People
Prof. Richard Foa Katz 
Group leader and Professor of Geodynamics, University of Oxford  
Email: richard.katz@earth.ox.ac.uk,  Tel: +44 (0)1865 282122
Rhiannon Ackland 
NERC DTP student, University of Oxford 
Resources for sustainable energy: ore formation by reactive flow, Co-supervised by Prof Jon Blundy and Dr Elena Melekhova
Dr Calum Braham
ERC postdoctoral fellow, University of Oxford
Mechanics of mud-volcano source regions, Collaboration with Profs Chris MacMinn (Engineering) & Jon Chapman (Maths)
Dr Hamish Hay
Leverhulme Postdoctoral fellow, University of Oxford, Tidally driven porous flows in planetary bodies
Dr Yuan Li
ERC Postdoctoral fellow, University of Oxford, Magma-assisted tectonics of continental rifts and mid-ocean ridges
Sebastian Randriatsitoaina
MIORPA summer research intern
Modelling tides of the core using Dedalus
 
 
Dr Laura Alisic
Affiliated postdoctoral research associate, University of Cambridge
On to: position as research scientist at Jet Propulsion Laboratory  
 
 
Jane Allwright
NERC Research Experience Placement student,
Project: Consequences of anisotropic viscosity in Poiseuille flow
Back to: Part IV of the mathematics tripos at Cambridge 
 
Tong Bo 
Summer research student, University of Oxford,
Project: The melting column as a filter for trace-element heterogeneity of the mantle
On to: A PhD in the MIT/WHOI joint program
 
Dr Thomas Breithaupt
NERC DTP DPhil 2022, University of Oxford
Microstructural evolution of deforming mantle rocks and implications for geodynamic processes
 
 
 Dr Jonathon Burley
ERC-funded DPhil 2017, University of Oxford, Ice ages, sea level, and magmatism: coupled oscillations
 
 
Dr Nestor Cerpa
ERC & DCO Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford,
MOR volatile fluxes modulated by sea level variation
ORCID: 0000-0003-0112-0138 On to: Postdoctoral position at Univ. Montpellier
 
Andras Cserep
Summer research and MSc student, University of Oxford 
Geodynamics with Dedalus, Co-supervised by Dr Yuan Li
 
 
Tim-Frederik Dauck
NERC REP summer student, University of Oxford
On to: Part IV of the Cambridge mathematics tripos
 
 
Dr Tim Davis
ERC Postdoctoral fellow, Univ Oxford,
Magma-assisted tectonics of continental rifts and mid-ocean ridges
Email: timothy.davis@earth.ox.ac.uk, ORCID: 0000-0003-2302-5203
 
 Owen Evans
Leverhulme research assistant, Summer 2013,
Generalised Stability Theory of magma/mantle dynamics
On to: Masters in mathematical biology at UCL 
 
Ed Farrelly
Oxford Earth Sciences MSc Student,
Transport of trace metals by volcanic brines 
 
 
Abraham Francis
MIORPA summer research intern, Univ Oxford,
Elastic–viscoplastic bending of a floating plate

Co-supervised by Prof Peter Howell in Mathematics

 

Catherine Gower
Summer research and MSc student, University of Oxford
Simple models of tidal dissipation and orbital evolution, Co-supervised by Dr Hamish Hay
 
 
Peter Harvey
NERC Research Experience Placement, Summer 2013,
An experimental study of Tyndall figures
Back to: physics undergraduate at UCL 
 
Ben Jackson
Summer Research Assistant,
Exercises for a textbook on two-phase magma/mantle dynamics.
On to: PhD in Fluid Dynamics, University of Cambridge
 
Dr Luke Kearney
NERC DTP DPhil 2024, University of Oxford,
Fluid venting phenomena in sedimentary basins
Co-supervised by Prof Chris MacMinn in Engineering 
 
Dr Tobias Keller 
ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford,
Volatile transport in the mantle and lithosphere at MORs
On to: Postdoc at Stanford University  ORCID: 0000-0002-6121-5377
 
Murray Kiernan 
NERC Research Experience Placement student, Tides of the core
Co-supervised by Dr Hamish Hay & Prof James Bryson 
 
