About Me

I am a scientist turned policy professional working for the New Zealand government. I am currently on secondment as Private Secretary to the Minister for Economic Growth from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Prior to that I worked in science policy and international science partnerships at MBIE, including as programme manager for Horizon Europe in New Zealand. In that role I led the New Zealand implementation of Horizon Europe, running our network of National Contact Points and serving as a New Zealand delegate in the Horizon Europe Programme Committees. Prior to my policy career, I worked in planetary science, with research positions at the Centre for Star and Planet Formation (Copenhagen, Denmark), the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (Paris, France), and Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia). My research primarily focused on the use of non-traditional stable isotopes to investigate the formation and differentiation of Earth and the terrestrial planets. I developed a number of chemical and analytical techniques and worked with a variety different instruments. I wrote IsoSpike, a software tool for double-spike data reduction in Iolite/Python, and I’m generally interested in data science. I come from New Zealand, and I love the outdoors.

Employment

Private Secretary to the Minister for Economic Growth | Sep 2024 – present
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand

Programme Manager - Horizon Europe | Aug 2023 – Sep 2024
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand

Principal Advisor, International Science Partnerships | Jan 2023 – Aug 2023
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand

Senior Policy Advisor, Science Policy | Aug 2021 – Jan 2023
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand

Research Fellow | April 2018 – Aug 2021
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Macquarie University
Sydney, Australia

Post-doctoral Researcher | Sept 2015 – Jan 2018
Cosmochimie, Astrophysique et Géophysique Expérimentale (CAGE)
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Paris, France

Post-doctoral Researcher | Sept 2013 - Sept 2015
Centre for Star and Planet Formation
Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark

Technician - Geochemistry | 2009-2011
School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences
Victoria University of Wellington Wellington, New Zealand

Education

PhD - Geochemistry | 2011 – 2013
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

MSc (Hons., First Class) – Geochemistry | 2008 – 2010
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

BSc – Geology | 2005 – 2008
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Publications

