Kathryn Emmerson

Kathryn is a principal research scientist at Australia’s national science agency, the
CSIRO. She gained a PhD in atmospheric chemical modelling from Lancaster
University in the UK, specialising in the gas to particle partitioning of organic
hydrocarbons. She has experience developing chemical models of all scales – box
models, regional and global models. She did a postdoc modelling radical formation
chemistry at the University of York, before implementing a stratospheric sulfur
scheme to the UK chemistry and aerosol (UKCA) model at Leeds University. She
moved to Australia in 2011 to take up an air quality modelling position at CSIRO.
Kathryn is now a leader in the field of Australian biogenic emissions modelling. She
developed the Australian version of the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols
from Nature (MEGAN), suited to the high biogenic emissions from Eucalyptus trees.
Given their high ozone forming potential, she is studying how these biogenic
emissions will increase in a warming climate. Kathryn also led the development of
the Victorian grass pollen prediction system which assists the government in
assessing thunderstorm asthma risk. She is a lead author of Australia’s federal
“State of the Environment” report, and is a spokesperson for Australian air quality
issues.