Our operations team ensure that our science and services are delivered to a high standard wherever you operate in the world.
We support you with our expert knowledge and robust workflows at every stage of your project, from delivery of our state-of-the-art sampling kits, to sampling support and analysis in the world’s largest eDNA labs.
Operations Team
Join Our Team
Dr Juliet Jones - Chief Operating Officer
Role
Juliet leads our operations team and all NatureMetrics business operations from day-to-day activities to planning the logistics of our global growth. Juliet ensures our science and services are delivered to a high standard, underpinning the success of our high-quality facilities and workflows.
Academia
Postdocs in drug research and viral engineering across a range of academic institutions, PhD in Cancer Biology from the Institute of Cancer Research, BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Surrey.
Significant Collaborations
Juliet has spent 13 years in academic and biotechnology institutions and has worked on a broad range of drug discovery projects. Her background as a molecular biologist gives Juliet a wealth of experience working in research and biotechnology laboratories. Having worked with DNA in lots of different ways, Juliet is now applying that range of skills to DNA-based monitoring with NatureMetrics.
Dr Dilbinder Gill - Operational Scientist
Role
Dilbinder joined NatureMetrics in December 2020 as Operational Scientist, and her role is to ensure the efficient processing of eDNA samples with an emphasis on quality.
Academia
Dilbinder has a PhD in immunology from a joint collaboration between the University of Luton and the Rayne Institute, St Thomas’s Hospital and an MSc in Biomedical Sciences from Kings College London.
Significant Collaborations
Dilbinder has a background in cellular and molecular immunology having worked in academia (Imperial College, Stanford University), in an NGO (IAVI), as a civil servant (HTA) and in a large international corporation (Parexel). As a founding member of IAVI, Dilbinder helped to set up laboratories in resource poor settings and trained in house teams on SOPs. She is experienced in improving process flow by defining quality and output metrics. During her role as a Regulation Manager for the HTA, Dilbinder helped to incorporate the European Union Organ Donation Directive into a regulatory framework for the organ transplantation sector.
Mourad A - Logistics Specialist
Role
Mourad is responsible for developing the international logistics strategy for NatureMetrics and ensures that all goods reach their destination efficiently and compliantly.
Academia
Mourad is a Chief Accountant and holds a BA in Accounting from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Algiers, Algeria.
Significant Collaborations
Mourad has over 20 years’ experience in logistics, with his experience extending from courier service to Airfreight, Specialist logistics and temperature-controlled logistics, including 3PL / 4PL / 5PL. Mourad has particular training and certification in: Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Customs export procedure, packaging training certification, Dangerous goods training certification, damage training certification, Temperature controlled transport certification, Goods distribution practice certification and Aviation’s security certification. Mourad’s training and certifications, coupled with his years of experience, give him a varied expertise that is a strong asset to the international operations of NatureMetrics.
Jasmin Stewart - Executive Assistant
Role
Jasmin assists our executive and management teams on a day to day basis, supporting them in performing key business activities. Jasmin also manages our Ashford office, which involves handling internal HR activities and managing our IT needs whilst assisting on-the-ground with our teams’ project needs.
Academia
BSc in Economics from the University of South Africa.
Significant Collaborations
Jasmin joined NatureMetrics in February 2020 after recently immigrating from South Africa. Jasmin’s business acumen and experience across varying client services roles made her a perfect fit for NatureMetrics.
Joe Goodall - Operations Coordinator
About
Joe first engaged with NatureMetrics in April 2018, where he assisted on projects during the Great Crested Newt (GCN) surveying season. Joe returned to NatureMetrics in October that year after travelling the world. Now Joe is a vital member of the team, overseeing crucial tasks that keep the business running smoothly.
Rebecca Irwin - Laboratory Technician
Role
Becky joined the NatureMetrics team in October 2020. She carries out the routine molecular analysis of client samples using her skills in DNA extraction and PCR.
Academia
Becky has a BSc (Hons) Zoology from the University of Exeter, where she carried out phylogenetic research on UK Actinia species. Using genetics methods, she identified cryptic speciation within the Actinia clade and the ecological factors influencing colour morphotype distribution. During this time, Becky also participated in multiple research projects. These explored the impacts of Agri-Environment schemes on pollinator biodiversity and population structure and the fitness consequences of cooperation in Cornish Jackdaws.
Significant Collaborations
Becky has previous experience with GCN and environmental sampling and also with phylogenetic research.
Mosufa Ajmal - Senior Laboratory Technician
Role
Mosufa initially joined NatureMetrics in March 2018 as a temporary Molecular Laboratory Technician during the Great Crested Newt (GCN) surveying season. Proving an invaluable member of the NatureMetrics team, Mosufa accepted a permanent role with us and is now responsible for client project delivery, which involves, performing DNA extractions, DNA amplifications and quality controls across our various services. Mosufa is also involved in training new staff in molecular techniques to NatureMetrics’ standards and the development and testing of new assays. She has just finished developing and optimizing a new test for detecting macroinvertebrates, which will help with conservation efforts and monitoring of water bodies. Alongside the data team, Mosufa plays a role in client reporting.
Academia
University College London, Master of Science in Prenatal Genetics and Foetal Medicine
Significant Collaborations
Mosufa completed collaborative work with NatureMetrics on a research project, to detect Anisus vorticulus which included in silico primer validation, assay development and chromatogram analysis.