Peer-reviewed articles

• Dhaliwal, J.K., Day, J.M.D., Creech, J.B., Moynier, F., 2024. Copper and zinc isotope compositions of pristine eucrites as analogues for differentiated planetary feedstocks. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 637, 118740. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118740.
• Devos, G., Moynier, F., Creech, J.B., Liu, D., Puchtel, I.S., Bizzarro, M., 2024. Cadmium isotope composition of the Earth’s mantle inferred from analysis of oceanic basalts and komatiites. Chemical Geology 528, 119279. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.121996.
• Kubik, E., Siebert, J., Mahan, B., Creech, J., Blanchard, I., Agranier, A., Shcheka, S., Moynier, F., 2021. Tracing Earth’s Volatile Delivery With Tin. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 126, e2021JB022026. DOI: 10.1029/2021JB022026
• Tian, S., Moynier, F., Inglis, E.C., Rudnick, R.L., Huang, F., Chauvel, C., Creech, J.B., Gaschnig, R.M., Wang, Z., Guo, J.-L., 2021. Zirconium isotopic composition of the upper continental crust through time. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 572, 117086. DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117086.
• Turner, S., McGee, L., Humayun, M., Creech, J., Zanda, B., 2021. Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites experienced fluid flow within the past million years. Science 371, 164–167. DOI: 10.1126/science.abc8116.
• Tian, S., Moynier, F., Inglis, E.C., Creech, J., Bizzarro, M., Siebert, J., Day, J.M.D., Puchtel, I.S., 2020. Zirconium isotopic composition of the mantle through time. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 15, 40–43. DOI: 10.7185/geochemlet.2033.
• Tian, S., Inglis, E., Creech, J., Zhang, W., Hu, Z., Liu, Y., and Moynier, F., 2020. The zirconium stable isotope compositions of 22 geological reference materials, 4 zircons and 3 standard solutions. Chemical Geology 555, 119791. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119791.
• Creech, J.B., Schaefer, B.F., and Turner, S.P., 2020. Application of 10^13^ Ω amplifiers in low-signal plasma-source isotope ratio measurements by MC-ICP-MS: A case study with Pt isotopes. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 44, 223–229. DOI: 10.1111/ggr.12310. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., and Moynier, F., 2019. Tin and zinc stable isotope characterisation of chondrites and implications for early Solar System evolution. Chemical Geology 511, 81–90. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.02.028. (PDF)
• Moynier, F., Creech, J.B., Dallas, J.A., Le Borgne, M., 2019. Serum and brain natural copper stable isotopes in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientific Reports 9, 1–7. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47790-5. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., Moynier, F., and Koeberl, C., 2019. Volatile loss under a diffusion-limited regime in tektites: Evidence from tin stable isotopes. Chemical Geology 528, 119279. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119279. (PDF)
• Inglis, E.C., Moynier, F., Creech, J.B., Deng, Z., Day, J.M.D., Teng, F.-Z., Bizzarro, M., Jackson, M., Savage, P., 2019. Isotopic fractionation of zirconium during magmatic differentiation and the stable isotope composition of the silicate Earth. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 250, 311–323. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2019.02.010. (PDF)
• Inglis, E.C., Creech, J.B., Deng, Z., Moynier, F., 2018. High-precision zirconium stable isotope measurements of geological reference materials as measured by double-spike MC-ICPMS. Chemical Geology 493, 544–552. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2018.07.007. (PDF)
