School of Geographical & Earth Sciences

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 change, 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 and climate change, particularly floods and droughts. My most recent research includes 2 projects funded by the Scottish Government through CREW (Centre of Expertise for Waters) linked to flooding and resilience.

One project focused on reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding: informing cross-policy action in Scotland and the project steering group consisted of Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, SEPA and the Scottish Flood Forum. We produced a main report and policy brief - see below for links to this work.

Thomas, R., Niedzwiedz, C., Hill-Harding, C., Campbell, M., Rochow, T., Salamon, H., Henderson, F. (2026). Reducing mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding in Scotland. Policy Brief. CRW2025_02. Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). Link to policy brief: https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CRW2025_02%20Flooding%20and%20Mental%20Health_Policy%20Brief_FINAL.pdf

Niedzwiedz, C., Thomas, R., Hill-Harding, C., Campbell, M., Rochow, T., Salamon, H. and Henderson, F. (2026). Reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding: Informing cross-policy action in Scotland. Main Report. CRW2025_02. Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). Link to main report: https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CRW2025_02%20Flooding%20and%20Mental%20Health%20Main%20Report_FINAL.pdf

 

The second project developed a low-cost preparedness tool for flooding: the Scottish household flood plan and the project steering group involved Scottish Government, Scottish Flood Forum and SEPA. We produced a main report and the household flood plan template with an easy read version - links below for this work. 

Henderson, F., Thomas, R., T. Craig, B. Bennett, A. Hague, R. Hawkins, A. McAllister and R. Dooley-Nealis. (2026). Household flood plans in Scotland: Applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake. Main Report. CRW2025_01. Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). Lnk to main report: https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CRW2025_01%20Household%20Flood%20Plan_Report_2026_05_25_FINAL_1.pdf

Link to Household Flood Plan template: https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CRW2025_01%20Floodplantemplate_Online_Single_Page.pdf

Link to Household Flood Plan easy read version: https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CRW2025_01%20Floodplantemplate_Easy_Read.pdf

 

These 2 recent projects stem from an earlier CREW (Centre of Expertise for Waters) Science Policy Fellowship on Building public health resilience to fluvial flooding in Scotland.  

Thomas, R. and Niedzwiedz, C. (2024) Building Public Health Resilience to Fluvial Flooding in Scotland Policy Brief. CSPF2023_01. Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). https://www.crew.ac.uk/sites/www.crew.ac.uk/files/publication/CSPF2023_01_Policy_Brief_2024_04_29_FINAL_1.pdf

 

 

My other research interests focus 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. These interests also include river restoration measures and I have worked for many years with the Forth Rivers Trust.

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: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2018 | 2016 | 2007 | 2002
Number of items: 16.

2026

Niedzwiedz, Claire ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6133-4168, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Hill-Harding, Chiara ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7646-996X, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270, Rochow, Thomas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4595-7079, Salamon, Hannah ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5365-8496 and Henderson, Fiona (2026) Reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding: Informing cross-policy action in Scotland. Project Report. Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters.

Henderson, Fiona, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Craig, Tony, Bennett, Bridget, Hague, Alice, Hawkins, Rhiannon, McAllister, Abby and Dooley-Nealis, Roisin (2026) Household flood plans in Scotland: Applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake. Project Report. CREW – Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Water.

2025

Niedzwiedz, C. L. et al. (2025) Coming to terms with climate change: a glossary for climate change impacts on mental health and well-being. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 79(4), pp. 295-301. (doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-222716) (PMID:39694671) (PMCID:PMC12015012)

2024

Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Niedzwiedz, Claire ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6133-4168 (2024) Building Public Health Resilience to Fluvial Flooding in Scotland Policy Brief. Documentation. CREW - Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters.

2023

Philo, Christopher ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-4604, Hurst, Martin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X, Laurie, Emma ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6208-2011 and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (2023) Relaunching the Marion Newbigin Prize. Scottish Geographical Journal, 139(3-4), pp. 247-256. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2023.2257643)

Hurst, Martin D. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (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, Christopher ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-4604, Hurst, Martin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X, Laurie, Emma ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6208-2011 and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, Colin E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Stephen, Alastair (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, Colin E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Stephen, Alastair (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Valyrakis, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9245-8817, Thomas, R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, C.E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 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. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, C.E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, C. E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Bean, C. W. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3502-0995 (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, Robert, Bean, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3502-0995, Lucas, Martyn, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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, Elizabeth, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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. (doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.10.025)

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 Fri Oct 9 04:30:06 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Research Reports or Papers | Conference Proceedings
Number of items: 16.

