About the UKPF
The UK Planetary Forum is headed by four representatives who run the web site, organise meetings, and maintain the mailing list. In addition, we have representatives in most research groups who act as local contacts.
UKPF Committee Members
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John Pernet-Fisher
PhD Isotope Geochemistry (University of London) Postdoctoral research associate, University of Manchester, Email: john dot pernet-fisher at Manchester.ac.uk, @BinocularFish Webpage My research interests focus on the chemical evolution of differentiated bodies within the solar system, predominantly on the Earth, Moon, and Mars. In particular, I am interested in how the chemistry of volcanic rocks can provide valuable insights into the geochemical evolution of planetary crusts and mantles. I am currently a postdoc at the University of Manchester working samples from Apollo 16 in order to understand the formation history of the lunar crust. Prior to this I held a postdoc at the University of Tennessee and completed a PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London. During this time, I worked on a wide range of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial projects ranging from understanding liquid immiscible in lunar mare basalts to constraining metasomatism in the Siberian lithospheric mantle. |
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Thomas Barrett
PhD Isotope Geochemistry (The Open University) Research Fellow, The Open University Email: Thomas dot barrett at open.ac.uk; @ThomasJ_Barrett My main research focus is isotope geochemistry, particularly volatiles (source(s), amounts) and their evolution in the inner Solar System. I am also interested meteoritics and samples that display anomalous characteristics compared to others within the same group. Recently, I have started to explore the effects of shock on volatiles in meteorites as well as instrument development. Currently, I am a Research Fellow at The Open University (OU) and my work involves the determination of the volatile content coupled with the hydrogen and chlorine isotopic composition of mineral apatite in meteorites, specifically the basaltic meteorites known as eucrites. Prior to my current position, I conducted my PhD on similar work at the OU and my MSci in Geology at the University of Birmingham. |
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Tara Hayden
BSc Earth Science (University of Glasgow) PhD Student, The Open University Email: tara.hayden at open.ac.uk; @MiniMoonRocks My research focus is on the history and evolution of volatile elements in lunar meteorites. I am a sample scientist and work to determine the abundance and isotopic composition of chlorine and water in lunar brecciated meteorites and compare this to the breadth of volatile work carried out on pristine lunar samples returned during the Apollo missions. Prior to this, I conducted preliminary research on Martian meteorites at the University of Glasgow for my BSc in Earth Science. |
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Mark Nottingham
PhD Planetart Science (University of Manchester) Postdoctoral research associate, University of Manchester mark.nottingham at manchester.ac.uk I am a Research Associate at the University of Manchester. I am currently working on a Leverhulme Trust funded project, looking at lunar samples that may preserve past and present records of solar wind noble gases; this information can potentially tell us about the history of the Sun and how it affected the development of Earth. Although I’d now consider myself a planetary scientist, I actually started out as a geochemist – it was a chance decision about what masters project to select that opened my mind to the possibility of doing a planetary science PhD. When I’m not unravelling the mysteries of the Moon, you’ll probably find me cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or somewhere up a bouldering wall. As an LGBTQ+ individual, I am a keen to find ways of increasing diversity across the sciences and promoting LGBTQ+ communities to get involved with planetary sciences. |