• Badullovich, N., Moynier, F., Creech, J.B., Sossi, P.A., Teng, F.-Z., 2017. Tin stable isotopic fractionation during igneous differentiation. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 5, 24–28. DOI: 10.7185/geochemlet.1741. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., Moynier, F. and Bizzarro, M., 2017. Tracing metal–silicate segregation and late veneer in the Earth and the ureilite parent body with palladium stable isotopes. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 216, 28–41. DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2017.04.040. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., Moynier, F., and Badullovich, N., 2017. Tin stable isotope analysis of geological materials by double-spike MC-ICPMS. Chemical Geology 457, 61–67. doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.03.013. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., Baker, J.A., Handler, M.R., Lorand, J.-P., Storey, M., Wainwright, A.N., Luguet, A., Moynier, F., M., and Bizzarro, M., 2017. Late accretion history of the terrestrial planets inferred from platinum stable isotopes. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 3, 94–104. doi:10.7185/geochemlet.1710 (PDF)
• Schiller, M., Dallas, J.A., Creech, J., Bizzarro, M., Baker, J.A., 2017. Tracking the formation of magma oceans in the Solar System using stable magnesium isotopes. Geochemical Perspectives Letters 3, 22–31. doi:10.7185/geochemlet.1703 (PDF)
• Creech, J. B. and Paul, B., 2015. IsoSpike: Improved double-spike inversion software. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 39, 7-15. doi:10.1111/j.1751-908X.2014.00276.x. (PDF)
• Creech, J.B., Baker, J.A., Handler, M.R., and Bizzarro, M., 2014. Platinum stable isotope analysis of geological standard reference materials by double-spike MC-ICPMS. Chemical Geology, 363, 293–300. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.11.009. (PDF)
• Creech, J., Baker, J., Handler, M., Schiller, M., and Bizzarro, M., 2013. Platinum stable isotope ratio measurements by double-spike multiple collector ICPMS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 28, 853–865. doi:10.1039/C3JA50022E. (PDF)
• Wysoczanski, R. J., Handler, M. R., Schipper, C. I., Leybourne, M. I., Creech, J., Rotella, M. D., Nichols, A. R. L., Wilson, C. J. N., and Stewart, R. B., 2012. The tectonomagmatic source of ore metals and volatile elements in the southern Kermadec arc. Economic Geology, 107, 1539–1556. doi:10.2113/econgeo.107.8.1539.
• Hollis, C. J., Taylor, K. W., Handley, L., Pancost, R. D., Huber, M., Creech, J. B., Hines, B. R., Crouch, E. M., Morgans, H. E., Crampton, J. S., Gibbs, S., Pearson, P. N., and Zachos, J. C., 2012. Early Paleogene temperature history of the southwest Pacific ocean: Reconciling proxies and models. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 349–350, 53–66. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2012.06.024. (PDF)
• Schiller, M., Baker, J., Creech, J., Paton, C., Millet, M.-A., Irving, A., and Bizzarro, M., 2011. Rapid timescales for magma ocean crystallization on the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite parent body. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 740, L22. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/740/1/L22. (PDF)
• Creech, J. B., Baker, J. A., Hollis, C. J., Morgans, H. E., and Smith, E. G., 2010. Eocene sea temperatures for the mid-latitude southwest Pacific from Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic and benthic foraminifera. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 299, 483–495. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.09.039. (PDF)
• Hollis, C. J., Handley, L., Crouch, E. M., Morgans, H. E. G., Baker, J. A., Creech, J., Collins, K. S., Gibbs, S. J., Huber, M., Schouten, S., Zachos, J. C., and Pancost, R. D., 2009. Tropical sea temperatures in the high-latitude South Pacific during the Eocene. Geology, 37, 99–102. doi:10.1130/G25200A.1. (PDF)

