Carina Fearnley is Professor of Warnings and Science Communication at the Department of Science and Technology Studies, UCL, and Director and Founder of the UCL Warning Research Centre (WRC), the only such dedicated facility in the world, and and an Honorary Research Associate at the UCL Hazard Centre. Carina is an interdisciplinary researcher, drawing on relevant expertise in the social sciences on scientific uncertainty, risk, and complexity to focus on how natural hazard early warning systems can be made more effective, specifically alert level systems. She has published over 36 peer reviewed academic publications, including 3 authored books, and is Co-I for the EU Horizons Project ‘The HuT’, and she sits on numerous UK and international policy advisory groups. including the UNDRR, GFDRR World Bank, IFRC, REAP, and CUAMM Doctors with Africa. Carina frequently appears on national and international media following significant hazard events. 

 

Carina is an interdisciplinary researcher, drawing on relevant expertise in the social sciences on scientific uncertainty, risk, and complexity to focus on how natural hazard early warning systems can be made more effective, specifically alert level systems. She also has interest in the transdisciplinary potential of art and science collaborations around environmental hazards. Carina established the UCL Warning Research Centre, the worlds only dedicated centre to researching and practicing warnings for all hazards and threats in 2020, the World Organisation of Volcano Observatories Volcano Alert Level Working Group, and edited the first publication dedicated to Volcanic Crisis Communication (Observing the Volcano World: Volcanic Crisis Communication) with over 1 million downloads to date, and more recently the 7th edition of the much-loved text book ‘Environmental Hazards’. Carina studied Geology and Mining at Imperial College London prior to working in London City’s financial sector. She completed her PhD at the UCL Hazard Research Centre before lecturing at Aberystwyth University. Carina is a regular consultant for Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre, and frequently appears on national and international media following significant hazard events.

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Currently Carina is a member of the Risk and Early Action Partnership (REAP Secretariat) Technical Advisory Board, UK Board Member for CUAMM Doctors with Africa, advisory board member for the charity ALLFED, and Trustee of the charity ‘Fahr Beyond’ on Fahr’s Disease. Carina is also Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), the Geological Society (FGS), and Member of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) and of UK Alliance for Disaster Research (UKADR).