My research focuses on using particle-in-cell plasma simulations to model kinetic plasma processes in environments ranging from astrophysics to the laboratory.  Currently I am using simulations to study the onset of magnetospheric substorms and the associated nonthermal particle acceleration.  I am also modelling high-energy-density laboratory astrophysics experiments and studying their connection to systems in space physics and astrophysics.  To push the boundaries of kinetic plasma simulation I am developing the simplex-in-cell simulation method which can reduce the noise associated with simulation particles and improve computational efficiency.