I am an architectural historian with a background in archaeology and heritage management. Broadly focused on the medieval period, tribalism and emergent states, I have published research on the military architecture of Islamic Spain, tribal settlements of Arabia and Silk Road influences on Omani architecture. My research into Arabian vernacular architecture has contributed to the development of numerous acclaimed heritage documentation and management plans under the auspices of the ArCHIAM research centre. My current research is focused on the Silk Roads of Central Asia, and more specifically on the Dzhety-asar culture of Kazakhstan. Here I am investigating the emergent urbanistic processes that took place in theearly medieval period, studying the spatial evolution of this culture, and generating a formal state-formation model for one of Central Asia’s most enigmatic societies.

Assoc. Professor in History of Architecture and Heritage Management, China University of Mining and Technology, 2018-2021

Senior Lecturer, University of Liverpool, 2016