 
Dr Teresa Kyrke-Smith
DPhil 2014, University of Oxford,
Coupled dynamics of ice sheets and subglacial hydrology

On to: Postdoc at the University of Limerick, then postdoc at the British Antarctic Survey 

 

Zhengxuan Li
ERC Research assistant, University of Oxford
HDG finite element models of poro-viscous granular-dilatant flows 
 
 
David Zhen Ning Liu 
NERC REP summer student, University of Oxford
On to: Cambridge Maths Tripos Part III
 
 
Happiness Mahlalele
Mfano summer intern, Univ Oxford,
Dilatancy in forced deformation of partially molten rocks 
 
 
Joel-Pascal Ntwali N'Konzi
Mfano summer intern, Univ Oxford,
Stability analysis of plastic localisation 
 
 
Adina Pusok
MSci 2012, University of Oxford, Active convection beneath mid-ocean ridges
On to: PhD at University of Mainz, Germany
 
 
Dr Daniel Spencer 
DPhil 2021, University of Oxford, 
Tidal dissipation and volcanism of Io 
On to: Research Scientist at Sagentia  ORCID: 0000-0003-1814-964X
 
Dr Meng Tian 
Deep Carbon Observatory PDRA, University of Oxford
On to: CSH Fellowship at Bern University Centre For Space & Habitability 
 
Dr Andrew Turner
ERC Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oxford,
Grain-size dynamics of the mantle and applications to MORs 
 
Dr. John Crowley
European Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate
Project: Ice ages, sea level, and magmatism: coupled oscillation 
 
 
Jules Tampier
ENS Lyon research internship, Univ. Oxford, Dislocation population dynamics under oscillatory loading  
 
 
 
Jesse Taylor-West
NERC REP summer student, University of Oxford
On to: Part IV of the Cambridge mathematics tripos.  
 
 
Jennifer Truby
MSci 2012, University of Oxford, gas percolation through a visco-elastic medium
On to: PhD at Durham University, UK
 
 
Dr. Sam Weatherley
DPhil 2013, University of Oxford, Funded by NERC, Reactive magmatic flow in a deforming mantle
On to: Postdoc at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland  
 
 
Dr. Hanwen Zhang
DPhil 2024, University of Oxford, Fluid-driven fracture and its role in rifting
Co-supervised by Prof Laura Stevens, Earth Sciences

 

Dr Benjamin Hess
St Edwards Hall Junior Research Fellow & Lecturer, University of Oxford
ORCID: 0000-0002-1049-5006, Departmental Homepage
 
 
Dr Adina Pusok
Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Oxford
 
 
Dr David Rees Jones
Lecturer in the Vortex Dynamics Group, School of Mathematics & Statistics, University of St. Andrews
 
 
Prof. David May
Professor of Computational Geosciences Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
 
 
Prof. Philip England 
Professor of Geology, University of Oxford
 
 
Prof. Marianne Haseloff
Professor of Glaciology, University of Wisconsin
 
 
Prof. Ian Hewitt
Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford
 
 
Prof. Andrew Wells
Professor of Physics, University of Oxford
 
 
Prof. Andrew Fowler
Professor of Mathematics, University of Limerick
 
 
Dr Ikenna Obasi 
Associate Professor of Applied Geophysics/Hydrologist, Alex Ekwueme Federal University of Nigeria
 
 
Prof. Sander Rhebergen
Professor of Mathematics, University of Waterloo
 
 
Prof. John Rudge 
Lecturer in Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
 
 
Prof. Yasuko Takei 
Professor of Earth Sciences, University of Tokyo/ERI
 
 
 
Prof. Andrew Wathen 
Professor of Computational Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, University of Oxford
 
 
 
Prof. Garth Wells
Reader in Solid Mechanics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge 

 

 

October 2023:

Group photo of the members of the Foalab in October 2023 standing on the balcony of the Earth Sciences Department in Oxford

Back row, from left: Hamish Hay (PDRA), Josh Fallows (MSc student), Tim Davis (PDRA), Ikenna Obasi (visiting scientist), Luke Kearney (PhD student). Front row from left: Richard Katz (PI), Hanwen Zhang (PhD student), Danqing Luo (MSc student), Yuan Li (PDRA), Rhiannon Ackland (PhD student), Adina Pusok (PDRA)

