John has more than seven years' experience in the fields of earth sciences, environmental regulation and public health. For his PhD, John examined the geochemical changes that occur during the remediation of actual acid sulfate soils. This provided him with a detailed understanding of the geochemical and environmental issues associated with acid sulfate soil disturbance and rehabilitation.

John has conducted detailed geochemical investigations into acid mine drainage issues and the remediation of acid sulfate soils, and he typically applies his expertise in geochemistry and analytical methods to geological environmental issues. John also conducts geological and soil surveys and has previously worked as an environment and public health manager and regulated and managed environmentally relevant activities.

John has considerable experience in the geochemical analysis of a range of sample types, including rock, soil, chemical precipitate, sediment and vegetation. He is also experienced in the use of a range of laboratory and analytical methods; eg ICP spectroscopy, XRD, XRF, partial digests, and sequential extraction procedures, and has investigated the bioavailability of elements in soils and element accumulation by plants. John has also presented a number of public seminars on various aspects of his research, most notably at the International American Geophysical Union conference held in Cairns in 2008.