People

Principal Investigators
	Dr Gordon Bromley Email: gordon.bromley@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here Personal website: Click here		Dr Carleton Jones Email: carleton.jones@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here
	Dr Karen Molloy Email: karen.molloy@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here		Dr Audrey Morley Email: audrey.morley@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here X: @MorPalaeo
	Dr Aaron Potito Email: aaron.potito@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here		Dr Karen Taylor Email: karen.taylor@universityofgalway.ie Research profile: Click here Instagram: @core_project23 LinkedIn: Click here
Researchers
	Professor emeritus Michael O’Connell, MRIA Email: michael.oconnell@universityofgalway.ie X: @MOConnell07		Dr Susann Stolze (Adjunct Lecturer) Email: susann.stolze@universityofgalway.ie Google Scholar: Click here
	Dr Daisy Spencer Email: daisy.e.spencer@uis.no ResearchGate: Click here X: @preselipollen		Dr Adrienne Foreman ResearchGate: Click here
	Dr Martin Nauton-Fourteu LinkedIn: Click here		Dr Thomas Weiss Research profile: Click here Google Scholar: Click here
Postdoctoral Researchers
	Dr Alessio Fabbrini Email: alessio.fabbrini@universityofgalway.ie LinkedIn: Click here Google Scholar: Click here Personal website: Click here Neogene and Quaternary Planktonic Foraminifera Working group: Click here		Dr Alex Clark Email: alexander.clark@universityofgalway.ie LinkedIn: Click here ResearchGate: Click here Google Scholar: Click here
PhD and MLitt Students
Diane Armitage Email: d.armitage1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: Modelling the impact of physiological and ontogenetic processes recorded in planktonic foraminifera. Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley Bio: I have a MRes in Zoology from University College Cork and started my PhD studies in Unversity of Galway in 2023. My interests are in marine ecology, climate change and mathematical modelling. My project is part of the SiTrAc project which will develop and apply indirect measures of climate to assess past Arctic climate variability and its sensitivity to climate forcing.	Marta Cabello Email: m.cabello1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: Reconstruction of the oceanic carbon dioxide uptake in the North Atlantic during three different interglacial scenarios. A model-data comparison Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley Bio: I graduated from University of Cadiz (Spain) in 2012 with a Licenciada Degree in Marine Sciences. My main research interests are Palaeoceanography and Marine Biogeochemistry, with an emphasis on carbon cycle reconstruction.	Bruna Hoff Polo Email: B.Polo1@universityofgalway.ie MLitt title: A palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the Late-glacial period in Western Ireland. Supervisors: Dr Karen Taylor and Dr Aaron Potito. Bio: I graduated from the University Federal of Santa Catarina in 2023, with a degree in Oceanography. I am currently completing an MLitt in palaeolimnology, based in the Palaeoenvironmental Research Unit. My project investigates abrupt Late-glacial temperature change in Ireland through chironomid subfossil analysis, supported by biological and geochemical proxies. This research will contribute to the creation of a high-resolution, regionally specific climate record as part of the CORE Project. My research interests lie in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction as a framework to understand past dynamics and contextualise present climate change, to support future planning, data-driven decision-making, and sustainability.	Hridya Krishnakumar Email: h.krishnakumar1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title:The impact of early diagenetic processes in surface marine sediments on geochemical tracers recorded in planktonic foraminifera. Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley Bio: I am a first year PhD student who aims to investigate the impact of early diagenetic processes in surface marine sediments using planktonic foraminifera. I completed the NF-POGO- CofE program on Observational Oceanography from Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research, Germany. I have a master's from Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), India.
Julie O'Donovan Email: j.odonovan10@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: A Temporal Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment (TARE) Supervisor: Dr Aaron Potito Bio: I am a current PhD student in the University of Galway under the supervision of Dr Aaron Potito. I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science in 2022 from University College Cork (UCC). One of the biggest global threats to human health is antimicrobial resistance. Through the analysis of lake cores from Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan, this project assesses i) the impact of the shift in Irish agriculture - from a traditional crop/pasture rotational system to modern and intensive pastures and ii) the impact of human sewage discharge on both faecal pollution (via E. coli) and the antimicrobial susceptibly profiles of faecal bacteria in the aquatic environment. TARE is the first study to assess the evolution of antibiotic resistance from a spatiotemporal perspective in an environment impacted by both human and agricultural waste.	