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Climate expert Heiko P盲like of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, (NOCS) has been awarded a 2008 Philip Leverhulme Prize. These prestigious prizes are awarded annually to the 鈥渂est young scientists in the UK鈥� and carry a value of 拢70,000 that the prize holder can use for any purpose in support of their research activity.
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Dr P盲like is from the School of Ocean and Earth Science. His main research explores the relationship between climate and variations of the Earth鈥檚 orbit, on timescales from thousands to millions of years. Orbital variations are regular, and traces of these 鈥榓stronomical metronomes鈥� can be found by measuring the chemical and physical properties of sediment cores taken during ocean drilling.
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Specifically, Dr P盲like uses stable (ie non-radioactive) isotope measurements to investigate the climate-driven evolution of the world’s oceans, with the aim of calibrating the ‘Geological Time Scale’ with astronomically driven climate cycles (‘Milankovitch’ cycles). Dr P盲like’s ultimate aim is to help produce a precise timescale for the entire Cenozoic, which covers the period from 65.5 million years ago until the present.
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Dr P盲like also uses the sediment record of past climate changes to refine astronomical models, and previously he investigated the role of climate change on human evolution. He has published many high-impact scientific papers, and was recently a co-author on a paper in the scientific journal Nature modelling the glaciation of the Earth’s polar regions.
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Philip Leverhulme Prizes are awarded to “outstanding scholars (normally under the age of 36) who have made a substantial and recognised contribution to their particular field of study, recognised at an international level, and whose future contributions are held to be of correspondingly high promise”. Approximately 25 Prizes are available each year. The Prizes commemorate the contribution to the work of the Trust made by Philip Leverhulme, the Third Viscount Leverhulme and grandson of the Founder of the Trust.
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Professor Sir Richard Brook, the Director of The Leverhulme Trust, said: “The standard of the nominated candidates was encouragingly high, and the eventual recipients of Prizes were judged by the panel to be truly outstanding in their fields, with records of proven achievement, as well as telling promise for the future.”
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Professor Andrew Roberts, Head of the School of Ocean and Earth Science, himself a previous winner of a Philip Leverhulme Prize (2001), said: “At the National Oceanography Centre, we are committed to attracting and supporting the best and brightest young scientists in the world so that they can develop careers as world leaders in their respective fields. This puts our research on the map at the highest levels and provides an outstanding education for our students who benefit from being taught by some of the finest people in science. Dr P盲like is one of the smartest people I know and is a highly deserving winner of the Philip Leverhulme Prize.”
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