Dr Lisa Cole

Biography

From 2021: Daphne Jackson Trust Research Fellow, University of Aberdeen, UK.

2004-2007: Soil Community Ecologist, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, UK.

2002-2004: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of York, UK.

1999-2002: Postdoctoral Researcher, Lancaster University, UK.

1996-1999: Doctoral Student at University of Manchester, UK and Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Grange over Sands, UK.

1994-1995: Research Assistant, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

1991 -1994: BSc Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, Honours in Soil Science, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

Research Overview

I am a soil ecologist interested in how global change impacts upon soil biodiversity and ecosystem function. My current research examines how land use influences the soil microbiome and the consequences of this for nutrient cycling, in particular the soil carbon response. 

Soil microbes are key in determining the fate of carbon that enters soil, so understanding their physiology is critical for projecting changes in soil carbon and climate change feedbacks. My aim is to understand how management practices can improve soil health to establish a microbial community dominated by physiological traits that increase soil carbon storage.

My research highlights how soil management could help mitigate climate change and promote more sustainable and productive agriculture.