventure. The expedition was advertised as 'normal people doing something extraordinary'. I knew it would be a huge physical challenge but what really attracted me was the scientific drive behind the expedition. I'm also desperate to see some polar bears. Hopefully not too close though!"

Positive reaction

The news of Chloe's adventure has been a cause for celebration among her peers at UCL. Chloe explains, "I've been really overwhelmed by the positive reaction from students and staff. They seem to be just as excited as I am and understand that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was a bit worried about taking time out of my studies, but as it's for a set period it shouldn't disrupt my studies too much. As things typically go, it's come at a time where my research has suddenly gotten really interesting so I'll be looking forward to getting stuck back into my lab work when I get back."

Along the route Chloe and team members will be gathering vital data on how the sea ice breaks up for the scientific community, making the whole endeavour a major citizen science project.

Chloe added, "I think having a science background will help a lot when it comes to data collection. My PhD has taught me how to be resilient and tough when things get hard. Learning to think outside the box and look at alternate solutions is a key skill for getting through a PhD and it's likely to be a vital tool in the Arctic too. It's just a bonus that I get to be a part of the scientific data collection which will have a huge impact on our understanding of climate change."

Chloe is currently raising money to help fund the expedition and is hoping that UCL staff and students will support her in her fundraising efforts. If you would like to make a donation, you can visit Chloe's GoFundMe website.

Useful Links

• Chloe Moss: GoFundMe
• Ice Warrior Project