Dr Rhian Thomas
- Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and Freshwater Science (School of Geographical & Earth Sciences)
telephone:
01413302287
email:
Rhian.Thomas@glasgow.ac.uk
Ges, East Quadrangle, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641Biography
I'm a senior lecturer in Physical Geography and Freshwater Science
Research interests
My research interests include the societal impacts of climate extremes, including perceptions of risk, factors that influence vulnerability, factors that motivate mitigation and the public health impacts, both physical and mental health of climate extremes.
I am currently working on a CREW (Centre of Expertise for Waters) Science Policy Fellowship on Building public health resilience to fluvial flooding in Scotland.
My other research focuses on improving and adding new knowledge of the habitat, ecology and behaviour of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera), a critically endangered bivalve (IUCN Red List), of which Scotland is home to approximately half of the global population. The species is in decline across its range so it is crucial we better understand how to improve conservation management of this globally endangered species. My research brings together both Government bodies, such as SNH and SEPA, and also industry, such as SSE. We are specifically looking at how the mussel responds to changes in the flow regime, and the mussel's relationship with its host fish, which can be Atlantic salmon or brown trout here in Scotland.
Another research interest are the associations between environmental drivers of change and disease risk.
My PhD was based on the development and evaluation of a cellular model to simulate braided river dynamics. The fieldwork for this research was carried out in the Harper-Avoca catchment in the South Island of New Zealand.
Grants
CREW Science Policy Fellowship £44.8K: Building public health resilience to fluvial flooding in Scotland
ESRC-funded SGSSS Interdisciplinary Steers PhD £102.3K: 'Rain, rain go away...come back another day': Understanding Scotland's changing relationships between climate change and mental health. Sept 2024 start.
NERC-funded CASE PhD £86.7K: Investigating the impact of changing hydrodynamics on the behaviour of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel
BBSRC/DfID-funded (£3million+): SEEDZ (Social, Economic and Environmental Drivers of Zoonotic Disease in Tanzania), 10% FTE
SAGES+ PECRE £3K
LKAS, University of Glasgow funded PhD Scholarship
University of Glasgow Maternity Returners Scheme, £10K
SNH-funded contract £3.9K
SSE-funded contract £1.9K
Supervision
I, along with Human Geography Colleague Prof Hester Parr, have a PhD student starting in Sept 2024: 'Rain, rain go away...come back another day': Understanding Scotland's changing relationships between climate change and mental health.
I have supervised 4 PhD students:
Chris Uzzell - Investigating the association between environmental change and disease risk in Tanzania. Lord Kelvin-Adam Smith PhD Scholarship (2014-1018).
Ed Curley - Investigating the impact of changing hydrodynamics on the behaviour of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera). NERC CASE PhD, SSE CASE Partner, SNH and SEPA staff advisory board (2016-2020).
Rob Brackley - Impact of low-head turbines on fish passage
Khruewan Champangern
Teaching
My current roles are Head of Postgraduate Degree Programmes (2022-present) and Head of the MSc Sustainable Water Environments (2022-present)
My previous roles have been Head of Geography Degree Programmes (2016-21), Geography Examinations Officer (2015-21) and Adviser of Studies.
I teach on every year of the undergraduate geography degree, Level 1 World of Resources, Level 2 Fluvial Processes, Level 3 Geographical Techniques and Geographical Thought, and my Undergraduate Honours option, Environmental Hazards. I also teach on the postgraduate MSc Sustainable Water Management Masters degree, Ecology and Restoration of Water Systems module.
Additional information
I am an Associate Editor for the Scottish Geographical Journal