Articles

Niedzwiedz, C. L. et al. (2025) Coming to terms with climate change: a glossary for climate change impacts on mental health and well-being. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 79(4), pp. 295-301. (doi: 10.1136/jech-2024-222716) (PMID:39694671) (PMCID:PMC12015012)

Philo, Christopher ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-4604, Hurst, Martin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X, Laurie, Emma ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6208-2011 and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (2023) Relaunching the Marion Newbigin Prize. Scottish Geographical Journal, 139(3-4), pp. 247-256. (doi: 10.1080/14702541.2023.2257643)

Hurst, Martin D. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (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, Christopher ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-4604, Hurst, Martin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9822-076X, Laurie, Emma ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6208-2011 and Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, Colin E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Stephen, Alastair (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, Colin E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Stephen, Alastair (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, Edward A.M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0608-0457, Valyrakis, M. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9245-8817, Thomas, R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, C.E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 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. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, C.E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Adams, C. E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 and Bean, C. W. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3502-0995 (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. (doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.10.025)

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

Niedzwiedz, Claire ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6133-4168, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Hill-Harding, Chiara ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7646-996X, Campbell, Mhairi ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-7270, Rochow, Thomas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4595-7079, Salamon, Hannah ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5365-8496 and Henderson, Fiona (2026) Reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding: Informing cross-policy action in Scotland. Project Report. Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Waters.

Henderson, Fiona, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641, Craig, Tony, Bennett, Bridget, Hague, Alice, Hawkins, Rhiannon, McAllister, Abby and Dooley-Nealis, Roisin (2026) Household flood plans in Scotland: Applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake. Project Report. CREW – Scotland’s Centre of Expertise for Water.

Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Niedzwiedz, Claire ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6133-4168 (2024) Building Public Health Resilience to Fluvial Flooding in Scotland Policy Brief. Documentation. CREW - Scotland's Centre of Expertise for Waters.

Conference Proceedings

Brackley, Robert, Bean, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3502-0995, Lucas, Martyn, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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, Elizabeth, Thomas, Rhian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3060-4641 and Adams, Colin ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2470-9754 (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 Fri Oct 9 04:30:06 2026 BST.

Grants

CREW 2025/26 Reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding: Informing cross-policy action in Scotland. £69.2K

CREW 2025/26 Household flood plans in Scotland: Applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake. £91.6K

CREW  2024 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, currently co-supervise PhD student Rhiannon Hawkins started in Sept 2024: 'Rain, rain go away...come back another day': Understanding Scotland's changing relationships between climate change and mental health.

 

I also currently co-supervise PhD Student Elizabeth Barre-Tabor: Biogeochemistry of beaver ponds. 

 

Please do get in touch if you are interested in a PhD on topics related to climate change and impacts to society, including public health impacts, and river restoration, species re-introductions, freshwater pearl mussels and broader ecology and adaptations to climate change. 

  • Barre-Tabor, Elizabeth
    Beavers and biogeochemistry: evaluating the biogeochemical capacity of beaver ponds to mitigate eutrophication in headwater streams impacted by diffuse nutrient pollution
  • Hawkins, Rhiannon
    Rain rain go away … come back another day': Understanding Scotland's changing relationships between climate change and mental health

I have supervised 4 successfully completed 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 role is PGT Advisor of Studies. 

My previous roles include: Head of Postgraduate Degree Programmes (2022 - 2024; Head of the MSc Sustainable Water Environments (2022-2024); 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 including, Level 1 World of Resources, Level 2 Fluvial Processes and my Undergraduate Honours option, Environmental Hazards. I also teach on the postgraduate MSc Sustainable Water Management Masters degree, convening the Ecology and Restoration of Water Systems module and contribute to Monitoring Water Systems module and the Global Challenges MSc course, specifically Planetary Health block.   

Additional information

I am an Associate Editor for the Scottish Geographical Journal