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
In 2022, I was immersed in the OceanX Red Sea Decade Expedition, in conjunction with KAUST, National Geographic, and other institutions. I helped to organise and co-ordinate the project, logistics, transportation, permits and outreach. In addition, I spent ~11 weeks on the OceanXplorer directly, as a scientist in the eDNA, deep sea corals and megafauna teams.
This expedition experience led me to gain the 2022-23 GUE NextGen Global Scholarship - in which I spent my life savings, and embarked on a self-made diving immersion: from behind-the-scenes astronaut training at NASA, to ecosystem surveys in the Middle East. Currently, I am a GUE Cave1 diver, Rec1 Instructor Intern, and an active volunteer for Sardinian NGO Phreatic - participating in cave diving and bio-speleology expeditions.
Ever keen to bridge the oceans with the stars, I was a past summer school student at ESA (European Space Agency) where I led a project on limpets in space, and am a current ambassador for next-gen testing facility Blue Abyss.
Photo by Mario Tadinac
this is me
Contact for image credits
languages
English (native)
Mandarin Chinese (post-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.)