Our research largely focuses on the evolution of climate and ocean chemistry over the last 65 m.y. of Earth history. We are particularly interested in the short-lived climatic extremes such as the Eocene transient thermal maxima or hyperthermals (i.e., the PETM and Elmo), as well as the early history of Antarctic glaciation. What caused these climatic changes? What were the consequences? To address these and related questions we study marine sediments recovered by deep sea drilling, or by field sampling of outcrops of up-lifted marine sequences. We use specific components of these sediments such as microfossils, and their stable isotope and elemental compositions, to reconstruct past environmental conditions.