Anna Allen

Anna Allen is in the final stages of a PhD in computer science at the University of Cambridge. Originally from Tasmania, she holds a Master’s in Meteorology from the University of Melbourne and a BSc in Pure Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from the University of Tasmania. Her research applies machine learning to environmental sciences, with a particular focus on developing data-driven forecasting systems for both global weather and high-impact phenomena such as tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and wildfires. During her PhD, she worked part-time with the United Nations Environment Programme to develop an operational system for detecting large greenhouse gas emissions to inform mitigation strategies.

Anna will work on developing end-to-end foundation models for Earth system observation and forecasting, spanning weather, ocean, and air quality prediction. This will include designing bespoke regional forecasting systems for low-resource areas by integrating intelligent sensor placement with AI forecasting models, with pilot projects already underway in the Arctic and planned for West Africa.