Biography

• Professor, Imperial College London 2007 – present
• Reader, Imperial College London 2005 – 2007
• Lecturer, Open University 2000 – 2005
• Post Doctoral Fellow, Open University 1998 – 2000
• Post Doctoral Fellow, Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and University of Utrecht 1996 – 1998
• PhD, Open University 1993 – 1996
• MSc, University of Newcastle 1991– 1992
• BSc, University of Durham 1988 – 1991

Recent Measures of Esteem

• 2010- Co-Chair of NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return End 2 End International Science Analysis Group
• 2010- Member of European Space Agency Solar System Exploration Working Group
• 2010- Member of STFC Space Science Advisory Committee
• 2009- Member of NASA/ESA 2-Rover International Science Analysis Group
• 2009- Member of ESA Mars Soil Characterization Working Group
• 2009- Member of Primitive Bodies Panel for NRC Planetary Science Decadal Survey
• 2009- Member of UK Space Innovation and Growth Team
• 2009- Invited Speaker, Herdman Symposium, "Beginnings of the World"
• 2007- Invited Speaker, Geological Society Bicentennial Conference
• 2007- Member of UK Aurora Advisory Committee
• 2007- Member of European Science Agency Exploration Science and Technology Advisory Group
• 2007- European Team Leader for the Urey instrument on ExoMars
• 2006- Invited Speaker, 19th UCL Astronomy Colloquium "Astrobiology"
• 2006- Asteroid named in honour of Mark Sephton by the International Astronomical Union
• 2005- Associate Scientist, Natural History Museum

Research Interests

• Meteorites and extraterrestrial organic matter
• Organic matter detection on space missions
• Organic proxies of environmental change
• Causes and consequences of mass extinctions
• Petroleum geochemistry and unconventional hydrocarbons
• Organic molecules in forensic science and biochemistry

Management and Administration

• Head of Section, Earth and Planets
• Manager, Organic and Petrophysics Laboratories
• Chair, Departmental Safety Committee
• Group Leader, Imperial College Organic Geochemistry