Scott Townend - Laboratory Manager
Role
Scott manages the day-to-day stock and equipment needs at NatureMetrics, ensuring our labs are well maintained and the science teams are supported. Scott joined NatureMetrics in Spring 2016 as a Molecular Lab Technician and his commitment to high-accuracy, safe and standardised operations saw him promoted to Laboratory Manager in 2018.
Academia
Scott holds a BSc in Zoology from Bangor University.
Significant Collaborations
Before joining NatureMetrics, Scott worked in the Toxicology Department at the University of Hertfordshire, where he was a Lab Technician handling radioactive and highly toxic materials. During his BSc, Scott carried out a lab placement where he used PCR-based methods for snake research. Scott brings technical lab-based skills to the NatureMetrics team, and continues to help us scale our science operations alongside our global growth.
Dr Narin Kirikyali Senior Laboratory Technician
Role
Narin joined the team as a laboratory technician to help with sample processing during Great Crested Newt Season in March 2018. She has since developed to become a senior laboratory technician who now leads Great Crested Newt Season from sample check-in to reporting results to clients. Narin is also our MiSeq coordinator, which involves organising large batches of samples for sequencing and being responsible for laboratory-based processing of client samples.
Academia
Narin holds a BSc in microbiology and a PhD in molecular biology. Her PhD thesis focused on cloning and expression of novel β-xylosidase encoding gene sequences from filamentous fungal sources into yeast and bacteria.
Significant Collaborations
Narin brought to NatureMetrics, her experience of molecular diagnostic tools which selectively detect plant and human pathogens. She has extensive experience in research utilising in vitro sensitivity testing of propriety compounds, as potential new-generation fungicides, together with SDHI azoles and the interpretation of mathematical data for evaluating Effective Concentration (EC50) values. Narin was also occupied in the development of molecular diagnostic techniques utilising quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays which selectively detects resistant strains of plant pathogens.
Keelan Priscott - Laboratory Technician
Role
Keelan helps the Science team process samples using molecular techniques, such as PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis.
Academia
Keelan holds an MSc in Marine Biology from the University of Southampton.
Significant Collaborations
During his degree, Keelan learned to use molecular techniques to investigate differences in offshore and inshore phytoplankton and zooplankton assemblages, as well as assess the stated catch locations of commercially purchased Nephrops norvegicus to detect IUU fishing. Currently, he volunteers as a researcher for Project Seagrass, and he recently completed a report on the role of seagrass in supporting biodiversity.
Thomas Shannon - Report & Project Coordinator
Role
Thom is responsible for the production of reports, with a particular focus on single-species assays.
Academia
Thom is completing a PhD in Genetics at the University of Aberdeen, focussing on cryptic speciation in Western Palearctic birds. He also holds an MSc in Ecological Management & Conservation Biology from Queen’s University Belfast and a BSc in Ecology University of Aberdeen.
Significant Contributions
- Sanger
- Genetic identification of birds – vagrants and unknown samples.
- QC of datasets.
Laura Balcells - Report & Project Coordinator
Role
Laura’s experiences inspired her to work at NatureMetrics, where she specialises in client product delivery and assay development. Laura is interested in how science and art work together in understanding the world, solving problems and engaging society, and is working on bringing some of these collaborations into NatureMetrics.
Academia
BSc in Biology and an MSc in Biodiversity from the University of Barcelona. Museum Studies, University of Leicester.
Significant Collaborations
Laura is an experienced biodiversity scientist whose work has ranged from the lab to collections to the field. Since she was a small girl, talking to the frogs in the countryside (ask her to do an impression!) and saving insects from drowning in the pond, Laura has always loved animals. Her passion for biodiversity conservation developed during her education at the University of Barcelona, from which she gained a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Biodiversity. Laura came to the UK to work at the Natural History Museum, London, initially on an EU funded Leonardo da Vinci grant, and subsequently worked with the world-class scientific collections across all life sciences departments, from insects to plants, and from fish to mammals. Laura’s drive to work on biodiversity conservation took her to the Seychelles, where she volunteered for fieldwork to study populations of endemic species of birds, sea turtles and giant tortoises. Laura was recruited (for maternity cover) to act as Head of Collections at the Powell-Cotton Museum. There she successfully led the collections team and managed projects including two new exhibitions on African fabrics and Angolan material culture, and a fresh ethnographic gallery interpretation. This position gave her excellent experience in managing people, projects and budgets, as well as in taking a museum exhibition from conception to delivery. Driven by her passion, Laura sought out independent collaborations with scientific research groups leading in the study of marine biodiversity using novel molecular techniques. With Ana Riesgo’s lab she worked on marine invertebrates population genetics and with Stefano Mariani´s lab she studied marine biodiversity using eDNA.
When Laura is not working, you can probably find her dancing or most likely enjoying some of her favourite food, like croquetas.
Ketch Davey - HR Manager
Role
Responsible for ensuring NatureMetrics is the employer of choice.
Lead and manage the people function within the business. Overseeing talent management, HR systems and benefits, developing the leadership and management teams along with the rest of the business through training, organisation design and engagement.
Ensuring compliance with employment legislation through policies and process.
Leading the People strategy, though recruiting, retaining and developing the best people.
Academia
CIPD Level 5
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