Katie Barnes

Katie completed an integrated Master’s degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Exeter, specialising in climate science. She graduated with a Dean’s Commendation for academic excellence, and her master’s project investigated the potential effects of solar geoengineering on aircraft turbulence. Katie is now continuing her academic journey at Newcastle University as a PhD student under the supervision of Professor Roberto Palacin, and is excited to be contributing to the DARe Hub’s mission to enhance infrastructure resilience through data-driven approaches. 

Katie is a PhD student at Newcastle University, fully funded by Network Rail, undertaking research to develop a composite metric or set of metrics that can quantify the impact of climate adaptation and resilience interventions on the UK railway network.  

The aim of Katie’s project is to create a scalable, evidence-based framework that enables Network Rail to track and assess how adaptation investments are influencing the resilience of railway infrastructure over time. This work will support more targeted decision-making, demonstrate value for money, and help ensure long-term network sustainability in the face of climate change.