Endlessly passionate in the arts and sciences, I am both a field scientist who explores extreme environments, and a GUE project diver / media creator.
I have a Zoology degree (with first class honours) from the University of Manchester, which I basically designed myself; not only studying animal behaviour, cardiac ecophysiology and circadian rhythms, but also Mandarin, British Sign Language, and a MOOC in Human Spaceflight from KTH (allowing me to think about bio-mimetic applications for space missions).
During this time, I fell in love with ocean conservation (after previous fieldwork in jungle and desert ecosystems!). My BSc thesis examined the longevity of Greenland shark cardiomyocytes, and I started both scuba diving, and volunteering for sea-space agencies. In addition, I have a MSc in Marine Ecosystems Management from the University of St Andrews, with experience in computational ecological modelling, GIS, and biologging.
Photo by Kewin Lorenzen
My passion for scientific diving has taken me from the Bahamas to Thailand, from Mozambique, to the Maldives (building up a resume of internships, underwater survey experiences, and diving qualifications).
In addition, I have volunteered as an editor and illustrator for different underwater sci communication organisations, to share my knowledge of the underwater world. I have even been a summer school student at ESA (the European Space Agency), where I pitched a research project on limpets!
However, my greatest scientific adventure to date, was spending 8 months immersed in the OceanX Red Sea Decade Expedition 2022, in conjunction with KAUST, National Geographic, and other institutions. I helped to organise and co-ordinate the project, logistics, permits, transportation, and outreach. In addition, I spent ~11 weeks on the OceanXplorer directly, as part of the eDNA, deep sea corals and megafauna teams. Read more here.
Photo by Mario Tadinac
this is me
Photo credits from the top left to bottom right respectively: RYA St. Peters, Felipe Lei, UoM Field Team, Kewin Lorenzen, Michelle Havlik, Richard Askew, Mohamed Khamis, Taj Howe. OceanX images throughout used with NYC approval.
languages
English (native)
Mandarin Chinese (intermediate)
British Sign Language L1 (beginner)
university field courses
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North Sea (MSc, 2019)
Sampling boat cruises in St Andrews harbour and out into the North Sea, collecting oceanographic and biological data (CTD, hydrophone, secchi disk, bird IDs, nutrient levels, plankton / microplastic tows).
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Costa Rica (BSc, 2017)
Tropical rainforest ecology and conservation, insect IDs, and a research project at La Selva Research Station to beta-test smartphone technology that identifies anurans based from their night-time calls. Photo by Hannah Shanks
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South Africa (BSc, 2016)
Savanna ecology, African megafauna physiology and behaviour; spoor identification, and a research project at Thabazimbi reserve to determine species diversity within different habitat types using animal track IDs.
journal articles
published
Agnani, P., Thomson, J., Schradin, C., and Careau, V. (2020). ‘The fast and the curious II: performance, personality, and metabolism in Karoo bush rats’, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 74(10), 123-137.
Wolhuter, L., Thomson, J., Schradin, C., Pillay, N. (2021). Life history traits of free-living bush Karoo rats (Otomys unisulcatus) in the semi-arid Succulent Karoo Mammal Research, 67, 73-81.
Phillips, A., Walsh, C., Grayson, K., Penney, C., Husain, F., and Women Doing Science Team (2022). Diversifying Representations of Female Scientists on Social Media: A Case Study From the Women Doing Science Instagram. Social Media+ Society, 8(3), 1-17.
in progress
Morphological and Histological features of the Greenland Shark Coronary Circulation (Yaar, S., Thomson, J., Gurney., A., and Shiels, H.)