Who we are

Phil Ashworth is a Professor of Physical Geography specialising in river morphodynamics and sedimentology. His research interests span a range of scales including the largest rivers and estuaries in the world. He focusses on the field quantification of alluvial morphodynamics, the diversity of large river pattern and the application of fluvial sedimentology in characterising reservoir heterogeneity. This work has been supported by 16 NERC grants and several contracts from the petroleum industry.

Recent projects include quantifying the relationship between fluvial processes and preserved sedimentology in the world’s largest rivers, quantifying the morphodynamics and sedimentology of large estuaries and assessing the impacts of drought in South Africa.

Ongoing projects are quantifying bedform dynamics in unsteady flows and modelling how sediment suspension controls the morphology and evolution of sand-bed rivers. He has recently been awarded two new NERC grants: (1) Propagation of hydro-geomorphic disturbances through continental-scale river basins: Future evolution of the Amazon River and its floodplain (started 1 December 2020, 3 years) with Andrew Nicholas and Rolf Aalto; and (2) The evolution of global flood hazard and risk (started 1 May 2021, 5 years) with a consortium of investigators in 8 other universities [Large Grant, NE/S015655/1, twitter; website]

Phil's research projects have been based in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and USA, and earlier work focussed on experimental modelling of braided rivers in a tilting, aggrading stream table.

I am a plant ecologist with specific interests in plant-plant and plant-animal interactions at the community and population level. My research focuses on determining the key factors involved in these relationships and assessing how resilient are these links in changing environmental conditions.

Current research project

• Conserving Endangered rhinos in South Africa

Wetland plant community

I am particularly interested in dynamic ecosystems such as wet grasslands, riparian and coastal habitats. I have experience with wet grassland habitat management and assessing changes in response to different practices. Much of the focus of previous work has been on management and restoration of these habitats and  this has expanded to wetlands and across taxa through collaborative work.

Invasive Ecology

I am also interested in invasion ecology, focusing on Invasive Non-Native plant species and understanding their influence and impacts on associated habitat and species. INNS competitive strategy and succes could be caused by the range of allelochemic released by the leaves or roots affecting neighbouring plants and their environment. I have started research projects examining the effects of sub-lethal exposure to allelochemical compounds released by Impatiens glandulifera on freshwater invertebrate and fish larvae development and behaviour. Similarly, I am interesting on the long-term impacts of Rhododendron ponticum allelopathy on soil microbial community.

My principal research interest is in Nature Based Solutions, (coastal, estuarine and riverine), which embrace natural processes in order to provide long-term sustainable solutions to flood management problems. This encompasses a wide range of areas, including sediment dynamics, hydrodynamics, water management, geochemistry and blue-carbon.  My research is primarily field based where I design long and short-term monitoring programmes to enable in-depth understanding of hydraulic and sediment regimes.

On the coast and nearshore waters, my research is based around Nature Based solutions to flooding, habitat creation, pollution and carbon, which involves furthering the understanding of how the geomorphology and hydrodynamics of these sites evolve following breach. In terms of sustainability I work with very closely with ecologists investigating how previous land use, design and construction influence the development of these sites, which has a direct impact on the bio-diversity of these created systems, and which in the long-term influence the longevity and effectiveness of the designed coastal defence.  If you click on the ‘globe image’ below my profile picture you can listen to a recording of a lecture which I gave at the ICE Coastal Management Conference in 2019, where I explain how Coastal Managers can improve fish habitat. 

In-land I work with a number of local organisations on the re-wilding, restoration and management of rivers and catchments in order to reduce peak flood levels and improve water quality. This involves assessing the suitability of the removal of defunct structures, installing small scale, up-stream, water retarding structures and where possible reconnecting water with its flood plain. 

Both on the coast and inland I am working towards quantifying the effects of different types of intervention, through this I strive to do is provide designers, engineers and managers with a greater understanding of the environment so that they can work with nature to provide longer-term, more sustainable solutions.

The 'globe' looking icons below my image at the top of the screen will take to a selection of presentations I have given at conferences.

My research to date has centred on a range of biogeographical and landscape systems (unimproved grasslands, ancient woodlands, intertidal and marine ecology and some specific species groups). Common to these research activities is the use of GIS, Remote Sensing (e.g. sUAS) and geostatistics to find solutions to environmental problems and help direct policy.

I have been fortunate to interact and work with a range of professionals in the ecological and environmental field over the years from organisations such as: Natural England, Environment Agency, DEFRA, South Downs National Park, Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority.

I believe this involvement and interaction has helped to maintain my strong interest in and desire to identify solutions to the many ecological and environmental issues facings us today.

Current research projects:

•The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Detection of Crops and Structure of Agricultural Landscapes (Estonian University of Life Sciences)

•The integration of small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) & remote sensing for biodiversity assessment within the vineyard. (National Institute of Agricultural Botany, UK).

