Dr Declan Finney

Profile

Declan is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow within the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) at the University of Leeds. His research uses a wide range of approaches from satellite to in-situ observations, and global to regional modelling, to understand the role of clouds in weather and climate.

The UKRI fellowship enables a project pioneering a novel cloud observation approach. “DOOC: Drone Observation Of Clouds and their effect on weather and climate” will use drone observations of clouds to both enhance UK weather forecasting and provide globally unique insights into cloud–climate interactions.

Declan has previously worked on the DCMEX project studying the microphysics and dynamics of deep convective clouds, and their importance for understanding climate change. And he worked on the HyCRISTAL project researching moist convective processes in East Africa using a convection-permitting model applied to present-day and future climates. Declan’s PhD, carried out at the University of Edinburgh, investigated the interactions of lightning, climate change and atmospheric chemistry.

In between research posts, Declan spent a year within ClimateXChange project managing climate policy research on behalf of Scottish Government.

PhD opportunities

I welcome applications from people from any background. I am particularly keen to support those from underrepresented groups in academia to overcome barriers, especially those from working class backgrounds. Please ask any questions you have about the PhD opportunities below. For example, you might have questions about how funding works, what job opportunities the PhD might lead to, general practicalities of how to navigate post-graduate study, or anything else that might help you to understand these opportunities better.

Constraining the role of tropical clouds in climate change using novel satellite observations. UNRISK CDT. Deadline: Wednesday 14th January 2026.

Research interests

• Cloud physics
• Meteorology
• Climate and climate change
• Moist convective processes
• Tropical meteorology and climate
• Lightning and its impacts

• DCMEX additional funding (CloudSense2)

Qualifications

• PhD Atmospheric Science, University of Edinburgh
• MPhys Physics, University of Bath

Professional memberships

• Associate Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society

Research groups and institutes

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science
• Dynamics and Clouds
• Physical Climate and Cryosphere
• Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosols

Current postgraduate researchers

• Ezri Alkilani-Brown