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Ellen Beatrice Robson

Postdoctoral research associate, Durham University
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience at Durham University. My research centres around developing stakeholder-focused guidance and methodologies to help mitigate landslides and improve slope stabilisation in lower income countries. The methodologies and guidance are developed by working collaboratively with stakeholders (currently in Nepal and India), using a combination of methods including numerical analyses, geotechnical and geological mapping, and qualitative data collection.

I acquired my PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from Newcastle University in 2023, which was sponsored by NERC IAPETUS. My PhD aimed to further understand some of the causes for inadequate road slope stabilisation in lower income country settings, and to develop stakeholder-focused methodologies to aid the planning and design of road slope stabilisation.

During my PhD, I completed a three month internship at the Research and Information Service (RaISe) of the Northern Ireland Assembly. During the intern, I produced a blog post on transport trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland and a published research article and blog post on climate change risks to transport infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

Prior to my PhD, I received an MSci in Geology from the University of Birmingham in 2017, with a year abroad at the University of Copenhagen. During my undergraduate, I conducted two months of research at the Open University using Pro3D (a 3D image viewer) to examine and measure ripple-like bedforms found along the Opportunity rover traverse of Mars.

Economy

Morgan Stanley: Fed Rate Cuts Still on Track Despite Oil-Driven Inflation

Morgan Stanley believes the Federal Reserve will push forward with interest rate cuts in 2026, even as rising oil prices temporarily inflate headline inflation figures. According to the banks analysts, the current...

China's Energy Resilience Shields Economy From Global Oil Shock, Goldman Sachs Says

Goldman Sachs analysts believe China is among the best-positioned major economies to weather the current oil price shock stemming from escalating Middle East tensions, citing the countrys diversified energy strategy,...

UAE's Largest Natural Gas Facility Suspended After Attack-Triggered Fire

Abu Dhabi authorities have temporarily halted operations at Habshan, the United Arab Emirates largest natural gas processing facility, following a devastating attack that triggered a major fire at the site. The incident...

Trump's FY2027 Budget: Major Defense Boost and Domestic Spending Cuts

President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2027, signaling a dramatic realignment of national spending priorities. The plan centers on a significant expansion of military funding...

U.S. Warplane Shot Down by Iran Amid Escalating Middle East Conflict

A U.S. military aircraft was shot down by Iranian forces on Friday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing five-week conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Both nations confirmed the incident, with...

Politics

Trump Eyes Cabinet Shake-Up Amid Iran War Political Fallout

President Donald Trump is weighing a significant cabinet reshuffle as political pressure mounts over the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, according to Reuters, citing sources close to internal White House deliberations. The...

Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz as Israel Prepares Strikes and Oil Markets Spiral

Tensions between Israel and Iran have reached a critical flashpoint, with Israeli defense officials confirming preparations for potential strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, pending U.S. authorization. The...

U.S. and Israel Escalate Pressure on Iran Over Strait of Hormuz as War Enters Sixth Week

Six weeks into the U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran, tensions are reaching a critical point as President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding that Tehran open the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating...

Israel Poised to Strike Iranian Energy Sites, Awaiting U.S. Approval

Israel is reportedly preparing to launch military strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, but is holding off pending authorization from the United States, according to a senior Israeli defense official who spoke out...

U.S. Envoys Witkoff and Kushner Expected to Visit Kyiv in April Amid Stalled Peace Talks

Senior Ukrainian presidential aide Kyrylo Budanov confirmed on Saturday that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Kyiv in April, marking what would be their first official visit to...

Science

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

Technology

Elon Musk Ties SpaceX IPO Access to Mandatory Grok AI Subscriptions

Elon Musk is reportedly making Grok subscriptions a prerequisite for banks and advisers involved in SpaceXs highly anticipated initial public offering. According to the New York Times, citing insiders familiar with the...

MATCH Act Targets ASML and Chinese Chipmakers in New U.S. Export Crackdown

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has unveiled the MATCH Act, a landmark piece of draft legislation designed to tighten export restrictions on advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment destined for China. The...

Microsoft's $10 Billion Japan Investment: AI Infrastructure and Data Sovereignty Push

Microsoft is set to pour approximately $10 billion into Japan between now and 2029, channeling funds into data center expansion and artificial intelligence infrastructure to meet the countrys growing demand for data...

Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Sparks Global Movement

Australias landmark social media ban for users under 16, which took effect in December, is reshaping digital policy conversations worldwide. Countries including Spain and Malaysia have signaled interest in adopting similar...

SpaceX Eyes Historic IPO at $1.75 Trillion Valuation

Elon Musks aerospace giant SpaceX has quietly filed a confidential IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to Bloomberg News sources familiar with the matter. The move signals that the...

Digital Currency