•Effective management of the invasive aquatic plant Australian Swamp Stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) in wetlands: The use of sUAS and multi-spectral remote sensing for monitoring. (Environment Agency)

•The use of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and structure-from-motion (SfM) to understand the intertidal processes in managed realignment in England and Wales. (Environment Agency & Natural Resource Wales)

•Linking soils and human health: Geospatial analysis of podoconiosis occurrence and cause in Ethiopia and Cameroon (National Institute for Health Research)

Examples of previous research projects:

•A study of Feral Goat populations in the Natural area of Paratge Natural de la Serra de Tramuntana (PNST) using sUAS thermal imagery (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) 

•The potential of small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems for nutritional stress assessment of mountain ungulates: Iberian Ibexes (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB))

•The development of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for the detection of unimproved grassland systems. (High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

•LiDAR-based modelling and visualisation of managed retreat scenarios for coastal planning: an example from the southern UK. (Cuckmere Estuary)

•Marine Habitat Mapping using acoustic multibeam data - backscatter and bathymetry (Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority).

•GIS development work for State of the Park Report, (South Downs National Park Authority)

•Restoring biodiversity to coastal wetlands, Estonia (Earthwatch & Darwin Initiative)

•GIS habitat suitability modelling for BAP target habitats in the proposed South Downs National Park. (Natural England)

•Saline lagoon baseline and mapping survey, Sussex (Natural England)

My research interests are on three main themes, being geoarchaeology, prehistoric landscapes and archaeometallurgy.  In terms of geoarchaeology my interest stems from understanding the interaction of human beings with their environment and involves project on Exmoor investigating prehistoric soil degradation and also alluvial geoarchaeology, using sediment stacks of archives of past human soil erosion, such as on the Rivers Trent and Lugg.  I have worked on several projects mapping prehistoric landscapes and then excavating monuments within these, such as on Exmoor, UK, Damerham, Cranborne Chase, and Dowth and the Hill of Ward, Ireland.  Lastly, my research in archaeometallurgy involves the excavation and application of new methods of geochemical analysis to identify past residues of metalworking in sites as diverse as Roman Exmoor and the Kingdom of Kush in Sudan.

My research interests focus on the biological effects of various classes of aquatic environmental stressors, contaminants in particular, at cellular and molecular  level - functional ecotoxicology. The key challenge is to understand the mechanism of action of newly emerged contaminats (pharmaceuticals, microplastics, personal care products) that can negatively impact the health and physiology of marine organisms, and moreover, the potential for climate change to alter these responses.

Detoxification mechanisms and their use as biomarkers of environmental contamination (ie. metallothionein isoforms and expression levels, CYP450 and the glutathione systems) in marine invertebrates and fish.

Induction of DNA damage in critical growth regulating genes, such as the ras oncogene and p53 tumour suppressor gene, plus their role in development of a 'mutator phenotype' and genome instability.

Also, reproductive mechanisms of marine invertebrates and wonderful ways in which stressors (climatic or human induced, ie. pharmaceuticals, microplastics) interfere with sex determination/differentiation.

Andrew is interested in how spatial planning can help to deliver climate change adaptation and mitigation, manage coastal change and flooding, encourage integrated water management and regulate short term rentals such as AirBnB.

Through his private practice,  has contributed to government, government agency and research organisation projects on

- delivering integrated water management through planning

- flooding, including multiple objective SuDS and best practice in Strategic Flood Risk Assessments.

He has published articles and blogs in town planning journals and websites on flooding and coastal change in England and Portugal.

My research focusses on cross-disciplinary advancement of microbiology, bridging the environmental and clinical fields. My emphasis is on researching the fundamental molecular mechanisms of bacterial adhesion to biomedical materials and environmental substrata, and how human contact with animals and the environment affects bacteria relating to human health. I am research active, and am currently investigating the following key fields: the phenomenon of quorum sensing and biomedical device infection; development of novel antibiotics; bacteriophages as antibacterial agents; and the environmental persistence of medically important human pathogens.

I am currently involved in a project investigating bacteriophages specific to Escherichia coli. 

My research interests focus primarily around the ecology of aquatic organisms with a specialism in fish. I am interested in the effects that pollutants have on the physiology, morphology and behaviour or a range of aquatic species, including crustaceans, teleost and cartilaginous fish species. I am interested in outputs from any kind of human activity, including sewage treatment plants, aquaculture facilities, agricultural run-off, pharmaceuticals and microplastic pollution. I focus mainly on larval fish as the early life stages are the most vulnerable and this is where many of the effects occur. I am interested in the sub-lethal effects of exposure to contaminants, those which do not kill the fish, but may make them unfit for survival in the wild, for example through reduced swimming or foraging capability, which can hinder feeding and can make them more vulnerable to predation. More recently I have started research projects examining the effects of microplastics and nanoparticles on fish and larvae and marine and freshwater invertebrates. The focus of this is the use of microbeads and nanoparticles found in cosmetics and skincare products, especially sunscreens, and the impacts they have on developmental processes of fishes.