Gregor Maximilian Rink Email: g.rink1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: A cosmogenic-nuclide approach to quantifying the drivers of rocky coastline erosion under changing climate and sea-level conditions Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley Bio: In 2014, I started my studies with a Bachelor of Sciences in Geosciences at the University of Cologne (Germany) and finished these studies with a Bachelor thesis about a method that uses Structure from Motion for determining bulk soil densities. In 2018, I went to the University of Tübingen (Germany) to continue my studies in Geosciences (Master of Science) and specialised myself in Geodynamics. For my Master thesis, I studied rockfalls at Lauerbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps, using LiDAR and Structure from Motion. In September 2022, I started a PhD project at the University of Galway. This project investigates the erosion of the Irish rocky coastline using the cosmogenic nuclide 10-Beryllium, Structure from Motion and numerical modelling to calculate erosion rates and simulate potential future evolution scenarios of the Irish coastline.	Paulo Rodriguez Caceres Email: p.rodriguezcaceres1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: Using geomorphic field mapping and cosmogenic-nuclide geochronology to reconstruct patterns of terrestrial temperature change during abrupt climate shifts in south-west Ireland. Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley Bio: My interest in understanding the earth’s natural processes and reconstructing the landscape based on observed landforms has led me to pursue a career in Geology at the Universidad de Concepcion. Various subjects fall within my field of interest. I studied the tectonic deformation of the south Chilean coast during the seismic cycle of the Maule Earthquake (2010; Mw 8.8) as part of my Geology thesis. Over a decade I worked as an Exploration Geologist, first for copper deposits and then pioneering the exploration of REE deposits in south central Chile. During this time, I developed the first detailed glacial geomorphological map in the fjords of southern-western Chile, between the Gran Campo Nevado and the Magellan Strait. The last it was part of my MSc. Thesis in Glaciology and Geomorphology at the Universidad de Magallanes. Following this trajectory, I joined the University of Galway to gain a deeper understanding of the processes and timing involved in paleo-climate and the effects of those on the now unglaciated catchments of the west of Ireland.	Anouck Roignot Email: a.roigno t1@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: Deciphering drivers and mechanisms of abrupt past climate change using terrestrial evidence in the northwestern of Ireland Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley
Christopher Stewart Email: c.stewart5@universityofgalway.ie PhD title: Fingerprinting abrupt climate change in the West of Ireland: A high-resolution timeline of deglaciation and landscape evolution in West Mayo Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley Bio: Chris has undergraduate degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, and Astronomy & Astrophysics from Indiana University in the USA. After his first PhD programme in Higher Education & Student Affairs at the same institution, he moved to Ireland in August 2019 to start his career. He worked as an administrator at Trinity College Dublin until COVID-19 led to the public sector hiring freeze, which prevented his visa renewal in that role. So, he returned to university and earned a 1^st Honors MSc in Coastal & Marine Environments: Physical Processes, Policy & Practice from NUIG (now University of Galway). This master’s experience and project directly led to his new PhD work, in which he studies the timeline of deglaciation and overall environmental change since the Last Glacial Maximum in western County Mayo. He employs techniques including cosmogenic beryllium-10 nuclide dating, lacustrine sedimentology, and x-ray fluorescence component analysis to robustly reconstruct environmental change over time in this locale. By using varied methodologies, he seeks to triangulate, corroborate, and “fingerprint” his site’s evolution to refine appropriate climate models to the finest possible detail and encourage similar efforts in the future.
Current undergraduate palaeo projects
Róisín Duggan BSc Geography and Geosystems undergraduate thesis. Title: A Holocene chironomid-inferred temperature reconstruction from the Burren National Park. Supervisor: Dr Karen Taylor Summer Internship in Palaeoclimatology 2025 for the CORE project (Dr Karen Taylor) Email: r.duggan13@universityofgalway.ie LinkedIn: Click here	Becky Hedderman BSc Geography and Geosystems undergraduate thesis. Title: Reconstructing the last glacier on the Mweelrea Massif with a cosmogenic nuclide approach. Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley Summer Internship in Palaeoclimatology 2025 for the CORE project (Dr Karen Taylor) Email: B.Hedderman2@nuigalway.ie LinkedIn: Click here

