Rob Ellam is an isotope geochemist with over 20 years post-doctoral research experience.  He graduated with a B.Sc. in Geology from Imperial College, London before a Ph.D. in geochemistry at the Open University and a post-doctoral position at Oxford University.  In 1990 he moved to the University of Glasgow based in the then Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre which became the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC) in 1997.  He was made Reader in 2000 and Professor of Isotope Geochemistry in 2007.  Recently he has served as SUERC Director of Research (2007-2012) and is currently SUERC Director.

Ellam has authored over 140 papers which have attracted over 3500 citations with an average citation rate of 24.83 and an H-Index of 28.  His publications are mainly in isotope geochemistry where his specializations have been in igneous petrogenesis and mantle geochemistry.  However, his publications span a much wider range of Earth Science sub-disciplines, as well as publications in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry and archaeology.

In addition to his role as SUERC Director, Ellam leads the radiogenic isotope labs, is Head of the NERC Cosmogenic Isotope Analysis and Life Science Mass Spectrometry Facilities at SUERC and contract holder for the NERC Radiocarbon Facility (EK), the NERC Argon Isotope Facility and the Isotope Community Support Facility.

Ellam has been Copernicus Visiting Scientist in the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Ferrara (2008-9), Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland Distinguished Lecturer (2012-13) and was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2010.