Kate is undertaking doctoral research in palaeoceanography, particularly focusing on reconstructing warm Cenozoic climates. Her research involves working with various proxies in both organic geochemistry and micropalaeontology, with a main focus on stable isotope techniques (carbon and hydrogen), e.g. the alkenone-pCO2 method involving carbon isotope analysis of alkenones and foraminifera. These are being applied to samples from a variety of locations and time periods, including Holocene sediments from the East Antarctic (IODP 318), the late Cenozoic from the Arabian Sea (IODP 355) and the mid-Miocene climatic optimum (e.g. Indian Ocean).