Nick is an earth scientist who applies chemistry to understand and interpret the processes that shape the composition of natural waters. His research group integrates theory, experiments, and field-based observations to address problems including: the co-evolution of seawater chemistry and climate through Earth's history, the environmental conditions promoting the synthesis of molecular building blocks at the origin of life on Earth, the chemical evolution of a wide range of natural waters on modern Earth, and unravelling the chemical evolution of ancient environments on the surface of Mars.
Nick is an Associate Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, a 10-year multidisciplinary initiative fcused on developing a robust understanding of life on Earth, its origins, and its potential distribution beyond Earth. Nick is also a science team member of NASA's 2020 Mars Perseverance Rover mission and is actively involved in international efforts to define the scientific objectives of Mars Sample Return and plan the scientific capabilities and management processes of the sample receiving facility.
At Cambridge, Nick coordinates and teaches on the IA Earth Sciences course (which for many NST students, is their first encounter with the subject), as well as Part IB, Part II, and Part III Earth Sciences. In supervising students from King's, Nick views teaching at the College as an opportunity to highlight and develop fascinating connections between earth sciences and many other subjects including chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and mathematics.
