Job: PPARC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, St. Andrews University. Born: Aberdeen, 1973.

What university did you go to and what subjects did you study ?
After leaving school I went to St. Andrews University to study a joint degree in Theoretical Physics and Applied Maths. While doing this I learned about Solar Physics and decided to stay on in St. Andrews and do a PhD. As you can see I am now working here !

What research do you do ? My main area of research is on objects called Solar Prominences. These are cool, dense regions of gas that are found high up in the suns hot corona. Solar Prominences may last for many months and it still a mystery how and why they form and why they last so long. These are some of the questions that I am trying to answer at the present time.

 

So, What do you do in your spare time ?
My favourite spare time activity is tennis. I play for the local tennis team (and have captained them in the past) but I also enjoy cycling, running, playing football and golf. Well you can't live in St. Andrews and not play golf. When I am too exhausted to play any sport I enjoy going out to the cinema and reading.

Traveling, where have you been ? Like many people in Solar Physics I get to travel around a great deal. When you live in Scotland you have to travel to see the sun ! In Europe I have traveled to Catinia, Paris, the French Alps and Florence. I have also been twice to the States and visited Boulder and Los Angeles. But by far my favorite place to visit is Ottawa. Twice I have spend extended periods working at the National Research Council of Canada in Ottawa. Ottawa is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and the people are extremely friendly.

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