I graduated from the Institute of Earth Studies, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and gained my PhD from the same institution in 1994. Following a lectureship in Environmental Science at Kingston University, I moved to Northumbria University in 2000, becoming Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences in 2008 (until 2017). In 2016 was awarded the title of Professor of Environmental Geochemistry and Health. Following posts as Faculty research lead (2018-2021) and Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education (2022-2024), I'm currently interim Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering and Environment.  

I’m a Fellow of the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health, and on the steering group of the North-East Contaminated Land Forum which facilitates interaction between academics, practioners and regulators. My research is interdisciplinary and many of my projects involve collaboration with specialists from the UK Health and Safety Executive, UK Health Security Agency, British Geological Survey and the Environment Agency to promote evidence-informed policy-making in human exposure science.

I'm currently PI on In2Air, an NIHR funded study (2024-2027) working in partnership with the local authority to investigate the impact of making homes more energy efficient on the health and wellbeing of residents across Tyne and Wear. 

In 2025, as lead project partner on the UKRI cross research council funded ECLIPS project, we launch a new study to improve the way we monitor and test for lead poisoning in children. 

I’m also co-founder of DustSafe and the NERC-funded Home Biome project, a global research initiative to obtain baseline data on chemicals and microbial communities in regular households via a global community science-academic partnership (see mapmyenvironment.com). Prior to this I was co-investigator on the Newcastle Allotments Biomonitoring Study.  

My research addresses problems at the interface between geochemistry and human health and evidences my commitment to improve environmental practice, policy and decision making in a complex real-world environment. I’m interested in understanding our exposure to environmental pollutants, such as in soils, dusts and air, and ways to reduce this exposure.  My involvement in environmental geochemistry extends over 25 years and principally focusses on our exposure to harmful chemicals in the environment, particulary the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of metals and metalloids.