Originally hailing from Australia, I am now an Assistant Professor in paleontology at the University of Missouri, Department of Geological Sciences. Much of my research is focused on the paleobiology, functional morphology, and preservation of a group of organisms known as small shelly fossils from the Cambrian Period. In addition to tracking their appearances and disappearances through time, I am particularly interested in implicit preservational and sampling biases that might skew our perceptions of abundances and occurrences of these shelly organisms throughout this time period. To investigate this, I employ a combination of high-powered imaging techniques like micro-CT, along with petrographic and geochemical analyses, allowing me and my team to unravel sources of such biases and gain a more holistic view of the fossil record. 

Although my work primarily centers around these research themes, my interests extend far and wide. Past and present student projects span various geological periods and fossil groups, ranging from Cambrian reefs to Silurian jellyfish and even Eocene fossilized dung! This diversity of research topics keeps me engaged and continually expands my understanding of Earth's history.