Principal Investigators

Dr Gordon Bromley

Email: gordon.bromley@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

Personal website: Click here

Dr Carleton Jones

Email: carleton.jones@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

Dr Karen Molloy

Email: karen.molloy@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

Dr Audrey Morley

Email: audrey.morley@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

X: @MorPalaeo

Dr Aaron Potito

Email: aaron.potito@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

Dr Karen Taylor

Email: karen.taylor@universityofgalway.ie

Research profile: Click here

Instagram: @core_project23

LinkedIn: Click here

Researchers

Professor emeritus Michael O’Connell, MRIA

Email: michael.oconnell@universityofgalway.ie

X: @MOConnell07

Dr Susann Stolze (Adjunct Lecturer)

Email: susann.stolze@universityofgalway.ie

Google Scholar: Click here

Dr Daisy Spencer

Email: daisy.e.spencer@uis.no

ResearchGate: Click here

X: @preselipollen

Dr Adrienne Foreman

ResearchGate: Click here

Dr Martin Nauton-Fourteu

LinkedIn: Click here

Dr Thomas Weiss

Research profile: Click here

Google Scholar: Click here

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr Alessio Fabbrini

Email: alessio.fabbrini@universityofgalway.ie

LinkedIn: Click here

Google Scholar: Click here

Personal website: Click here

Neogene and Quaternary Planktonic Foraminifera Working group: Click here

Dr Alex Clark

Email: alexander.clark@universityofgalway.ie

LinkedIn: Click here

ResearchGate: Click here

Google Scholar: Click here

PhD and MLitt Students

Diane Armitage

Email: d.armitage1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: Modelling the impact of physiological and ontogenetic processes recorded in planktonic foraminifera.

Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley

Bio: I have a MRes in Zoology from University College Cork and started my PhD studies in Unversity of Galway in 2023. My interests are in marine ecology, climate change and mathematical modelling. My project is part of the SiTrAc project which will develop and apply indirect measures of climate to assess past Arctic climate variability and its sensitivity to climate forcing.

Marta Cabello

Email: m.cabello1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: Reconstruction of the oceanic carbon dioxide uptake in the North Atlantic during three different interglacial scenarios. A model-data comparison

Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley

Bio: I graduated from University of Cadiz (Spain) in 2012 with a Licenciada Degree in Marine Sciences. My main research interests are Palaeoceanography and Marine Biogeochemistry, with an emphasis on carbon cycle reconstruction.

Bruna Hoff Polo

Email: B.Polo1@universityofgalway.ie

MLitt title: A palaeoclimatic reconstruction of the Late-glacial period in Western Ireland.

Supervisors: Dr Karen Taylor and Dr Aaron Potito.

Bio: I graduated from the University Federal of Santa Catarina in 2023, with a degree in Oceanography. I am currently completing an MLitt in palaeolimnology, based in the Palaeoenvironmental Research Unit. My project investigates abrupt Late-glacial temperature change in Ireland through chironomid subfossil analysis, supported by biological and geochemical proxies. This research will contribute to the creation of a high-resolution, regionally specific climate record as part of the CORE Project. My research interests lie in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction as a framework to understand past dynamics and contextualise present climate change, to support future planning, data-driven decision-making, and sustainability.

Hridya Krishnakumar

Email: h.krishnakumar1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title:The impact of early diagenetic processes in surface marine sediments on geochemical tracers recorded in planktonic foraminifera.

Supervisor: Dr Audrey Morley

Bio: I am a first year PhD student who aims to investigate the impact of early diagenetic processes in surface marine sediments using planktonic foraminifera. I completed the NF-POGO- CofE program on Observational Oceanography from Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research, Germany. I have a master's from Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), India.