I am also interested in the behaviour of captive fish in response to visitors in public aquaria. This has focused around both teleost and elasmobranch species and will extend to examine other organisms. In addition to the behaviour I am also interested in the sexual dimorphism of sharks, specifically the skin ad electrorecptive organs. I work in collaboration with the Kwazulu Natal Sharks Boards, examining the sexual dimorphisms of the dermal denticles (scales) on the skin of sharks. This leads to insights into the mating behaviours of shark species, acts that have rarely been witnessed. I am also developing projects with both the Inshore Fishery and Conservation Authorities and Natural England to determine how electric cabling may affect the behaviour of elasmobranch species and their behaviour. My research interests provide exciting opportunities for final year projects for undergraduate students. Projects I have been and am currently involved in include following:

Development and behaviour of zebrafish larvae exposed to zinc oxide and titanium dioxide

Determination of microplastic translocation in the velvet swimming crab (Necora puber)

Behaviour of the green shore crab (Carcinus maenas) exposed to microplastic beads

Behaviour of cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi) exposed to microplastic beads

Presence of microplastics in the sediments and biota of Chichester Harbour

Ability of archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) to learn new feeding behaviours

Contribution of aquaria in the conservation of rare and endangered species

Management and control of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera)

Investigating triggers for diapause egg production in Parvocalanus crassirostris

My research career to date has focused on the development of innovative low-cost tools that tackle pressing global disease problems. In Malawi, I worked on a UNICEF-funded project 'Assessment of Drinking Water Quality for Low-Cost Water Technology Options in Rural Areas' which led to the re-design and improved management of rural wells, providing low-income communities with safer drinking water. More recently, I was involved in a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project in India 'SaniPath Typhoid' which sought to enhance understanding of typhoid transmission pathways in Kolkata’s megaslums.

In Europe, new methods developed during an EU Interreg-funded project 'RISKMANCHE' have helped identify human faecal contamination of rivers and established viral removal rates in a full-scale wastewater reuse systems (Thames Water). This information is helping water companies and environmental agencies to meet international standards and more effectively protect public health, by detecting, or interrupting the transmission routes of human waterborne diseases.

I undertake research in the broad field of political ecology. My work is informed by intersectional feminist theory, critical development studies and environmental advocacy-activism around resource extraction, with an empirical focus on the gendered ecological politics of displacement, resettlement and dispossession in forest and flood contexts in Indonesia and Thailand. Current projects include work on the ways that gendered processes of mobility and migrant remittances unsettle linear analyses of dispossession associated with oil palm investment. I am also exploring ways to rethink feminist political ecology by linking theories associated with 'material feminisms' to empirical work on mobility, environmental change and gender in Southeast Asia and the practice of feminist political ecology pedagogy and research in diverse professional contexts.

My research interests lie in seeking to bridge the disjuncture between climate change science, water resources management practice and local articulations and experiences of changing water environments. My work is critically engaged with understanding how developed economies organize and manage their freshwater resources with regards to transitioning towards sustainable futures in the context of climate change. At heart my research explores why climate change narratives are still failing to resonate with most citizens, and are still not embedded within organisational praxis, and seeks to determine what approaches may close these gaps in order to support transitions towards sustainable futures. Inherent to this line of questioning are explorations of emergent forms of citizenship, discourses of governance and the links between landscape, taskscape and community within the late capitalist era. I draw on the work of Karen Bakker, Noel Castree, Eric Swyngedouw, Neil Adger and Tim Ingold to undertake empirical qualitative fieldwork which interrogates the political, cultural and physical intersections which co-create our sense of place, and our intimate, immediate relationship with our water environments. Recent research projects have included 'Rewilding elders: understanding environmental activism during retirement'; 'WetlandLIFE: taking the bite out of wetlands'; 'Towards Hydrocitizenship' and 'Community water governance: understanding place and subjectivity'.

My research interests cover the geographies of sport and leisure. My doctoral research explored British cultures of adventure and the heroic masculinities associated with mountaineering. My more recent work is interested in the use, governance and regulation of public space for leisure and recreation, addressing issues such as access, property rights, citizenship and self-governance. Theoretically, my work cuts across human geography, sociology, politics, cultural studies, social history, sport studies and leisure theory. I employ a variety of theoretical tools to understand the spatial aspects of sport and leisure cultures - the spatial theories of Mikhail Bakhtin; Victor Turner's writings on liminality; gift theory; theories of affect; and, post-subcultural theories - and have contributed to the application of these approaches to empirical research in sport and leisure studies.

My current research interests include the social regulation of leisure in public space; countercultural sport; connecting people and communities through food and farming; and, the cultural heritage of waterscapes.

Methodologically, I specialise in qualitative and collaborative empirical methods and with Professor Neil Ravenscroft (University of Brighton) and Dr Niamh Moore (Edinburgh University) have developed the concept of ‘collaborative story spirals’ to describe a method of contextualised and situated biographical and narrative research; an approach that has been utilised in European heritage projects.

My research has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, British Academy, European Union (Interreg Programme), and Political Studies Association.

My areas of interest include environmental pollution, especially water pollution. My research focus mainly on Water, Sanitation and Hygene (WASH) issues including, health-related water microbiology, microbial source tracking (MST), faecal sludge management,  waterborne disease control, water and sanitation safety plans, bathing water quality, water eutrophication and shellfish safety.

I obtained a First Class (Hons) degree in Geology, I went on to complete a NERC funded PhD in three years, at the University of Southampton. The thesis is entitled ‘The Roles of Aqueous Fluids in Crustal Processes at the inter and intra-crystalline levels’. Several international publications were forth coming, and I moved onto to secure two prestigious NERC Research Fellowships based at the National Oceanography Centre at Southampton, during which time, I participated in the highly prestigious multi-national Ocean Drilling Programme. From these works I continue to publish in leading international journals on a variety of scientific topics, and have collaborative ties with The National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton.

