Natalia Jagielska PhD, MEarthSci (b. 1997) graduated with a Doctorate in Geosciences, specialising in vertebrate palaeontology, at the University of Edinburgh in 2024. Her team discovered the first named, and to date, best-preserved pterosaur from Scotland (Dearc sgiathanach) to global media interest and academic acclaim (awarded the Edward Forbes Prize in 2024). Currently, Natalia is employed at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, with a 3-year Post-doctoral Fellowship, focusing on novel surface screening techniques and the evolution and properties of pterosaur soft tissues. Natalia's work focuses on deployment of screening techniques on fossils (such as Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence or Synchrotron-Rapid-Scanning X-ray Fluorescence). Dr. Jagielska has a 1st class Integrated Masters (Hons) in Earth Science from the University of Manchester (2019), with thesis focusing on fossil geochemistry. Their research has been presented at global conferences (SVP, EAVP, SVPCA, PalAss). Natalia herself delivered lectures and classes on her research at the Nanjing Institute of Geology, University of Warsaw, Charles University Prague, among others, in addition to demonstrating on field and lab geological and palaeontological courses. Natalia has experience in mentoring undergraduate and masters students. In addition to academia, Natalia works with the museum industry, consults on dinosaur-adjecent media ventures (tv, games, toys) and illustrates for books and games.
Currently employed as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Starting collaboration with the East China Normal University in 2026.
Currently employed as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Starting collaboration with the East China Normal University in 2026.
Employment:
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Chinese University of Hong Kong 香港中文大學 (current 2025 - 2027) |
Sci-tech Co-research Program Researcher
East China Normal University 华东师范大学 (2026-2027) (as part of CUHK) |
Engagement & Collections Officer
Lyme Regis Museum (2024 - 2025) |
Muzealnik (Museum internship)
Geological Museum of the Polish Geological Institute (2023) |
Education:
Doctorate (PhD) in Geosciences
NERC E4DTP The University of Edinburgh (2019 - 2024) |
Master of Earth Sciences (MEarthSci)
1st class (Hons) The University of Manchester (2015 - 2019) |
Chinese Language & History
StudyChina Program (Distinction) Zhejiang University 浙江大学 (2019) |
|
Dr. Jagielska in addition to being a prolific scientist, has a diverse portfolio of work experiences. From industrial internships with British Petroleum (BP) to teaching design and programming with FireTech, and wetland management in Mainland China. Along with training in British-China relations (British Council Generation UK scheme & Common Purpose) and Central European Green Energy Sector (EPG Romania). She has worked in England, Scotland, Poland, mainland China and Hong Kong, China (SAR). The industry Natalia is most connected to is the museum sector. Having years of experience in public engagement and curation, from voluntary public-facing work at the Bolton Museum (2014-19) to digitisation collection work at the Manchester Museum (2015-19), culminating in internship at the Museum of Polish Geological Institute (2023) and the role of a Collections Curator and Engagement Officer at the Lyme Regis Museum (2024-2025). Where she was involved in handling loans, preparing exhibition spaces, delivering lectures, writing grant proposals, digitising and facilitating access to collections. Dr. Jagielska has been in charge of organising the largest palaeontological event in Britain, the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in 2024 and 2025, attracting over 15,000 visitors. Natalia works as a scientific consultant, providing feedback and guidance for tv, books, toys and video games. She was involved in projects such as PalaeoPines (winner of The Gamehers Best Game of The Year award), BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs reboot & Frontier Developments Jurassic World Evolution 3.
