Professor Fiona Gill

Profile

I studied Environmental Geology BSc at the University of Sheffield, followed by an MSc in Palynology, then moved to the University of Leeds for a PhD on fossil cold seep communities. I worked at Newcastle University and the University of Bristol, before returning to Leeds as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin research fellow in 2010. My scientific research spans palaeontology and geochemistry, with a focus on interdisciplinary projects aimed at understanding how animals and plants lived millions of years ago and were preserved as fossils.

Throughout my career, I have been aware of the inequities that exist in the structures and processes of the academic system and this has driven my commitment to leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), both within and outside the University of Leeds. Equally important has been sharing my enthusiasm for Earth Science outside of academia, working with schools, artists, community groups and festivals. 

Responsibilities

• Faculty Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead

Research interests

My scientific research interests lie at the boundary between geochemistry and palaeontology. I am interested in using geochemistry to understand the ecology of extinct animals, particularly those thought to have lived in symbiosis with distinctive microbial populations. This include investigating the chemistry of coprolites (fossilised faeces), which can preserve evidence of the diet, digestive processes and digestive tract microbes of extinct animals. I have also worked on dinosaur diet, evaluating the nutritional value of sauropod food plant analogues grown under elevated carbon dioxide levels to simulate atmospheric conditions when the dinosaurs were alive. More recently, I have been collaborating with creative practitioners to develop creative approaches to inclusion in geoscience.

• Coprolite chemistry – diet, digestion and methane emissions of extinct fauna
• Dinosaur diets and methane emissions
• Investigating biogeochemical evidence for chemosymbiosis at fossil cold seeps

Qualifications

• PhD in Palaeontology, University of Leeds,
• MSc Palynology, University of Sheffield
• BSc Environmental Geology, University of Sheffield

Professional memberships

• Palaeontological Association

Student education

I currently teach Level 1 palaeontology and Level 2 employability for geoscientists.

Research groups and institutes

• Earth Surface Science Institute
• Palaeo@Leeds