THE HUB TEAM

Freya is the Biomass Policy Fellow for the Supergen Bioenergy Hub and provides a crucial role in connecting the research community and policymakers working in areas relating to sustainable biomass supply and utilisation. Freya’s links with key government departments enable the Hub to work directly with the policymakers. She is also responsible for coordinating responses to consultations and producing briefing papers on current policy related to biomass and bioenergy.

Freya also works as a Biomass Policy Fellow with the Biomass Biorefinery Network, one of BBSRC’s Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy.

Rebecca is an experienced Communications and Engagement Manager with over 20 years working on funded projects, predominantly across the education sector, in the UK and Europe. Rebecca previously worked on the Erasmus+ mobility programme for the European Commission at the National Agency in Birmingham UK.

Rebecca job shares the Stakeholder Engagement Manager with Catriona Heaton. The role involves dissemination, outreach and engagement activity for the hub, which works with academia, industry, government and societal stakeholders to develop sustainable bioenergy systems that support the UK’s transition to an affordable, resilient, low-carbon energy future.

Catriona joined Aston in February 2019 as Stakeholder Engagement Manager for the Supergen Bioenergy Hub. The role involves dissemination, outreach and engagement activity for the hub, which works with academia, industry, government and societal stakeholders to develop sustainable bioenergy systems that support the UK’s transition to an affordable, resilient, low-carbon energy future.

Before joining Aston, Catriona was working as Internal Communications Manager at Queen Mary University of London, where she was responsible for communications with the staff and student body.

Patricia Thornley is the Director of the Supergen Bioenergy Hub.

She is a chartered physicist with over 25 years’ experience of bioenergy in the commercial and academic sectors. Her main research interests are in engineering sustainable bioenergy systems that reconcile disparities between environmental, economic and social impacts of energy provision. Her particular expertise is in process design, modelling and life cycle evaluation.