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Robyn Schofield

Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Environment and Sustainability), The University of Melbourne
I performed my PhD jointly at the School of Environmental Sciences at Auckland University and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research at Lauder, Central Otago, New Zealand looking at the vertical distribution of BrO (a ozone destroying radical) by conducting and inverting spectroscopic measurements made at both Lauder and Arrival Heights, Antarctica.

I then spent two years in Boulder, Colorado as a CIRES visiting fellow working at the NOAA Chemical Sciences Division looking at spectroscopy of clouds, aerosols, sulfur, nitrogen species in our atmosphere and at ozone trends.

Between 2006 and 2011 I worked at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam as a Humboldt visiting fellow looking at Polar ozone loss kinetics and then a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellow looking at tropical tropopause layer transport of chemical species to the stratosphere.

Since June 2011 I have been working at the School of Earth Sciences as part of the Climate and Weather Sciences Group at the University of Melbourne. From March 2014 I took up a lecturer for Climate System Science position. I am now an Associate Professor in the School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and since August 2021 the inaugural Associate Dean (Environment and Sustainability) within the Faculty of Science.

My current research interests are:
Spectroscopic observations of trace gas species
Radiative transfer modelling
Stratospheric ozone loss kinetics
Tropical tropopause layer processes driving stratospheric composition
Microphysical modelling
Coupled chemistry-climate modelling
Urban air quality and health
Airborne transmission and indoor air quality

Defunct satellites burning up in the atmosphere could damage the ozone layer. Here’s how

Jun 20, 2024 05:46 am UTC| Business

Communications companies such as Starlink plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites into orbit around Earth over the next decade or so. The growing swarm is already causing problems for astronomers, but recent...

Economy

Japan's Debt Time Bomb: Will the Land of the Rising Sun Sink?

Up to 2025, Japan is faced with a serious debt crisis since its general government debt escalated to about 235% of its GDP, even outpacing Greeces peak crisis at 142%. The state had feared that the finances of Japan are...

Japan Holds Firm on Demanding Elimination of U.S. Tariffs in Trade Talks

Japans chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa reaffirmed on Tuesday that Tokyo remains committed to seeking the complete elimination of U.S. tariffs in ongoing bilateral trade discussions. Speaking at a regular press...

China Cuts Lending Rates to Boost Economy Amid Trade Tensions

China has lowered its benchmark lending rates for the first time since October, signaling a renewed effort to stimulate its slowing economy. The Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) cut the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) by 10...

Asian Stocks Gain as U.S. Yields Stabilize Amid Debt Concerns

Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday as U.S. Treasury yields steadied, offering the dollar some relief after a volatile session driven by concerns over the U.S.s growing debt burden. Investors remain cautious following...

Oil Prices Tick Higher Amid Iran Tensions and U.S. Credit Downgrade

Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday due to rising geopolitical tensions and concerns over Iranian crude supply. Brent crude rose by 12 cents to $65.66 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed 16 cents to...

Politics

Poland’s Presidential Vote Highlights Anti-Establishment Shift Ahead of Runoff

Polands presidential election has exposed rising anti-establishment sentiment, posing a challenge for Prime Minister Donald Tusks liberal coalition. In the first round, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, a close Tusk ally,...

Hungary Begins Withdrawal from ICC, Citing Political Bias Amid Netanyahu Warrant

Hungarys parliament has approved a bill initiating the countrys formal withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant move by Prime Minister Viktor Orbans government, which claims the court...

Trump Administration Launches Civil Rights Fraud Unit Targeting University DEI Programs

The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday the formation of a new unit targeting federally funded universities over alleged misuse of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Named the Civil Rights Fraud...

India Eyes Interim U.S. Trade Deal Ahead of July Tariff Deadline

India is working to secure a three-phase trade agreement with the United States, aiming to finalize an interim deal before July when President Donald Trumps proposed reciprocal tariffs are expected to take effect,...

Schumer Bill Seeks to Block Foreign Planes from Serving as Air Force One

U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the Presidential Airlift Security Act on Monday, aiming to ban the use of foreign aircraft as Air Force Onethe official plane for the U.S. president. The move comes...

Science

Kennedy Sets September Deadline to Uncover Autism Causes Amid Controversy

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a bold plan to identify the cause of autism by September 2025. Speaking at a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump, Kennedy declared a global...

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Ice cores in freezers, dinosaurs on display, fish in jars, birds in boxes, human remains and ancient artifacts from long gone civilizations that few people ever see museum collections are filled with all this and more....

Technology

Foxconn and Nvidia to Build AI Data Center with 100MW Capacity in Taiwan

Taiwans Foxconn (SS:601138), the worlds top contract electronics manufacturer, has revealed new details about its upcoming artificial intelligence center developed in partnership with U.S. tech giant Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)....

U.S.-China Chip Dispute Threatens Fresh Trade Truce

Tensions between the U.S. and China have resurfaced just days after a temporary trade truce, following a new warning from the U.S. targeting Chinese tech giant Huawei. On Monday, Chinas Ministry of Commerce criticized a...

Nvidia Plans New AI Chips for China Amid U.S. Export Restrictions

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is preparing to launch a new AI chip for China in the coming months that complies with U.S. export controls, according to Nikkei Asia. The upcoming chip will be a downgraded version from its previous...

Alibaba Stock Falls as Trump Administration Scrutinizes Apple AI Deal in China

Alibaba shares dropped 3.8% to HK$118.60 on Monday, leading losses on the Hang Seng Index, which dipped 0.2%. The decline followed a New York Times report that the Trump administration is reviewing a major AI partnership...

Xiaomi Commits $6.9 Billion to Chip Design Over 10 Years

Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), a leading Chinese smartphone and electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to invest over 50 billion yuan (approximately $6.93 billion) into semiconductor chip design by 2031. The strategic initiative,...