Leam Howe

PhD Student, SENSE CDT
School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh

leam.howe@ed.ac.uk

About

Hi, I’m Leam! 👋 Currently I am a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh, funded through the SENSE Earth Observation CDT. I research mountain snow, with a focus on Scotland as a particularly challenging test bed for remote sensing and modelling of efforts. You can read more about my PhD research here.

My interest in remote sensing to inform environmental science drove my decision to pursue a PhD with SENSE. My work has spanned the full observational scale – from in-situ fieldwork and UAV surveys to aerial and satellite Earth Observation. I have a particular interest in the application of machine learning to combine and take full advantage of large EO and climate datasets. More broadly, I love building interdisciplinary collaborations, with ML4GEO being a prime example.

I am also passionate about outreach and accessible science communication. I have spent the last few years working on and chairing the SatSchool Outreach project, and I was grateful to receive the SENSE Outreach Award 2026 in recognition of these efforts.

Outside of the office, you’ll usually find me in the hills. I’m a qualified Mountain Leader (and working towards my Winter Mountain Leader award), and I love safely sharing my passion for the Scottish mountains with others. If I’m not on a peak, I’m probably relaxing with some good music and a cup of coffee. 🏔️🎶☕

Research Interests

  • The Cryosphere
  • Snow
  • Orographic Processes
  • Mountain Meteorology
  • Climate Change
  • Earth Observation
  • Remote Sensing
  • AI & Machine Learning
  • Modelling

Previous Studies

  • MSci (Hons) Physics, University of Nottingham
  • MRes Climate and Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds

Affiliations