Since arriving at Brighton I have enjoyed considerable grant success, as principal investigator with Research Council, EEEC, DTI and Industry. This has enabled me to diversify my research interests. In more recent years my interests have evolved somewhat from ‘classical geology’, applied geochemistry investigations into electrokinetics and more recently towards carbonate mineral paragenesis and most recently vibrational spectroscopy and in particular near-infrared spectroscopy in relation to inorganic minerals.

Professor Joyce is the Director of the Centre for Aquatic Environments and Professor of Ecology, specialising in wetlands. His research improves understanding and management of internationally important transitional wetlands, especially wet grasslands, coastal wetlands, and river floodplains, which depend upon human management to maintain their vital ecosystem services and biodiversity. He was the first person to quantify the sensitivity of wet grasslands to management changes such as altered water levels, intensive fertilisation or land abandonment. He has also developed surveying, assessment and monitoring techniques for wetlands that have been adopted by governments, practitioners and academics.

His current main research themes are:

1. assessing the effects of climate change, including extreme events such as floods and droughts, on wetlands in order to develop resilient wetland systems,
2. determining the impacts of invasive non-native aquatic plant species on native wetland biodiversity, and to develop sustainable methods for controlling and monitoring invasive aquatic plants, and
3. investigating and monitoring the creation, restoration and management of coastal wetlands for nature-based solutions, such as carbon storage. 

Ongoing projects include: experiments on the impacts of predicted climate change on Baltic wetland plant communities; developing methods for the management and monitoring of invasive aquatic plants on the Pevensey Levels, England; and assessment of salt marsh and other coastal wetland habitat creation in southern England. 

Dr. Catherine Kelly is a geographer with research interests in sustainability, tourism and wellbeing. Her lecturing, research and practices cross a range of these broad categories. Catherine's research areas have varied over her academic career - starting with rural geography, then moving into the field of heritage studies and then tourism (cultural, heritage, wellness and sustainable tourism specifically); with a more recent emphasis on the importance of 'blue spaces' for human wellbeing. She is interested in the importance of water-based 'therapeutic landscapes' for physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Catherine's research also looks at how wellbeing can be used to advocate for personal relationships with the coast and its stewardship/environmental conservation. She is interested in access to the sea - in physical, social and cultural terms. Since joining the School of Business and Law, Catherine is also interested in the role of the Blue Economy in tourism development and sustainable business practices.

Catherine's work on Blue Spaces has received widespread media attention resulting in interviews for the BBC, Guardian newspaper, Independent, and a range of high circulation magazines and podcasts. She is a regular invited speaker at public events and festivals in the UK and overseas. She sits on the newly created UK national Blue Space Forum for the Environment Agency.

I am interested in the delivery of drugs and particles to the nose and lungs, particularly the use of in vivo-reflective in vitro cell culture models of the airway epithelium; the barrier to drug absorption. This is a long-standing interest of mine; having worked on the Caco-2 cell culture model of the intestine, I was one of the first pharmaceutical scientists interested in developing a similar model of the nose and/or lung. I have used the 16HBE14o- cell line to study drug absorption, including the absorption of drugs from nanoparticles, and drug toxicity. More recently, our group has been studying the effect of mucus on airway drug absorption using two mucus-secreting cell lines (SPOC1 and UNCN3T) and also the effect of drugs and other chemicals on mucus secretion as a measure of irritancy https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.07.016. In addition, I am interested in the role of mucociliary clearance on airway drug delivery, particularly the effect of formulation variables, air pollution and other chemicals on this primary defence mechanism of the nose and lung DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.121054. This has led to general expertise in cellular toxicity https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105022 which has been extended to studies of compounds found in processed water. I am also interested in the bioavailability of inhaled drugs in children and adults and how this can be optimised DOI: 10.1186/s13063-016-1437-7.

Examples of Current Projects

(1) A study of ultrafine particles in the atmosphere and their health effects. (PhD)

(2) Water Scarcity in the Southeast of England - Assessing the potential for resource augmentation through direct reuse. (PhD)

(3) The effect of nasal powders on nasal residence time using sheep tracheae to model

the nasal epithelium.

Examples of Previous Projects

(1) The use of in vitro models of the airway to investigate drug permeability and irritancy in the presence of mucus. (PhD)

(2) Effect of formulation variables on intranasal drugs used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. (PhD) 

My research forms three major strands: (i) iceberg-keel scouring processes; (ii) macro- and microscopic sediment deformation (glacial and periglacial); and (iii) reconstructing glacial processes/environments.  

I have played a key role in the conception, design and delivery of several collaborative research projects and I have been awarded internal and external funding for research to the value of £230K. I have been Principal Investigator (PI) on projects investigating: (1) iceberg-keel scouring in Antarctica, Canada, Greenland, The North Sea and Sweden; (2) the glacial history of the Kola Peninsula, Arctic Russia; and (3) mapping and quantifying sedimentary and geological structures using the Metripol microscopic method. As PI I am currently preparing projects in, for example: (1) protecting Arctic marine pipelines from ice keel scour; (2) the impact of ice keel scouring on Arctic blue carbon stocks; and (3) the micromorphology of periglacial ramparted depressions (pingos, palsas, lithalsas) in Norfolk. In addition, I am involved with other projects such as glacial reconstruction in central Ireland. I have been primary supervisor to two University-funded PhD projects: 1) examining periglacial ramparted depressions in the UK and Belgium, and 2) investigating glaciation of the Kola Peninsula and Russian Lapland in Arctic Russia. 

