Dr Sam Grant joins the ARG

Sam has been welcomed as a new member of the Arctic Research Group. Sam is a postdoctoral researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute based in Helsinki, Finland.

Following a PhD at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, UCL, where he focussed on predicting and studying cometary ion tail and dust trail crossings, Sam's current work focuses on studying space weather interactions with Mercury's magnetosphere, using the Rhybrid model to contrast against in-situ measurements and inform future observations.

In addition, Sam is also a member of the science team for BepiColombo - a two-spacecraft mission arriving at Mercury late in 2026, and has been honoured by the naming of asteroid (20656) Samuelgrant.

Outside of his work, Sam is a regular boulderer and skier, a qualified sailor and keen hiker and wild camper. A recipient of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award, amongst his other exploits, Sam has taken part in a three-week expedition to Everest Base Camp, delivering computers to remote local schools. Sam said of the news he was joining the ARG, "I am excited to explore a new extreme environment and looking forward to pursuing research outside my primary field".

The hope for the 2027 expedition is for Sam to lead a study on the reflective properties of melting snow in the Arctic. The work will be carried out in collaboration with researchers at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, to help understand how contaminants affect the ability of the snow to reflect sunlight.