Alan Howard obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester in 2010 for work using transfer reactions to measure the evolution of single-particle structure in nuclei along isotonic and isotopic chains. Alan then moved to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to take up a postdoctoral position working with the TwinSol radioactive beam facility. At Aarhus Alan will be working with Hans Fynbo's group on the development and application of experimental techniques for the complete kinematical reconstruction of astrophysically important nuclear reactions.