As part of these projects I collaborate with some of the world’s most highly esteemed Quaternary, glacial and sedimentology scientists from institutions such as the British Antarctic Survey, the British Geological Survey, Brock University (Canada), Brunel University, C-CORE Research & Development (Canada), the Kola Science Centre (Russia), Manchester Metropolitan University, the National University of Singapore, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, the Scott Polar Research Institute (University of Cambridge), and the Universities of Aberdeen, Hertfordshire and Stockholm. 

I have published papers in several high-impact, international, peer-reviewed journals in which I present, for the first time, a novel conceptual model illustrating the style and intensity of sediment deformation by iceberg-keel scouring in variable grain sizes. In addition, I have presented my multidisciplinary research (and lead- and co-convened sessions) at many national and international conferences, workshops and research seminars such as the Arctic Science Meeting, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Ice Scour and Arctic Marine Pipelines workshop, International Conference on Permafrost, International Glaciological Society British Branch Meeting, International Micromorphology Symposium and the INQUA (International Union for Quaternary Research) Congress. I continue to develop my international research profile through roles such as journal peer reviewer; Editor for INQUA’s Quaternary Perspectives (2013-16); as an Advisory Board Member of INQUA’s TERPRO (Terrestrial Processes, Deposits and History) Commission (2015-present); and as an Editorial Board Member for the international open access journal Open Quaternary (2018-present). 

I have a 5-year Diploma in Environmental Engineering (Technical university of Crete, Greece), a MSc in Freshwater Systems Science (University of Glasgow) and a PhD in Geography and Computing Sciences (University of Glasgow). MyPhD work embedded advancing Micro Electrical Mechanical Sensor (MEMS) technologies into the monitoring of sediment motion and combined several mathematical and electrical/mechanical engineering techniques during sensor development. I worked as a Research Associate in a NERC funded cooperation between Scottish Water (the largest water supplier in Scotland) and the University of Glasgow. I have also worked as Senior Hydromophologist for the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). 

I have developed a track-record of peer reviewed publications addressing fluvial hydraulics, sediment movement and purpose specific sensor development. I am  also interested in various aspects of Geomorphic Change Detection and is particularly interested in comparing data from different sensing techniques across scales. I have extensive fieldwork experience and during my placement in SEPA I provided scientific input in a range of regulatory, river management and river restoration projects. My interests lie on the intersection between coarse grain sediment transport, reach scale river dynamics, advanced sensor development, advanced statistical and numerical modelling of multiphase environmental flows and data coherence analysis for geomorphological applications. There are three problems on which I am focusing my efforts at the moment:

Smart pebbles and what we can learn from them (in geomorphology)

During the last decade, many scientists developed and deployed ‘’smart- pebbles’’ in fluvial (and other rapidly changing) environments in an attempt to monitor sediment dynamics. In parallel, Inertial Measurements Units (IMUs) have been tested in laboratory experiments focusing mainly on fluvial single grain entrainments and sort-term motions (simulating either costal or river hydrodynamics). Although all the IMUs are in principle the same (an assembly of micro-accelerometer, micro-gyroscope and micro-compass), the parameters that affect the results range from the sensor’s electrical and physical characteristics to the filtering of the derived measurements and from the modelling of inertial kinematics to the transformation of those to a useful and informative piece of data. I try to understand a) the key error sources in IMU sensing and its realistic range of applicability, b) how to develop coherent error compensation strategies for taking measurements in natural environments c) how smart pebbles can inform the theoretical descriptions for fluvial sediment transport d) how we can upscale this information to enhance our risk assessments for the critical infrastructure exposed to geomorphic hazards.

Advanced topographic sensing and Geomorphic Change Detection

We experience a revolution in terms of how we acquire and analyse topographical data. The integration of GIS with advanced sensing equipment has made the modelling of landscapes easier than ever before. One of the best examples is the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for mapping, a technique that has increased the rate and decreased dramatically the cost of creating accurate topographical models. However, UAVs (but also other innovative techniques) come with a number of limitations that become more apparent when we attempt to compare different maps of the same area (over time) in order to quantify geomorphic change (Geomorphic Change Detection). The mapping becomes even more complicated when fluvial environments are investigated. I am interested in the margin of error that we have to account for when using those techniques and how that associates with the modelling/mapping of reach scale river processes.  

Coherence in river classification

Researchers and regulators often use a classification in order to distinguish between different river typologies or assign a quality/health score to a river environment. The methodologies behind this scoring vary significantly from purely qualitative to highly technical and quantitative. I am interested in quantifying the variability in the interpretation of those classifications. More specifically, I want to measure how sensitive are these scores to user bias, the type/complexity of the associated calculations and the complexity of the natural environment scored using Deep Learning techniques.

