Our Team

Our team at the Gladioli trial at RHS Wisley. From left to right: Gemma Burr, Fariha Iqbal, Mathew Smith, Samantha Oates, and Nathan Littlejohns.

Dr Samantha Oates

Sam is a lecturer in astrophysics at Lancaster University. Her current research focuses on the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are brief, intense flashes of high energy gamma-rays caused by either the collapse of massive stars, or the merger of two dense objects (either two neutron stars colliding or the merger of a neutron star and black hole). She has been leading the management of the data and the supervision of the project, as well as developing and designing the Zooniverse project.

Dr Mathew Smith

Mat is a lecturer in astrophysics at Lancaster University. His current research focuses on developing our understanding of the universe through observations of type Ia supernova; massive explosions caused by white dwarf stars reaching a mass threshold. He has been leading the management and supervision of the project and data, as well as designing and developing the Zooniverse project.

Nathan Littlejohns

Nathan is a research intern and undergraduate MPhys Physics with Astrophysics student in his fourth year at Lancaster University. For this Zooniverse project, he has contributed to the development of the citizen science pipeline by processing raw image data into an optimised format for pest detection using Python. He has also designed the classification tasks and supporting information for the project.

Fariha Iqbal

Fariha is an undergraduate MSci student in her fourth year at Lancaster University. For this Zooniverse project, she has contributed to the development of the citizen science pipeline, curating an optimised dataset to support and carry out Machine Learning model development and evaluation for pest detection.

Gemma Burr

Gemma is a RHS trials horticulturist at RHS Wisley. She is responsible for the development and management of many of the trials present in the RHS Wisley trials garden. As an experienced member of the team at Wisley, Gemma also oversees and trains many of the diploma students, apprentices and volunteers. Her role on this project has been the collection and recording of data from the alyssum in the companion planting gladioli trial.