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WRC Members

This page contains details of the members of the Warning Research Centre

Dr Ayesha Ahmad

Dr Ayesha Ahmad

a.ahmad@ucl.ac.uk

Honorary Lecturer at Institute of Global Health Institute and UCL Centre for Gender and Global Health, 
 
Dr Ayesha Ahmad is a Senior Lecturer in Global Health at St Georges University of London, Honorary Lecturer at the Institute for Global Health, University College London, and Associate Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Her background is Philosophy and Medical Ethics, and her areas of specialisation are conflict, health, and humanitarianism with a particular focus on psychological trauma and gender-based violence. She is the co-editor of the edited book volume Humanitarian Action and Ethics and also provides expert reports for asylum seeker cases in the United Kingdom.
 

Dr Bayes Ahmed

Dr Bayes Ahmed 

bayes.ahmed@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Risk and Disaster Science (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)

My background includes research into the field of landslide early warning system development, community vulnerability assessment, GIS and remote sensing, climate change adaptation, and forced migration. I obtained a PhD in Disaster Risk Reduction from UCL, a joint MSc degree in Geospatial Technologies from Spain, Germany, and Portugal; and a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/risk-disaster-reduction/people/bayes-ahmed 

Professor David Alexander

Professor David Alexander

david.alexander@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Risk and Disaster Reduction (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)
 
David Alexander has conducted research on disasters since 1980. His main foci of interest are emergency management and planning, earthquake science, disaster epidemiology, and theoretical issues in disaster risk reduction. 
 

Dr Gemma Crennan

Dr Gemma Cremen

g.cremen@ucl.ac.uk

Research Fellow in Earthquake Engineering (Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering)
 
I am a Research Fellow in Earthquake Engineering at University College London, developing statistical tools to support decision-making related to seismic activity.  My research interests include seismic hazard characterisation, probabilistic seismic risk analysis, and disaster resilience. 

Dr Sarah Dryhurst, WRC Member

Dr Sarah Dryhurst

s.dryhurst@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Risk Perception and Communication (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)

Sarah Dryhurst is a psychologist and ecologist. She researches how people understand and respond to communications of risk and uncertainty across domains, from climate change to earthquakes to COVID, and how misinformation may influence how people think about these issues and act in response to them. Prior to joining IRDR, Sarah was a Research Associate at the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at the University of Cambridge.

Full profile: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/89584-sarah-dryhurst

Dr Jessica Field

Dr Jessica Field

jessica.field@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Humanitarian Studies
 
Dr Jessica Field is an interdisciplinary humanities scholar interested in humanitarian history, policy and practice. Dr Field currently focuses on Indian humanitarianism and has published research on humanitarian assistance, refugee self-reliance, and the politics of disaster governance in South and Southeast Asia.
 
Full profile: TBC

Professor Maureen Fordham

Professor Maureen Fordham 

m.fordham@ucl.ac.uk

Maureen Fordham has a strong interest in broadening access to warning systems for excluded and marginalized social groups including women and youth.
 

Dr Carmine Galasso

Dr Carmine Galasso

c.galasso@ucl.ac.uk

Associate Professor of Catastrophe Risk Engineering (Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering)

My research focuses on the development and use of probabilistic and statistical tools for modelling and managing risk caused by extreme loads on the built environment, with emphasis on developing new tools for hazard-consistent seismic input assessment, engineering applications of earthquake early warning systems, structural reliability, wind and flood risk assessment.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/risk-disaster-reduction/people/dr-carmine-galasso

Dr Paul Gill

Professor Paul Gill

paul.gill@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Security and Crime Science (Department of Security and Crime Science)

Conducts inter-disciplinary research on the behavioural underpinnings of violent extremism with a view to optimising risk assessment and management processes. 

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/security-crime-science/people/dr-paul-gill 

Professor Lucie Green

Professor Lucie Green

lucie.green@ucl.ac.uk 

Professor of Physics (Department of Physics)

A solar physicist and space weather scientist whose research focuses on the origin of solar activity and its impact on the geomagnetic environment. Lucie is also heavily active in public engagement and public policy.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/people/prof-lucie-green

Professor Muki Haklay

Professor Muki Haklay

m.haklay@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Geographical Information Science

Prof Muki Haklay has extensive experience in interdisciplinary research, and he is the co-director of the Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) research group. His research interest includes participatory mapping and GIS, Citizen Science, Human-Computer Interactions (HCI) and usability aspects of GIS, and public access to environmental information.

