Dr Andrew Russell, BSc, MSc, PhD, SFHEA

Profile

Dr Russell's expertise covers two closely related topics:

1. Understanding present day and future climate change risks to human and natural systems; and
2. The analysis and development of effective policies and responses to manage those climate change risks.

He currently holds a British Academy Innovation Fellowship examining changing flood risk and effective flood risk management strategies.

Immediately before joining QMUL, Dr Russell was a civil servant working on UK climate policy in the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), international climate science in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and international biodiversity evidence in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Prior to his civil service career Dr Russell was a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University London where he led an interdisciplinary research group focussing on climate change impacts and directed undergraduate and postgraduate degrees on environmental science and climate change. Dr Russell is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).

Teaching

Convenor:

• GEG4008 Ideas and Practice in Environmental Science
• GEG6233 Climate Change and Climate Policy

Contributor:

• GEG5214 Research Design
• GEG5215 Environmental Research Methods
• GEG6228 Future Coasts
• GEG6231 Fragile Environments
• GEG6212 Project in Environmental Science

Research

Research Interests:

Climate change; climate policy; climate adaptation; flooding; coastal erosion

Dr Russell's research falls into two distinct, but closely related topics:

1. Analysis and modelling of global climate change impacts on physical, natural and human systems.

This topic builds on work that he developed over several years of applying innovative analysis techniques to important global climate issues. Dr Russell has published work on this theme in various contexts: environmental health in Kazakhstan, with a focus on climate change; air quality, climate and health in the UK; the influence of Arctic climate changes on mid-latitude weather; and climate change and agriculture.

2. Climate change resilience and decision making.

Dr Russell's work with the Committee on Climate Change, Defra and BEIS contributed to the development of the evidence base used to inform UK policy on important issues such as flood resilience, responding to coastal erosion, adaptation to international systemic climate risks and protecting biodiversity from climate change impacts.

Dr Russell's aim now is to bring these research strands together in a more holistic fashion and develop analyses that are both scientifically robust and relevant to society, whilst also being of use to decision makers working on climate change risks on different spatio-temporal scales.

Publications

A complete list of my publications can be found on Google Scholar.

Recent highlights include:

Peer reviewed publications

Harwood N, Hall R, Di Capua, G, Tucker A, Russell A (2021) “Using Bayesian Networks to investigate the influence of Arctic amplification on mid-latitude North Atlantic circulation” Journal of Climate 34 2319-2335. 

Vitolo C, Scutari M, Ghalaieny M, Tucker A, Russell A (2018) “Modelling air pollution, climate and health data using Bayesian Networks: a case study of the English regions” Earth and Space Science 5 76-88.

Brown K, DiMauro M, Johns D, Holmes G, Thompson D, Russell A, Style D (2018) “Turning risk assessment and adaptation policy priorities into meaningful interventions and governance processes” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 376 20170303.

Russell A, Ghalaieny M, Gazdiyeva B, Zhumabayeva S, Kurmanbayeva A, Akhmetov K, Mukanov Y, McCann M, Ali M, Tucker A, Vitolo C, Althonayan A (2018) “The environment of Kazakhstan: an examination of current conditions and future needs” International Journal of Environmental Research 12 735-748.

Science and Policy Reports

Committee on Climate Change (2021) “Climate Change Risk Assessment Evidence Report”

Committee on Climate Change (2019) “Progress in preparing for climate change – 2019 report to Parliament”

Committee on Climate Change (2018) “Managing the coast in a changing climate”

Supervision

Dr Russell is currently the second supervisor for one PhD student:

• Ekuwa Adade (2021-present) “An investigation into the climate change impacts on human health in Ghana”

Dr Russell was also first supervisor for two students who have completed their PhDs:

• Dr Nathanael Harwood (2016-2019) “Using Bayesian networks to investigate arctic change and midlatitude circulation”
• Dr Stanley Okom (2013-2018) “Impact of projected precipitation changes on sugar beet yield in the UK”

Dr Russell is very interested in speaking to students looking for PhD opportunities focussing on climate change science, impacts, adaptation and/or policy. We have a useful webpage on PhD Research in the School of Geography so please take a look and get in touch if you would like to discuss anything further.