Isabelle Mattia
Role: PhD student in Planetary geology
Subject area: Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Nationality: British
I am a UK national with Turkish and Italian heritage currently studying a PhD on cosmic spherules (extraterrestrial micrometeorites) in the geological record.
Education
GCSE (or equivalent): 11 including triple science, history and Spanish
A-level (or equivalent): Geology, Biology, and Maths, AS in Classical civilisation
Degrees
• MSci in Geology, Imperial College London
• PhD (ongoing) in Earth and Planetary Science
Detail about Isabelle
My research
I am investigating fossil micrometeorites found in Cretaceous Chalk to assess their preservation in the geological record. The concentration of micrometeorites discovered in the section will be used to interpret ancient extra-terrestrial dust flux, which can give us a better understanding of past solar system events such as large-scale asteroid collisions.
My inspiration
My biggest inspiration for studying geology was my geology A level teacher, Keith. He was the first person I met who had a PhD, and his love for the subject instilled an enthusiasm in me I hope to pass on to others.
Who is your STEM hero?
My STEM teachers and lecturers are definitely my heroes. Anyone who dedicates their life to teaching interesting science topics in engaging ways really inspires me to work hard in research and do the same in the future.
Most significant discovery/invention?
Every discovery and invention is important for science, but for my work in particular I think sample return spacecraft such as Hyabusa2 are useful since they help us understand the composition of asteroids.
Career options after study
- Lecturer
- Researcher
- Space science analyst
- Engineer in charge of space instruments or satellites
My hobbies
I like to tutor in my spare time, but I've also picked up ice-skating recently. When I'm feeling particularly lazy, I will watch movies or play some PC games.