Dr Stephen Edwards is an Earth Scientist at University College London, where he is the Deputy Director of the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Centre in the Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction. He specialises in the assessment and management of risk associated with natural hazards and natural resources, particularly volcanism and water. Stephen has over 25 years of research, teaching, training and knowledge exchange experience through his work at universities in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea. He uses this experience to facilitate and sustain research and knowledge exchange partnerships with the business, humanitarian and development sectors in order to assist them understand and reduce potential disaster and resource risk through greater engagement with the natural and environmental sciences.