Increasing global water scarcity is producing numerous challenges to which practical technical solutions need to be developed and validated to ensure water availability at a desired quality. In response to this my research areas although technically diverse focus on treatment technologies for water and wastewater technologies that provide application solutions. My research career to date has focussed on the measurement and quantification of chemical free disinfection systems and design optimisation. More widely this includes the practical research and development into practical mercury alternatives to generating ultraviolet radiation for water treatment. Current research topics include water reuse applications in the UK and assosiated technologies for global application.

My current research interests fall into two areas: 1. Understanding the properties of duricrusts and applying this knowledge in archaeological contexts; (2) Unravelling climate histories in southern Africa through the analysis of documentary evidence.

Duricrusts in landscape and archaeological contexts

My primary area of research concerns the development and environmental significance of silcrete duricrusts. The primary goals of this research are to (a) characterise the micromorphology and geochemistry of duricrusts developed in different landscape settings, (b) assess the extent to which duricrusts may be used as indicators of past environments, and (c) apply this fundamental knowledge for use in archaeological contexts. To date, my research has focused mainly upon non-pedogenic silcretes in the Kalahari Desert, central Australia, and the UK, with archaeology-related work in southern Africa and the Stonehenge landscape (UK). I am currently working on British Academy and Leverhulme Trust funded research using silcrete as an archaeological provenancing tool at Stonehenge and in the Makgadikgadi Basin, Botswana.

Reconstructing historical climatic change using documentary sources

My second research focus is the reconstruction of past climate variability through analyses of historical documents, particularly missionary and other colonial sources. Working with collaborators in Europe and southern Africa, I have developed novel methodologies to establish chronologies of hydroclimatic variability in the Kalahari Desert, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Madagascar and western India using these materials. I am currently working on British Academy funded research using documentary evidence to reconstruct a 19th century climate history of Mozambique.

I am a conservation ecologist, with particular research interests in the consequences of anthropogenic impacts on animal populations and communities. To this end, my research combines field, laboratory and desktop based analyses to answer fundamental questions related to the autecology of threatened species. My research seeks to understand and ultimately mitigate, the impacts of habitat alteration and overexploitation for species of conservation concern. Whilst this work has historically focused on reptiles and amphibians, this has expanded through collaborative efforts, to include work on White rhinoceros, marine and freshwater fish and even students.

Current research projects:

• Conserving endangered rhinos in South Africa
• The Impacts of Watercress farming on fish communities
• The effects of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide on fish development and behaviour

Previous research projects:

• Hastings Fishing Activity, Research and Training: Understanding the impact of recreational catch and release fisheries on coastal elasmobranchs.
• Changing conservation attitudes: the role of international field trips in altering undergraduate perceptions of contentious biodiversity management approaches.
• Ecology of the endemic Barbados Leaf Toed Gecko and the competitive interaction with the non-native Tropical House Gecko: Implications for conservation.
• Monitoring and mitigating the impact of the global trade in live reptiles and amphibians

My research to date has focused on the development and application of innovative approaches to protect and improve water quality. Examples of research in partnership with the water industry includes the assessment of hydrometric monitoring data and catchment scale modelling approaches to predict the timing and location of pesticide peaks in surface waters; investigations into the removal efficacy of pathogenic viruses and surrogates (bacteriophages) through indirect potable reuse technology; assessment of the health risks associated with the augmentation of surface waters with reused water using quantitative microbial risk assessment approaches; development and application of microbial source tracking techniques and pollutant source apportionment models to determine sources and loads of pollutants entering aquatic environments and analysis and comparison of the pollution performance of water and sewerage companies in England.

Research activities at Brighton can be found in: 

• Advanced Engineering Centre (AEC)
• Centre for Aquatic Environments (CAE)
• Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices (CRMD)
• Centre for Stress and Age-Related Disease (STRAND)
• Chemistry Research and Enterprise Group (Chemistry REG)
• Environment and Public Health Research and Enterprise Group (EPHREG)

I have a longstanding interest in nanoscience, nanotechnology and nanophysics, condensed or soft-matter self-assemblies and coarse dispersions, including colloidal encapsulation systems and the surface adsorption of functionalising polymers. I study complex formulations such as vaccines, particulate drug delivery systems and nanoencapsulation techniques in considerable depth. I work routinely with biosurfactants (such as proteins and peptides or gums), natural polymers, sustainable materials and synthetically modified materials. 

I am interested in recycling and re-exploitation of spent and soiled or spent materials or polluted environments. I am interested in the pollution of water systems and soils by heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and pesticides and by the role micro- and nano-plastic pollution plays in the damage to rivers, coastlines and seas. Work with microplastics (solid bodies) in terms of characterisation of adsorbates and organo-metallic or protein-polysaccharide biofilm fouling and the chemistry of seafoams also feature in my current research. I work with surface active molecules in the form of simple and complex foams and thin liquid films (foam lamellae). These structures relate to the quasi-2D-architectures created for a range of purposes; as means of sensing, synthesis and in their own right, to study processes such as statistical mechanics and energetics. As a nanotechnologist I also work in the field of miniaturised analytical systems – microfluidics, microarrays, sensors, diagnostic systems, and biosensors. I work in the context of product and process design and investigations associated with engineering and manufacturing process modelling. I work with the mechanics and rheology of a range of materials. 

