Professor Theodore Shepherd FRS

Ted Shepherd is a dynamical meteorologist whose interests range from theoretical geophysical fluid dynamics to climate modelling and data analysis, with a focus on atmospheric circulation. This span from fundamentals to applications has been a hallmark of his research.

Ted worked at the University of Toronto from 1988-2012, where he made pioneering contributions to the Hamiltonian description of atmospheric dynamics while initiating and leading the Canadian national climate modelling effort focussed on ozone-climate coupling. He made several pivotal contributions to the understanding of the role of climate variability and change in interpreting the observed ozone record and in predicting future ozone recovery. Since moving to the University of Reading in 2012, Ted has highlighted the important role of atmospheric circulation in climate change, which has implications for regional adaptation and societal risk.

Ted has held leadership roles in scientific assessments of both climate (IPCC) and stratospheric ozone (WMO/UNEP), and in the World Climate Research Programme, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the American Geophysical Union.

Professional position

  • Grantham Professor of Climate Science, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading

Subject groups

  • Mathematics

    Applied mathematics and theoretical physics

  • Earth and environmental sciences

    Atmospheric chemistry, Climate sciences, Atmospheric physics and meteorology