 Barclay leads the NERC-ESRC funded "Strengthening Resilience to Volcanic Hazards" (STREVA) research project as well as a Leverhulme Trust programme looking at the volcanic history of the Ascension Islands.Barclay became interested in the natural environment as a child, particularly volcanoes, tsunamis and avalanches.She enjoyed watching scientists from the Climatic Research Unit on BBC Horizon.