Margaret Collinson

Margaret Collinson is a Professor of Plant Palaeobiology in the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London. She leads the Plant Palaeobiology Research Group and maintains an active research program with 187 research outputs to date, including significant contributions to paleoenvironmental studies and plant evolution research.

Her research focuses on the evolution of English Palaeogene land ecosystems, biomolecular palaeobotany, and the geochemical characterisation of plant fossils. She investigates taphonomy of plants in sediments, particularly charcoal, and studies plant mesofossils at key geological boundaries like the K/T boundary. Her work spans multiple geological periods including the Tertiary, Palaeogene, and examines global change across major boundaries like the Palaeocene/Eocene and Eocene/Oligocene transitions.

Her recent publications demonstrate strong interdisciplinary work connecting plant biology with geological and environmental sciences, with notable studies on seed development mechanisms in Brassicaceae species and analysis of pyrogenic carbon. Her research has been widely recognized with mentions in 5 Wikipedia pages, coverage by 3 news outlets, and significant social media attention.

Professor Collinson has supervised 9 research projects and students, including doctoral work on environmental change. Her research has been funded by major organizations including the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and English Heritage, with projects spanning from 2008 to the present.