Natalia dabbles in digital art. She has provided illustrations for a children's book, science journals, magazine covers, logos, apps, merchenidse and museum exhibitions. Her works have been exhibited in Tokyo as part of the Japanese Dinosaur Art Exhibition (2023) and won the "Highly Commended" Marsh Palaeoart Prize (2025) & BMC E&E "Life in Motion" Figure award (2025). Their artworks feature in Bexhill Museum, Zurich University Natural History Museum, DinoCon, Sternberg Science Camps, Palestine Natural History Museum, Warsaw Geological Museum among others. Natalia is a vocal activist for migrant rights, working-class representation and social mobility. Having acted as an ambassador for the Manchester Access Program (2015-2019), mentoring first-generation students (2023) and migrant communities in Scotland. Along with charity work, such as events organised by the Epilepsy Action. Formerly based in Dorset, on the UNESCO Jurassic Coast in England. Now living in Hong Kong, China (SAR). |
Recent media work:
|
Employment & Volunteering (continued):
Digital Design & Game Design Tutor
Brand Ambassador FireTech (2018 - 2019) |
Environmental Intern (InternChina)
Kanghua Community Development Center 康华社区发展中心 Chengdu, China (2019) |
Museum Volunteer
Citizen Science Collection Digitsation & Outreach Manchester Museum (2016-2018) |
Imaginator (Volunteer)
Bolton Museum & Library (2015-19) Certified Arts Award recipient, organiser of Bolton Library Comic Con & participant in ReadingHack action |
Summer Internship
(University of Manchester) British Petroleum (2017) |
Science & Arts Summer School Teacher (InternChina)
ICON Sports Summer School, Chengdu (2019) |
Consulting Credits:
Palaeontological Consultant:
Jurassic World Evolution 3 Frontier Developments (2023-2025) |
Kamyk . pl
Rhamphorhynchus model (2024) |
Palaeontology Consultant:
Walking with Dinosaurs BBC Studios Science Unit (2024) |
CollectA
Dearc figurine (2023) |
Palaeontology Consultant:
PaleoPines
ItalicPig (2020)
PaleoPines
ItalicPig (2020)
|
Media appearances in:
|
Logos act as hyperlinks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GRANTS, BURSARIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Shanghai Sci-tech Co-research Program Grant (2025-2027) in collaboration with the East China Normal University, on evolution of bird feathers (400,000元) ($57k)
Part of a winning (£10,000) bid for an AI digitisation pilot ptogram (2024-5), facilitating automation of archival collection data-entry, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum London and DiSSCO UK
|
Successful recipient of numerous fully fudnded "GenerationUK" projects: InternChina (2019); Study China (2019)
Fully funded China Leadership Development Programme (2022), awarded a ‘Asia-capable leader’ credential and Global Leader Experience (2015)
|
Took part in 2019 UpRising Leadership Programme, securing funding through the Social Responsibility Fund, to enhance green spaces in impoverished regions of Greater Manchester
Recipient of the University of Manchester Travel Award (2019) covering costs for transport to China
|
E4DTP NERC Fund
Research Fund recipient, supplemented with additional funding via the Publication Scheme and Professional Internship Programme (2019-2024) (~£45,000)
MAP Scholarship
Recipient of the University of Manchester Access Programme Scholarship MAP (2015-2019) (£4000)
|
Palaeontological Association (PalAss) Small Grants (2025), funding to research pterosaur specimens in China (£490).
International Training in the “Strategies for Museum Management” provided by ICCROM and the National Chinese Cultural Heritage Administration (04/2025); securing travel bursary.
|
AWARDS
Edward Forbes Prize 2024
The Paleontographical Society 
Marsh PalaeoArt Award 2025
Highly Commended 2D category Marsh PalaeoArt Award 2026
Highly Commended The Palaeontographical Society 
BMC Ecology & Evolution Life in motion Image competition 2025 |
Outstanding achievement (II) in the 5th "Impression on China" Competition 2025
Chinese Embassy in Poland 
Hallmark Graphic Design Award 2011 Bury College |
SVPCA 2024
Best Student Poster 
TechStars Startup Weekend 成都 2019
Part of the "Fooditto" winning team 
Manchester Leadership Award 2019 Step up and Lead initative, for taking up three leadership roles while at the University of Manchester (Scholarship Ambassador; Students' Union Society Chairperson; Accesibility Scholarship Ambassador) |
