T.C. Hales is an interdisciplinary scientist and Professor of Environmental Hazards, interested understanding the relationship between ecological and social systems and environmental hazards.  T.C. works on two major projects that focus on the interplay between land use decisions and erosion by rivers and landslides. His work on the lower Kinabatangan River in Malaysian Borneo seeks to understand the drivers and effects of tropical deforestation on erosion and sequestration of carbon within soils. As Chair of the Regrow Borneo project, he is applying this research to develop a community reforestation programme to restore forests and sequester carbon. His work on erosional processes after the 2008 magnitude 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake has investigated how persistent landslides and mudflows affect the vulnerability of communities recovering from earthquakes. He directed the Sustainable Places Research Institute in 2020-2021.