Claire Nelson, PhD
Science Advisor
Carbon Mineralization + Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE)
Meet our world-class science team
Our scientists will guide your organization to achieve its climate goals with the right carbon management program.
Dr. Nelson is a geochemist with expertise in basalt chemical weathering, aqueous geochemistry, and secondary mineral formation. Her current interests include geologic carbon storage, specifically in-situ mineralization in mafic rock formations, as well as coastal and terrestrial enhanced weathering.
Currently, Dr. Nelson holds a position as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory where she uses reactive transport modeling to optimize large-scale injections of CO2 into basaltic reservoirs.
Education
PhD., Earth and Planetary Sciences
Northwestern University
M.S., Earth and Planetary Sciences
Northwestern University
B.S., Geology
Union College
Dr. Colin McCormick provides science and technology expertise across a wide range of engineered carbon removal methods and industrial decarbonization sectors.
He also supports Carbon Direct’s work in remote sensing, life-cycle analysis, and carbon removal policy analysis.
Background & Bio
Dr. Colin McCormick previously served as the Senior Advisor for R&D at the US Department of Energy where he helped oversee the full applied energy research portfolio, and as a Professional Staff Member for the House Science & Technology Committee. Prior to this he conducted research in applied quantum optics and atomic physics at UC Berkeley and NIST. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Science, Technology and International Affairs program, Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Education
PhD, Physics
UC Berkeley
MA, Physics
UC Berkeley
MA, Astrophysics
Cambridge University
BA, English and Physics
Williams College
Awards
Secretary of Energy Achievement Award
Getting to Neutral report (2021)
Publications and Features
Dr. Greg Dipple is a Science Advisor for carbon mineralization.
Background & Bio
Dr. Greg Dipple is a Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He studies the processes of and driving forces for mineral-fluid reactions, including those that modulate long-term climate through chemical weathering.
Dr. Dipple has published extensively on fluid-rock interactions from the deep Earth to its surface. Through field, experimental, and modeling studies, he and his students and postdocs have demonstrated that weathering of alkaline mine wastes are vastly accelerated over background weathering rates and impact the short term carbon cycle. His current work focuses on industrial control of these processes for carbon capture, utilization and storage.
Dr. Dipple has worked at The University of British Columbia since 1992. He has served as a Department Head and Associate Dean, and in administrative roles for the Mineral Deposit Research Unit and the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining.
Education
PhD
Johns Hopkins University
BSc, Geology/ Earth Science
Indiana University, Bloomington
Katherine Gomes is a Science Advisor for carbon mineralization.
Background & Bio
Katherine Vaz Gomes is A Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Katherine’s research focuses on carbon capture and removal: specifically carbon mineralization using alkaline waste materials. Her work includes both experimental and technoeconomic analysis of mineralization systems. Katherine holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Professional Writing from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Education
PhD Candidate, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Pennsylvania
BS, Chemical Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Niall Mac Dowell is a Science Advisor for carbon capture and storage.
Background & Bio
Dr. Mac Dowell is a Professor in Energy Systems Engineering at Imperial College London. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of both the IChemE and the Royal Society of Chemistry. His research is focused on understanding the transition to a low carbon economy. Since receiving his PhD 2010, he has published more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers at the molecular, unit operation, integrated process, and system scales in this context. A full list of publications can be found here and he currently serves on the Advisory Board of Joule.
Dr. Mac Dowell has more than a decade’s experience as a consultant to the public and private sectors. He has worked with a range of private sector energy companies, and has provided evidence to members of the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change and has given advice to DECC/BEIS, the UK’s National Infrastructure Commission, the IEA, the IEAGHG the ETI and the JRC. Dr. Mac Dowell is a member of Total’s Scientific Advisory Board, was also a member of the US National Petroleum Council (NPC) CCUS Roadmap Team. Dr. Mac Dowell has been a member of the technical working group of the Zero Emissions Platform (ZEP), the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) and from 2015 – 2019 served as the Secretary of the IChemE’s Energy Centre.
Finally, Dr. Mac Dowell was awarded the Qatar Petroleum Prize for his PhD research in 2010 and the IChemE’s Nicklin and Junior Moulton medals for his work on low carbon energy in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
Education
PhD, Chemical Engineering
Imperial College London
BE, Chemical Engineering
University College Dublin
Awards
Qatar Petroleum Prize
Nicklin Medal
IChemE
Junior Moulton Medal
IChemE