Full profile: https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=MHAKL64

Dr Adam Harris, WRC Member

Professor Adam Harris

adam.harris@ucl.ac.uk

Associate Professor in Experimental Psychology

Adam is a psychologist whose expertise includes the perception and communication of risk. This research has included collaborations with geologists, meteorologists, health practitioners and crime scientists. Recent projects include measuring and evaluating impact thresholds in weather forecasters using Impact Based weather forecasts within South East Asia, as part of the Weather and Climate Science for Service Partnership.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/research/experimental-psychology/person/adam-harris

Shipra Jain - WRC Member
Dr Shipra Jain

shipra.jain@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer of Meteorological Risks (Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction)

I am an interdisciplinary researcher with several years of experience in atmospheric and climate science. My current research focuses on weather and climate extremes, with a particular emphasis on hydrometeorological extremes across Asia. I investigate the physical mechanisms leading to extreme events and the physical drivers that can aid in the early prediction of these events. I also study the influence of climate variability and change on such events. I have several years of experience working in operational research, where I led and contributed to the development and delivery of climate services tailored to the users’ needs. Presently, I work as a Lecturer of Meteorological Risks at the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction at UCL. I am also a scientific steering committee member of World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), and associated with WCRP My Climate Risk and WWRP’s Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Applications for Agriculture and Environment (SAGE) project as WWRP’s co-liaison.

Full proflie: https://www.shiprajain.com/research

Dr Cassidy Johnson

Dr. Cassidy Johnson

cassidy.johnson@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Urbanism and Disaster Risk Reduction (Bartlett Development Planning Unit)

My academic interests are linked by a commitment to improve the quality of life and livelihoods of low-income groups living in urban areas. My research contributes to the area of disaster risk reduction and recovery and to the role of local governments and civil society in this – and to integrating an understanding of disaster-risk into development.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/development/dr-cassidy-johnson 

Professor Chris Kilburn

c.kilburn@ucl.ac.uk 

Professor of Volcanology and Geophysical Hazards (UCL Hazard Centre, Earth Sciences)
 
 
 

Professor Patty Kostkova

Professor Patty Kostkova

p.kostkova@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Digital Health (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)

Prof Patty Kostkova is Professor in Digital Health and the Director of UCL IRDR Centre for Digital Public Health in Emergencies. She is a world leading researcher in the novel interdisciplinary domain of digital public health.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/risk-disaster-reduction/people/dr-patty-kostkova

Professor Mark Maslin

Professor Mark Maslin

m.maslin@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Climatology (Department of Geography)

Mark Maslin is a Professor of Earth System Science at UCL. He also co-founded Rezatec Ltd which is one of the world’s leading geospatial analytics company providing AI “big data” environmental solutions for companies, NGOs, and local and national Governments and is currently valued at £30-50m.  Maslin is a leading scientist with particular interest in understanding the Anthropocene and the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st century.  

Full profile: http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/~mmaslin/

Professor Bill McGuire

Professor Bill McGuire

w.mcguire@ucl.ac.uk

Professor Emeritus of Geophysical & Climate Hazards (UCL Hazard Centre, Earth Sciences)
 
Bill McGuire is an academic, activist, broadcaster, blogger and writer of popular science and speculative fiction. His non-fiction books include A Guide to the End of the World: Everything you Never Wanted to Know and Surviving Armageddon: Solutions for a Threatened Planet. His current books are Waking the Giant: How a Changing Climate Triggers Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Volcanoes – ranked 5th in a Guardian list of the best ever eco books – and Global Catastrophes: a Very Short Introduction.
 

g_pescaroli

Dr. Gianluca Pescaroli  

g.pescaroli@ucl.ac.uk 

Lecturer in Business Continuity and Organisational Resilience (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)
 

Professor Arthur Petersen

Professor Arthur Petersen

arthur.petersen@ucl.ac.uk

Professor of Science, Technology and Public Policy (Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy).

Arthur Petersen joined UCL STEaPP fulltime in September 2014 after more than 13 years’ work as scientific adviser on environment and infrastructure policy within the Dutch Government. He served as Chief Scientist of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2011–2014). Most of his research is about dealing with uncertainty.

