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

Import to contacts

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641

Biography

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.

 

 

 

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2018 | 2016 | 2007 | 2002
Number of items: 13.

2024

Niedzwiedz, C. L. et al. (2024) Coming to terms with climate change: a glossary for climate change impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, (Accepted for Publication)

Thomas, R. and Niedzwiedz, C. (2024) Building Public Health Resilience to Fluvial Flooding in Scotland Policy Brief. Documentation. CREW - Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters.

2023

Hurst, M. D. and Thomas, R. (2023) The physical geography of Scotland in the Scottish Geographical Journal. Scottish Geographical Journal, 139(1-2), pp. 1-19. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2023.2231405)

2022

Philo, C. , Hurst, M. , Laurie, E. and Thomas, R. (2022) ‘In the critical department’: refreshing the Scottish Geographical Journal. Scottish Geographical Journal, 138(1-2), pp. 1-15. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2022.2082515)

Curley, E. A.M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Stephen, A. (2022) Adaptive responses of freshwater pearl mussels, Margaritifera margaritifera, to managed drawdowns. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 32(3), pp. 466-483. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.3759)

2021

Curley, E. A.M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Stephen, A. (2021) Behavioural and metabolic responses of unionida mussels to stress. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(11), pp. 3184-3200. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.3689)

Curley, E. A.M. , Valyrakis, M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C.E. and Stephen, A. (2021) Smart sensors to predict entrainment of freshwater mussels: a new tool in freshwater habitat assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 787, 147586. (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147586)

2018

Clements, E.A., Thomas, R. and Adams, C.E. (2018) An investigation of salmonid host utilisation by the endangered freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in north-west Scotland. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 28(3), pp. 764-768. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.2900)

Brackley, R., Lucas, M. C., Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Bean, C. W. (2018) Comparison of damage to live v. euthanized Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts from passage through an Archimedean screw turbine. Journal of Fish Biology, 92(5), pp. 1635-1644. (doi: 10.1111/jfb.13596) (PMID:29537067)

2016

Brackley, R., Bean, C. , Lucas, M., Thomas, R. and Adams, C. (2016) Assessment of Scale-Loss to Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar L.) Smolts from Passage Through an Archimedean Screw Turbine. In: 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2016), Melbourne, Australia, 07-12 Feb 2016, ISBN 9780734053398

Clements, E., Thomas, R. and Adams, C. (2016) Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera Margaritifera) Host Choice and Behavioural Responses to Changes in Flow Regime. In: 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2016), Melbourne, Australia, 07-12 Feb 2016, ISBN 9780734053398

2007

Thomas, R. (2007) Cellular modelling as a tool for interpreting historic braided river eveolution. Geomorphology, 90(03-Apr), pp. 32-317.

2002

Thomas, R. (2002) Simulation of braided river flow using a new cellular routing scheme. Geomorphology, 43(03-Apr), pp. 179-195.

This list was generated on Thu Nov 21 02:45:36 2024 GMT.
Jump to: Articles | Research Reports or Papers | Conference Proceedings
Number of items: 13.

Articles

Niedzwiedz, C. L. et al. (2024) Coming to terms with climate change: a glossary for climate change impacts on mental health and wellbeing. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, (Accepted for Publication)

Hurst, M. D. and Thomas, R. (2023) The physical geography of Scotland in the Scottish Geographical Journal. Scottish Geographical Journal, 139(1-2), pp. 1-19. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2023.2231405)

Philo, C. , Hurst, M. , Laurie, E. and Thomas, R. (2022) ‘In the critical department’: refreshing the Scottish Geographical Journal. Scottish Geographical Journal, 138(1-2), pp. 1-15. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2022.2082515)

Curley, E. A.M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Stephen, A. (2022) Adaptive responses of freshwater pearl mussels, Margaritifera margaritifera, to managed drawdowns. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 32(3), pp. 466-483. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.3759)

Curley, E. A.M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Stephen, A. (2021) Behavioural and metabolic responses of unionida mussels to stress. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(11), pp. 3184-3200. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.3689)

Curley, E. A.M. , Valyrakis, M. , Thomas, R. , Adams, C.E. and Stephen, A. (2021) Smart sensors to predict entrainment of freshwater mussels: a new tool in freshwater habitat assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 787, 147586. (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147586)

Clements, E.A., Thomas, R. and Adams, C.E. (2018) An investigation of salmonid host utilisation by the endangered freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in north-west Scotland. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 28(3), pp. 764-768. (doi: 10.1002/aqc.2900)

Brackley, R., Lucas, M. C., Thomas, R. , Adams, C. E. and Bean, C. W. (2018) Comparison of damage to live v. euthanized Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts from passage through an Archimedean screw turbine. Journal of Fish Biology, 92(5), pp. 1635-1644. (doi: 10.1111/jfb.13596) (PMID:29537067)

Thomas, R. (2007) Cellular modelling as a tool for interpreting historic braided river eveolution. Geomorphology, 90(03-Apr), pp. 32-317.

Thomas, R. (2002) Simulation of braided river flow using a new cellular routing scheme. Geomorphology, 43(03-Apr), pp. 179-195.

Research Reports or Papers

Thomas, R. and Niedzwiedz, C. (2024) Building Public Health Resilience to Fluvial Flooding in Scotland Policy Brief. Documentation. CREW - Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters.

Conference Proceedings

Brackley, R., Bean, C. , Lucas, M., Thomas, R. and Adams, C. (2016) Assessment of Scale-Loss to Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar L.) Smolts from Passage Through an Archimedean Screw Turbine. In: 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2016), Melbourne, Australia, 07-12 Feb 2016, ISBN 9780734053398

Clements, E., Thomas, R. and Adams, C. (2016) Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera Margaritifera) Host Choice and Behavioural Responses to Changes in Flow Regime. In: 11th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics (ISE 2016), Melbourne, Australia, 07-12 Feb 2016, ISBN 9780734053398

This list was generated on Thu Nov 21 02:45:36 2024 GMT.

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


Rhian Thomas