I am interested in 'invention' and equipment fabrication and design. I am fascinated by physical and engineering applications of mesophase materials (liquid crystals), coarse and colloidal dispersions, and complex fluids, such as ionic liquids, thermotropic materials, gels and emulsions. 

Knowledge Exchange

My interest in knowledge exchange (KE) is manifested in university teaching and research but also in professional body (RSC, RPSGB, IOM3, HEA) and STEM Ambassador work (schools, colleges, university summer schools). Yet more KE is undertaken by industrial consultancy (Smpl Innovations GmbH, Graphic Supplies, Cryolabs, Biofrontera AG, etc), industrially-related academic study (KTPs, KEEP+), pure academic research with chemists, biologists, physicists and engineers at the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex but also more globally (Bulgaria, France, Italy, Sweden, USA, China, India, etc). Even more KE occurs through RCUK grant reviewing activities (EPSRC, MRC, BBSRC), editorial board and editorships (CDDT, Current Nanomedicine) for scientific periodicals, publisher book reviewing (HEA, Elsevier, Wiley) and in text book writing for three fully-authored books (Wiley-Blackwell).

Past, present and future research projects and topics:

• Plasma treatment of metals for vapour deposition
• Flax and hemp materials and their non-food use
• Nanomaterials in composite polymer materials
• Microemulsions for drug delivery
• Applications of coarse dispersions and complex fluids
• Thin liquid films and foams. Wetting transitions and thin liquid films
• Surface adsorption of polymers and proteins
• Nicotine replacement therapy and drug delivery systems
• 3D/4D printing and photo-reactive polymers
• Recycling and re-assignment of waste absorbent cotton materials
• Physics of droplet impact, spreading and fluid mechanics
• Nanoparticle and polymer drug delivery systems
• Photo-dynamic nanoparticle therapy for cancer treatment
• Nanotechnology for pharmaceutical, medical and food packaging
• Food physics and food process engineering
• Status indicating medical device materials
• Environmentally responsive encapsulated metal nanoparticles for sensor use
• Complex fluids, ionic liquids and liquid crystals
• Composite insulating materials
• The heavy metal content of industrial wastewater and landfill discharge/leachate
• Micro-plastics as 'nucleation' bodies for marine pollution and their role in seaborne and food-chain concentration, based on surface physics and composition chemistry, and the subsequent effects on geosystems and marine ecology

Awards

• Sosabowski, M.H., Piatt, R., Sarker, D.K. (2003) “Young Chemists’ Learning Project,” University of Brighton Innovation Awards 2003 - Prize Winner, Business Services, University Brighton
• Dipak K. Sarker, Featured chemist: RSC News Chemistry World, Feb 2005, p12
• Chair of the Downland Section of RSC from (Sussex, Surrey, Hamphire, Kent) 2005-2008

Memberships

• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Fellow designated: CChem FRSC
• Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Fellow designated: FIMMM
• Institute of Nanotechnology
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), Academic Pharmacy Group
• University of Brighton  – School Safety Officer (chemistry)
• University of Brighton  – Sustainability representative - Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
• University of Brighton  – Enterprise representative - Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
• University of Brighton  – Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences Research Ethics Committee

Editorships

• Section Editor: Current Drug Delivery Technologies
• Associate Editor: Current Nanomedicine
• Special Issue Editor: Nanomaterials - Synthesis, Properties and Application of Novel Nanostructured Biomaterials

Editorial boards

• Recent Patents on Drug Delivery and Formulation
• International Journal of  Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education
• Open Colloid Science Journal
• Advanced Materials Reviews
• Advanced Materials Letters
• Asian Journal of Pharmaceutics
• Inventi Rapid-Impact: Pharm Tech
• Khimiya (Chemistry)
• Journal of Modern Medicinal Chemistry
• Journal of the Chinese Advanced Materials Society
• Recent Patents on Engineering
• ISRN Journal of Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry
• International Journal of Information System and Management Research

Organising committees

• Waste Management Conference Team - KTP Project 2019/2020 (University of Brighton)
• Conference Committee - 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials 2013 (China)
• Organising committee: International Union of Advanced Materials - Academic Committee Member 2011, Hong Kong
• Advisory board: Advanced Materials World Congress (AM 2013, organized by the International Association of Advanced Materials), Turkey, September 2013
• International Advisory Board 2nd World Conference on Science and Mathematics Education , 15-17 Oct 2015, Cyprus

 

 My main area of research interest is in the polymer materials and development of novel advanced materials for biomedical and environmental applications. My research group is a multi-disciplinary team with research interests in the development and characterisation of novel porous materials, hydrogels, (nano) composites and nanoparticle based materials. I focus on the development of functional materials for applications in the wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery and removing  contaminants from water.

 Specifically, my research areas include

• Synthesis of functional porous polymer gels, hybrid polymer-inorganic and nanocomposite materials

• Characterisation of soft porous materials

• Development of smart polymer systems

• Development of drug delivery systems

• Development of novel materials for contaminated water remediation.

