Katia Piscina

Katia was awarded her MSc in mathematical modelling (climate change) from the University of Exeter with distinction. Her thesis focused on analysing the sensitivity of parameters that go into cloud droplet formation parameterizations in the global climate model UKESM1 using both Sobol’s method and Plischke’s EASI method. The goal was to give information on the relative importance of chemical and meteorological parameters when building cloud droplet formation parameterizations. The project allowed Katia to both build on existing code and develop her own with programming languages such as MATLAB and Python, as well as introduce her to working with a Linux based operating system and working on a server.
Katia’s background is in mathematics and chemistry. Her undergraduate modules introduced her to techniques for solving partial differential equations, statistical software such as R, and laboratory work on the chemistry side. Katia’s master’s degree modules helped give her a broader mathematical understanding of Earth’s climate systems via modules such as fluid dynamics of atmospheres and oceans, modelling the weather and climate using MATLAB, and computational modelling using Python.

Katia’s main research interests are carbon capture technology, direct air capture, carbon storage and utilization, mathematical modelling.