Lydia is a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at MaREI, the Sustainability Institute, at University College Cork. She is Project Investigator for the EU Horizon project DIRECTED (2022 - 2026), which aims to enhance disaster resilience to extreme climate events through improved interoperability of data, models, communication, and governance. She also led the Creative Ireland-funded BluePrint project (2023 -2024), which used artistic co-creation processes to engage flood-affected communities and communicate lived experiences of climate risk.

Lydia is a transdisciplinary researcher with a PhD from the Flood Hazard Research Centre, Middlesex University, UK as part of the SYSTEM-RISK Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, an MSc. from IHE-Delft, Netherlands within the FLOODRisk Master programme and a B.Eng. (Hons) in Civil Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland. 

Over the past decade, Lydia has worked across research and consultancy projects in the areas of integrated flood risk management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, warning communication, and anticipatory action. Her work focuses on strengthening the links between science, policy, and practice, with experience collaborating with governments, NGOs, the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, UN agencies, and international donors. She also works at the intersection of climate, risk communication, and the creative sector.