Tim has a BSc in Environmental Science from University College Cork (2005), a PhD from Dublin City University (2012), and subsequently held several postdoctoral positions at DCU and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), before joining the Environmental Sciences programme at University College Cork (UCC) as a College Lecturer in 2016. Tim currently contributes widely to teaching, and leads an active research group in Environmental Science. During his time at UCC, Tim has led the development of a range of new initiatives, including introducing an MRES in Environmental Science at UCC in 2018. Tim is also a former Director (2021 - 2023) of the Capacity Development Centre (CDC) of the United Nations Environment Programme's Global Environmental Monitoring System for Freshwater (UNEP GEMS/Water), which was established in 2015 to support global capacity development in water quality monitoring and assessment. In this capacity, Tim had responsibility for the development and delivery of a wide range of capacity development products globally, including PGDip and MSc courses, Continuous Professional Courses, free eLearning courses, design and delivery of global workshops, and a range of technical guidance documents on the subject of Freshwater Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment.

Tim’s current research focuses on environmental monitoring and environmental contamination, with an increasing emphasis on solution-driven environmental research. Ongoing project involvement includes: 

• Principal Investigator on the EPA-funded PiTCROP Project (Pasture Irrigation with Treated Wastewater: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities) - 2026-2029
• Principal Investigator on the BIM-funded SERPENT Project (Spatiotemporal Environmental Risk Prediction and Early-warning for Tubeworm Fouling in Rope-grown Mussel Aquaculture) - 2026 -2028
• Co-PI (Project lead Dr Kate Falconer, UCC School of Law) on the RI-funded BODIESS Project (Making Body Disposal in Ireland Environmentally and Socially Sustainable: A Multi-Input Review). 2025-2027.

Other projects include monitoring metal contamination in fish products in Nigeria, metal contamination in Irish urban soils, effects of floods and droughts on nutrient mobility in Irish soils, and citizen science approaches to environmental monitoring. Past projects have focused on the development of sensor technologies in environmental monitoring, understanding biofilm development and diatom growth in aquatic environments, and the effect of biomimetic and bio-inspired micro and nano-structured surfaces on biofilm development.