Full profile: https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=APETE53 

Dr Indrani Roy

Dr Indrani Roy

indrani.roy@ucl.ac.uk

Honorary Associate Professor, UCL Earth Sciences

Indrani is a climate scientist and undertook her PhD at Imperial College, London, within the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group. Since receiving her PhD, she has worked in various research organisations including Imperial College and the University of Exeter and has also previously worked for the India Meteorological Department.

Full profile: https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=IROYX66

Dr Katerina Stavrianski

Dr Katerina Stavrianski

uceskss@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Risk Analysis (IRDR and Department of Statistical Science)
 
I am jointly appointed between the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR) and the Department of Statistical Science at UCL. My research focuses on the topic of natural hazards using a statistical, geophysical and experimental approach.
 

Dr Erica Thompson holds her book 'Escape From Model Land'

Dr Erica Thompson

erica.thompson@ucl.ac.uk

Associate Professor of Modelling for Decision Making, UCL STEaPP

Dr Erica Thompson is an Associate Professor in UCL STEaPP, currently working on a programme of research about the use of mathematical models to inform decision-making, funded by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship. Her work spans all aspects of model use from experimental design to communication with stakeholders.  Erica has a long standing collaboration with humanitarian agencies on use of forecasts for crisis anticipation. I worked specifically on anticipation of heatwave in Pakistan and cyclone in Madagascar and am now most interested in questions about scale up (/viability) of financing schemes given data scarcity, imperfect models and evolving risks.

Full profile: https://ericathompson.co.uk/

Dr John Twigg

Professor John Twigg

j.twigg@ucl.ac.uk

Honorary Professor (EPICentre)

John Twigg is an Honorary Professor at University College London, an independent researcher and consultant on disaster risk reduction, and a co-editor of the journal Disasters. His research interests include community-based approaches, early warning systems, socio-economic vulnerability to disasters, policy and institutional aspects of disaster management, post-disaster transitions and urban resilience.
 

Dr Punam Yadav

Dr Punam Yadav

p.yadav@ucl.ac.uk

Lecturer in Humanitarian Studies (Institute for Risk & Disaster Reduction)
 
Dr Punam Yadav is a Lecturer in Humanitarian Studies and Co-director of the IRDR Centre for Gender and Disaster. She is also the Research Director of the GRRIPP project – the UKRI Collective Fund award (2019-2023). Dr Yadav is interested in examining the impacts of conflict and disaster through a gender lens.
 

Tom Pegram

Dr Tom Pegram

t.pegram@ucl.ac.uk

Associate Professor of Global Governance at the UCL Department of Political Science 

Tom Pegram is an Associate Professor of Global Governance at the UCL Department of Political Science and Deputy Director of the UCL Global Governance Institute (GGI). Tom’s research interests include the theoretical and empirical study of world politics, global governance and complex system dynamics, with particular expertise on the UN climate change and human rights regimes.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/political-science/people/academic-teaching-and-research-staff/dr-tom-pegram

 

 

 

 

 

Prof Chris Rapley

Prof Chris Rapley CBE

Chris.g.rapley@ucl.ac.uk

Professor Chris Rapley CBE is Professor of Climate Science at University College London (UCL). He is a Fellow of UCL and of St Edmund's College Cambridge, a member of the Academia Europaea, Chair of the European Science Foundation’s European Space Sciences Committee, Member of the Advisory Board of the UK government’s Clean Growth Fund, Patron of the Surrey Climate Commission, a member of the UK Science Museum Group’s Science Advisory Board, a member of the Science Advisory board of Scientists’ Warning, and a member of the UK Parliamentary and Scientific Committee. His previous posts include Director of the Science Museum, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, Chairman of the London Climate Change Partnership, President of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Executive Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, and Distinguished Visiting Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. More recently Chris has focused on the role of climate scientists in delivering value to society through decision making, public policy and more effective communication. He is Chair of the UCL Policy Commission on Communicating Climate Science and Chair of the Advisory Board of the UCL Climate Action Unit.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/earth-sciences/people/academic/prof-chris-rapley

faure_walker

Dr Joanna Faure Walker

j.faure-walker@ucl.ac.uk

Associate Professor, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction

Joanna investigates the efficacy of warning systems, temporary housing and shelter, microinsurance and quantitative risk assessments in building resilience through encouraging evidence-based and informed decision-making. Her research has demonstrated the need to consider all of these in context of the local conditions, capacity and culture and discusses how to compare case studies from different settings.

Full profile: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/risk-disaster-reduction/people/dr-joanna-faure-walker