 

November 2022:

 

Group photo of the members of the Foalab in November 2022 standing on the balcony of the Earth Sciences Department in Oxford

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Yuan Li (PDRA), Ed Farrelly (MSc student), Hamish Hay (PDRA), Tim Davis (PDRA), Adina Pusok (PDRA), Luke Kearney (PhD student), Hanwen Zhang (PhD student)

 

July 2021:

 

Members of the Foalab in July 2021 on a group zoom call

From top-left by row: Yuan Li (PDRA), Richard Katz (PI), Adina Pusok (PDRA), Luke Kearney (PhD student), Tom Breithaupt (PhD student), Jules Tampier (research intern), Hanwen Zhang (PhD student), Tim Davis (to join as PDRA), Joel-Pascal Ntwali N'Konzi (reseach intern)

 

July 2019:

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in july 2019

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Meng Tian (PDRA), Hanwen Zhang (visiting student), Dan Spencer (PhD student), Marianne Haseloff (PDRA), Tom Breithaupt (PhD student), Adina Pusok (PDRA), Dave May (affiliate). Photo: Sam Cornish

 

July 2018:

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in July 2018

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Tom Breithaupt (PhD student), Dan Spencer (PhD student), Marianne Haseloff (PDRA), David Rees Jones (PDRA), Dave May (affiliate), Parker Liautaud (visiting PhD student). Not pictured: David Liu (summer student), Meng Tian (PDRA), Jamie Parkinson (PhD student). Photo: Sam Cornish.

 

July 2017:

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in July 2017

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Meng Tian (PDRA), Nestor Cerpa-Gilvonio (PDRA), Tong Bo (summer research student), Dave May (affiliate). Not pictured: David Rees Jones (PDRA), Jonathan Burley (PhD student), Jamie Parkinson (PhD student)

 

July 2016:

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in July 2016

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Meng Tian (PDRA), Jonathan Burley (PhD student), David Rees-Jones (PDRA), Tobias Keller (PDRA), Ben Jackson (research assistant), Grace Manley (MSc student), Andrew Turner (PDRA).

 

October 2015:

 

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in Oct 2015

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Jonathan Burley (PhD student), Lewis Carney (MSc student), David Rees-Jones (PDRA), Tobias Keller (PDRA), Andrew Turner (PDRA), Katie Kumamoto (visiting PhD student), Jessica Warren (visiting professor)

 

October 2014:

 

Group photos of the members of FoaLab in Oct 2014

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Laura Alisic (collaborator, PDRA Cambridge), Sander Rhebergen (PDRA), Andrew Turnder (PDRA), Tobias Keller (PDRA), Jonathan Smith (MSc student), Jonathan Burley (PhD student)

 

July 2014: 

 

Group photo of members of Foalb in July 2014

From left: [front row] Richard Katz (PI), Sjoerd Hack (visiting student), Teresa Kyrke-Smith (recent alum), Jesse Taylor-West (summer research student), Andrew Turner (PDRA); [back row] Tim-Frederik Dauck (summer research student), Tobias Keller (PDRA), Sander Rhebergen (PDRA), Jonathan Burley (DPhil candidate)

 

October 2013: 

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in October 2013

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Jonathan Burley (DPhil candidate), Sander Rhebergen (PDRA), Tobias Keller (PDRA), Teresa Kykre-Smith (DPhil candidate), Andrew Turner (PDRA)

 

June 2013: 

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in June 2013

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Owen Evans (research assistant), Sander Rhebergen (PDRA), Peter Harvey (summer research student), Teresa Kykre-Smith (DPhil candidate)

 

August 2012: 

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in August 2012

From left: Richard Katz (PI), John Crowley (PDRA), Michael Ferguson (undergrad summer research student), Sander Rhebergen (PDRA), Sam Weatherley (DPhil candidate), Teresa Kykre-Smith (DPhil candidate)

 

October 2011: 

 

Group photo of the members of Foalab in October 2011

From left: Richard Katz (PI), Jen Truby (MSc candidate), Teresa Kyrke-Smith (DPhil candidate), Adina-Erika Pusok (MSc candidate), Sam Weatherley (DPhil candidate), Yasuko Takei (Visiting professor).