Accepting PhD students

Collaborators Dr T. Abdullin, Laboratory of Bioactive Polymers and Peptides, https://kpfu.ru/eng/strau/laboratories/bioactive-polymers-and-peptides

Dr M Alavijeh, Pharmidex https://www.pharmidex.com

Previous research projects:

Development of the flow through bioreactor of 3D-structured bacteria for biodegradation of aromatic chloro-derivatives from contaminated water. (H2020-MSCA-IF grant)

Water and soil clean-up from mixed contaminants (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, WaSClean project).

Investigation of neurotoxicity and oxidative stress of PEGylated nanographeneusing rat pheochromocytoma (PC-12) neuronal cell lines (Commonwealth scholarship).

Nanomaterials for practical use in remediation: Case study of mercury contamination in the lake Bylkyldak (The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan).

Immobilized noble metal nanoparticles as efficient flow through catalyst for “green” decomposition of chlorinated aromatic compounds (British Council Newton grant).

Controlled production and chemical modification of a variety of novel-carbons for specific end applications into the bio-organic field (FP7-PEOPLE-IRSES staff exchange programme ENSOR).

Novel smart materials for biomedical application (FP7-PEOPLE-RG grant - Bio-Smart).

Developing and evaluation of a quantitative imaging technique for assessment of nanoparticle drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier: Application for brain cancer therapeutics (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP grant, OncoNanoBBB).

Studying adsorption of proteins on the carbon based materials (Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) research grant).

Developing novel nanocomposite materials for the water clean-up (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF. MacroClean)

Development and manufacture of permeable composite filters for environment application (FP7-PEOPLE-IAPP, CARBOSORB).

Tissue engineering materials based on macroporous cryogels and non-viral delivery systems, growth factors: the development and testing in peripheral nerve injury and therapeutic angiogenesis (Russian Federal Programme grant).

My research interests can broadly be classified under the heading of water-rock interaction. This covers the chemical and physical interaction of fluids with earth materials from high temperature igneous systems to environment mineralogy and fluid chemistry. Current research interests include the genesis of rare earth element and iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits, the influence of unsaturated zone flow on groundwater chemistry, particularly with respect to diffuse urban pollution, and the redox mineralogy of marine steel corrosion. The latter is an interdisciplinary project with civil engineering and microbiology colleagues.

In the past I have worked on the genesis of iron oxide-copper-gold mineral deposit systems in Sweden and Kazakhstan, including their geochronology, mineralogy and fluid chemistry, all with the aim of producing new and better constrained genetic models. I have also worked on a range of other mineralising systems including shear zone-hosted gold, karst-hosted bauxite and granite related Sn-W mineralisation.

My research interests span the fields of geomorphology, sediment processes and ecology within coastal environments primarily mangroves, salt marshes, coastal meadows, sea grasses and macroalgae. I specialise in sediment geochemistry including gamma spectroscopy, stable isotope analysis, granulometry, assessment of carbon storage and, sediment source tracking. I also utilise drones, ROVs, dGPS, LiDAR data and machine learning tools for the characterisation of geomorphology, plant communities, and ecosystem services in coastal environments to model the impacts of sea level rise, changes in sediment deposition, environmental pollution and carbon sequestration and storage within coastal ecosystems.

I have conducted research throughout the coasts of Argentina and Brazil including the Amazon and Entre Rios estuaries, within Arctic salt marshes in Norway, and coastal wet grasslands in Estonia, mangroves in Nigeria, Thailand, Iran, Vietnam, and Mexico, as well as seagrasses and salt marshes within the south of England. I am interested in how sedimentary processes and carbon sequestration have been influenced by recent climate change in order to see how these services are likely to be altered by future climate change.

My main interests lie in the development of electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring and the role of practical science for education at all ages.

Monitoring in the field is fraught with issues and often limited to certain compounds or concentration levels. I believe the key to worthwhile environmental protection and regulation starts with the ability to measure compounds of interest accurately and with low enough limits of detection. Too many times legislation is set by the limits of technology. My ethos is to keep analysis simple, cheap and accessible to all whilst maintaining the quality of the techniques.

Low concentration metal pollution has historically been a difficult area for field measurements resulting in only higher concentrations being able to be measured or samples having to be transported and analysed in laboratories. Many of the areas where monitoring is necessary are in remote or poorer areas in the world making laboratory analysis difficult. My research aims to develop sensors which can be used in the field with zero or minimal sample preparation but still obtain the trace level concentration measurements required for pollutants such as metals.

My belief is that education from an early age sets the attitude of a person to the environment they live in. By educating children about environmental issues in their immediate vicinity they will become more aware and considerate of the greater issues of the world. Children learn best by doing and as such I am currently developing a series of experiments to allow children to make real measurements of their local environment allowing them to discuss pollution issues and conservation measures. This project is developing through undergraduate research and so serving a double education role with that of the school children and of our undergraduates here at Brighton.

My PhD thesis focusses on how we can use drones to advance our ability to monitor salt marsh restoration sites, using a newly created site on the Adur estuary, UK as a case study. This project will look at the ecological and physical development of the site through field-based investigations. Machine learning algorithms will then be used to train drone imagery of the site, and its predictive ability will be assessed. This project combines my interest in salt marshes as a fascinating ecosystem with my interest in geospatial technology, and how this can be used to advance our understanding of the natural world.

Microplastics, sediment transport, geomorphology, radiochemistry, aquatic sediments