Dr Robert Thomas

Biography	Rob joined the Energy & Environment Institute as Senior Research Fellow in Geomorphology and Flood Risk in early 2018, becoming Lecturer in September 2022. After an undergraduate degree in Geography at the University of Nottingham, Rob spent almost two years working as a geomorphologist at the USDA-ARS-National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, Mississippi, before moving back to the UK to undertake a PhD on sand-bedded braided rivers at the University of Leeds. He has since accumulated nearly 20 years' experience split between research and technical roles in the UK higher education sector and externally funded projects at the USDA-ARS. He teaches the physical sciences elements of the MSc in Flood Risk Management.
Research Interests	Rob's research interests encompass both remotely-sensed and directly-obtained field and laboratory observations coupled with numerical modelling to better understand fluvial, estuarine and colluvial systems and the interactions between biological systems and landscape dynamics. These interactions are critical for understanding of flood risk and optimising management strategies that maintain or enhance ecological value while enhancing human resilience to flooding. He has recently provided scientific leadership on Ark: National Flood Resilience Centre; the Flood Innovation Centre; the EU Interreg-funded IMMERSE project, which is concerned with identifying and testing optimal management strategies for the Humber estuary, the StReSS and ISEECC projects, which are concerned with testing new land management practices to minimise water and nutrient losses from farmers' fields, and the EEI's engagement with the Living with Water project.
Scopus Author ID	55481776200