Conference presentations

• Devos, G., Moynier, F., Creech, J., Liu, D., Luu, T.H., Rigoussen, D., Puchtel, I.S., Bizzarro, M., 2023. Cadmium isotope composition of the Earth’s mantle derived from mid-oceanic ridge basalts and komatiites. (Goldschmidt 2023, Lyon)
• Moynier, F., Creech, J., Lahoud, E., Dallas, J., Hugon, J., Paquet, C., Mahan, B., Le Borgne, M., 2021. Using copper stable isotopes in the detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (Goldschmidt 2021, Virtual)
• Creech, J.B., Turner, S., Schaefer, B., Haines, P., 2021. Elemental and isotopic insights into volatility processes from studies of tektites. (Goldschmidt 2021, Virtual)
• Tian, S., Moynier, F., Inglis, E., Rudnick, R.L., Huang, F., Chauvel, C., Gaschnig, R.M., Creech, J.B., Puchtel, I.S., 2021. The zirconium isotope composition of the mantle and upper continental crust through time. (Goldschmidt 2021, Virtual)
• Mirolo, F., Rushmer, T., Creech, J., 2021. Sn Isotopes of Bjurböle (LL4) chondrules and matrix: implications for complementarity and chondrule thermal processing. (Goldschmidt 2021, Virtual)
• Dhaliwal, J.K., Day, J., Creech, J.B., Moynier, F., 2021. Volatile depletion and evolution of Vesta from coupled Cu-Zn isotope systematics. (EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, EGU21-12820)
• Siebert, J., Kubik, E., Mahan, B., Blanchard, I., Creech, J., Moynier, F., 2019. Tracing Earth’s volatile delivery with tin. (AGU Fall Meeting 2019)
• Creech, J. B., Inglis, E., Deng, Z., and Moynier, F., 2018. Zirconium stable isotope analysis by double-spike MC-ICPMS. (Oral, Geoanalysis 2018, Sydney)
• Creech, J. B. and Moynier, F., 2017. (Invited) Stable isotope fractionation of Sn during planetary and nebular processes. (Oral, Goldschmidt 2017, Paris)
• Moynier, F., and Creech, J. B., 2017. Late Accretion History of the Terrestrial Planets. (Oral, Origins of Solar Systems, Gordon Research Conference, Mount Holyoake College, USA)
• Creech, J. B. and Moynier, F., 2017. Tracking volatile processes in the Solar System with tin stable isotopes. (Poster, Origins of Solar Systems Gordon Research Conference, Mount Holyoke College, USA)
• Creech, J. B., Baker, J. A., Bizzarro, M., Handler, M. R., and Moynier, F., 2016. Tracing Earth’s late accretion history using Pt stable isotopes. (Oral, 4th International Workshop on Highly Siderophile Element Geochemistry, 2016, Durham)
• Creech, J. B., Baker, J. A., Handler, M. R., and Bizzarro, M., 2015. Fingerprinting the Source of Earth`s Siderophile Elements Using Platinum Stable Isotopes. (Poster, Goldschmidt 2015, Prague)
• Creech, J. B., Baker, J. A., Handler, M. R., Schiller, M., and Bizzarro, M., 2013. Platinum stable isotope tracing of Earth`s accretion and differentiation. Mineralogical Magazine, 77, 925. doi:10.1180/minmag.2013.077.5.3. (Oral, Goldschmidt 2013, Florence)
• Corcoran, L., Handler, M. R., Baker, J., Seward, T., Creech, J., and Bennett, V., 2013. The potential of platinum stable isotopes of Fe-Mn nodules and crusts as a paleoceanographic tracer. Mineralogical Magazine, 77, 916. doi:10.1180/minmag.2013.077.5.3. (Goldschmidt 2013, Florence).
• Creech, J. B., Handler, M. R., Baker, J. A., Schiller, M., and Bizzarro, M., 2012. Stable isotopes of platinum: A new tracer for terrestrial planet accretion and evolution? Meteoritics and Planetary Science Supplement, 75, 5151. (Poster, MetSoc 2012, Cairns).
• Creech, J. B., Handler, M. R., Baker, J. A., Corcoran, L., and Bennett, V., 2012. Stable isotopes of platinum: A new geochemical and cosmochemical tracer? (Poster, Goldschmidt 2012, Montreal).
• Millet, M.-A., Baker, J., Schiller, M., Creech, J., Dallas, J., and Bizzarro, M., 2012. Ultra-high precision Fe isotope analysis of eucrites and diogenites - Fe stable isotope fractionation during planetary differentiation? (Goldschmidt 2012, Montreal)
• Schiller, M., Baker, J. A., Bizzarro, M., Creech, J., and Irving, A. J., 2010. Timing and mechanisms of the evolution of the magma ocean on the HED parent body. Meteoritics and Planetary Science Supplement, 73, 5042. (MetSoc 2012, New York)
• Hollis, C. J., Taylor, K. W., Handley, L., Pancost, R. D., Creech, J., Baker, J., Schouten, S., Kennedy, E., Crouch, E. M., Huber, M., and Ackerley, D., 2010. Paleoclimate data-model comparisons for early Paleogene New Zealand. AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 1, 04. (AGU Fall Meeting 2010, San Francisco)
• Creech, J., Baker, J., Hollis, C., Morgans, H., and Crouch, E., 2009. Mg/Ca ocean paleo-temperatures from New Zealand foraminifera in the Eocene greenhouse world. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 73, 250. (Oral, Goldschmidt 2009, Davos)
• Creech, J., Baker, J., Hollis, C. J., Morgans, H., and Crouch, E. M., 2009. Mg/Ca ocean paleo-temperatures from New Zealand foraminifera in the Eocene greenhouse world. (Oral, CBEP 2009, Wellington)
• Creech, J., Baker, J., Hollis, C. J., Morgans, H., and Crouch, E. M., 2008. Mg/Ca ocean paleo-temperatures from New Zealand foraminifera in the Eocene greenhouse world. (Oral, NZ Geosciences 2008, Wellington)
• Hollis, C. J., Handley, L., Morgans, H., Crouch, E. M., Pancost, R., Schouten, S., Baker, J., Creech, J., Zachos, J. C., Gibbs, S. J., Burgess, C., Pearson, P., and Huber, M., 2008. Support for greenhouse climate models runs hot and cold in early Paleogene mid-latitude New Zealand. (NZ Geosciences 2008, Wellington)

Miscellaneous

• Baker, J. and Creech, J., 2012. Mg/Ca ocean paleothermometry. Quaternary Techniques Shortcourse: 17-18 May 2012, National Isotope Centre.

Professional Associations

Geochemical Society
Meteoritical Society
European Association of Geochemistry
International Association of Geoanalysts

Professional Service

2017 – 2021:      Editorial Board Member, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research