Helen Roberts

Helen Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth University, where she has been a key figure since joining as a post-doctoral researcher in 1998 and becoming a Lecturer in 2005. She currently serves as Co-Director of the Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory (ALRL) and holds leadership roles in international bodies such as INQUA’s Stratigraphy and Geochronology Commission.

• PhD, University of Liverpool

Her research focuses on luminescence dating of Quaternary sediments, with applications in understanding geomorphic change, coastal dynamics, paleoclimate, and human evolution. She has led major projects such as EQUATE and CREDit, funded by Horizon Europe and NERC, and has been involved in international drilling initiatives in Ethiopia and Italy. Her work integrates fieldwork, laboratory innovation, and data modeling to reconstruct environmental change over hundreds of thousands of years.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on refining luminescence techniques (e.g., pIRIR, TL in calcite), applying them to critical paleoenvironmental archives (lake sediments, loess, glacial deposits), and linking climate variability to human evolution. Her interdisciplinary approach spans geochronology, sedimentology, and paleoanthropology.

• Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (2023)

Professor Roberts has supervised PhD students, including Svenja Riedesel, and secured significant research grants from NERC, UK Space Agency, and the Welsh Government. She actively contributes to scientific discourse through media engagement and public outreach. Her work supports UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and life on land. She leads and participates in numerous international collaborations and professional committees, reflecting her standing in the Quaternary science community.

She is involved in several research groups and laboratories, most notably the Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory, where she co-directs methodological development and application of luminescence dating techniques. Her team collaborates globally on projects involving terrestrial archives, paleoclimate modeling, and human evolution.