Julie O'Donovan

Email: j.odonovan10@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: A Temporal Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment (TARE)

Supervisor: Dr Aaron Potito

Bio: I am a current PhD student in the University of Galway under the supervision of Dr Aaron Potito. I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science in 2022 from University College Cork (UCC). One of the biggest global threats to human health is antimicrobial resistance. Through the analysis of lake cores from Lough Muckno, Co. Monaghan, this project assesses i) the impact of the shift in Irish agriculture - from a traditional crop/pasture rotational system to modern and intensive pastures and ii) the impact of human sewage discharge on both faecal pollution (via E. coli) and the antimicrobial susceptibly profiles of faecal bacteria in the aquatic environment. TARE is the first study to assess the evolution of antibiotic resistance from a spatiotemporal perspective in an environment impacted by both human and agricultural waste.

Gregor Maximilian Rink

Email: g.rink1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: A cosmogenic-nuclide approach to quantifying the drivers of rocky coastline erosion under changing climate and sea-level conditions

Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley

Bio: In 2014, I started my studies with a Bachelor of Sciences in Geosciences at the University of Cologne (Germany) and finished these studies with a Bachelor thesis about a method that uses Structure from Motion for determining bulk soil densities. In 2018, I went to the University of Tübingen (Germany) to continue my studies in Geosciences (Master of Science) and specialised myself in Geodynamics. For my Master thesis, I studied rockfalls at Lauerbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps, using LiDAR and Structure from Motion. In September 2022, I started a PhD project at the University of Galway. This project investigates the erosion of the Irish rocky coastline using the cosmogenic nuclide 10-Beryllium, Structure from Motion and numerical modelling to calculate erosion rates and simulate potential future evolution scenarios of the Irish coastline.

Paulo Rodriguez Caceres

Email: p.rodriguezcaceres1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: Using geomorphic field mapping and cosmogenic-nuclide geochronology to reconstruct patterns of terrestrial temperature change during abrupt climate shifts in south-west Ireland.

Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley

Bio: My interest in understanding the earth’s natural processes and reconstructing the landscape based on observed landforms has led me to pursue a career in Geology at the Universidad de Concepcion. Various subjects fall within my field of interest. I studied the tectonic deformation of the south Chilean coast during the seismic cycle of the Maule Earthquake (2010; Mw 8.8) as part of my Geology thesis. Over a decade I worked as an Exploration Geologist, first for copper deposits and then pioneering the exploration of REE deposits in south central Chile. During this time, I developed the first detailed glacial geomorphological map in the fjords of southern-western Chile, between the Gran Campo Nevado and the Magellan Strait. The last it was part of my MSc. Thesis in Glaciology and Geomorphology at the Universidad de Magallanes. Following this trajectory, I joined the University of Galway to gain a deeper understanding of the processes and timing involved in paleo-climate and the effects of those on the now unglaciated catchments of the west of Ireland.

Anouck Roignot

Email: a.roigno t1@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: Deciphering drivers and mechanisms of abrupt past climate change using terrestrial evidence in the northwestern of Ireland

Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley

Christopher Stewart

Email: c.stewart5@universityofgalway.ie

PhD title: Fingerprinting abrupt climate change in the West of Ireland: A high-resolution timeline of deglaciation and landscape evolution in West Mayo

Supervisor: Dr Gordon Bromley

Bio: Chris has undergraduate degrees in Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, and Astronomy & Astrophysics from Indiana University in the USA. After his first PhD programme in Higher Education & Student Affairs at the same institution, he moved to Ireland in August 2019 to start his career. He worked as an administrator at Trinity College Dublin until COVID-19 led to the public sector hiring freeze, which prevented his visa renewal in that role. So, he returned to university and earned a 1^st Honors MSc in Coastal & Marine Environments: Physical Processes, Policy & Practice from NUIG (now University of Galway). This master’s experience and project directly led to his new PhD work, in which he studies the timeline of deglaciation and overall environmental change since the Last Glacial Maximum in western County Mayo. He employs techniques including cosmogenic beryllium-10 nuclide dating, lacustrine sedimentology, and x-ray fluorescence component analysis to robustly reconstruct environmental change over time in this locale. By using varied methodologies, he seeks to triangulate, corroborate, and “fingerprint” his site’s evolution to refine appropriate climate models to the finest possible detail and encourage similar efforts in the future.