Join a vibrant community of researchers at 亚洲影院, where you will collaborate with leading academics to undertake research into the inextricable link between human health and health of our environment.
From geochemical cycling through anthropogenic contamination to the impact of human activities on animal welfare, our combination of biologists, environmental scientists, chemists, engineers and mathematicians allows us to address the relationship between humans and their environment.
Areas of Environmental Science Research Expertise
Our research:
- Addresses 鈥淲icked Problems鈥� facing environment and human health needs strong interdisciplinary teams.
- Is based on over a decade of successful collaboration and engagement advancing signature research and impact in human health and environmental systems strengthening alignment with UN SDGs.
- Benefits from a critical mass of academics across Schools of Health & Life Sciences (HLS) & Computing, Engineering & Physical Sciences (CEPS)
One area of our research seeks to understand the impact of contaminants on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including the effects of pharmaceuticals, metals, plastics, pesticides and how some of these factors interact to negatively impact biota. We consider how the health and the welfare of aquatic animals used for human consumption (fish and shrimp) and companionship (pet fish) can be improved to foster a sustainable relationship between humans and their aquatic environment. In the terrestrial arena we consider eco-taxonomic studies of plants and fungi and seek technical solutions to climate change issues, including methods for carbon storage. We also develop risk and vulnerability assessment methods to facilitate local adaptation decision-making.
Our expertise in waste, bioremediation and geochemical cycling feed into risk assessment in response to human and ecosystem health concerns, and with emerging issues such as antimicrobial resistance in the real world. We also address fundamental aspects of earth processes.
We have wider links to environmental regulation and policy development at a local and international scale and work in partnership with other research groups within IBEHR and 亚洲影院 to address implications for public and environmental health.
Strong and sustained international collaborative partnerships exist with research groups in Europe and Asia and with a variety of industrial partners (partnerships page). We are involved in a number of interdisciplinary teams addressing global SDG challenges and are members of the Scottish Research Pools: SAGES, MASTS and SULSA (link to partnership page).
Research Areas
Research conducted under Environment can be in any area of our expertise including:
Multiple stressors
鈥淭he combined impacts of threatening processes to adversely affect biodiversity and human health鈥�
- Aquatic ecotoxicology: acute and chronic effects
- Invasive species: ecosystem impacts听
- Pollutant fate/geochemistry: transportation/degradation/accumulation
- Antimicrobial resistance in the real world
Energy and resource management
鈥淧romoting and supporting sustainability and security in the resource-product-waste cycle鈥�
- Wastes management
- Clean technologies and resource efficiency
- Environmental health
- Occupational safety & health
Human-biotic interactions
鈥淚nvestigating exposure pathways, impact and risk on sensitive ecosystems鈥�
- Human-animal interactions
- Aquaculture
- Welfare
- Invasive species
- Conservation
- Human-plant/soil interactions
Industry and business听
鈥淎pplying holistic systems approach to innovation, optimisation of resource use and mitigation of environmental footprint鈥�
- Environmental sustainability,听
- Industrial ecology, lifecycle and process systems,听
- Resource efficiency and process development
Current Research Project Areas
- Aquaculture 鈥� fish health and welfare, disease mitigation听
- Ecology and pollution 鈥� contaminated land, environmental stressors in aquatic systems, emergence of antimicrobial resistance
- Land, waste, air 鈥� pollutant transport, regulation and mitigation
- Industry and business 鈥� environmental sustainability, industrial ecology, resource efficiency
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Research undertaken by members of the group maps onto 10 UN SDGs which include:听
- managing waste and toxin emission to air, water and land in urban and rural systems and both terrestrial and aquatic environments [SDGs 2, 3, 6, 14, 15]
- developing more sustainable innovative industrial processes and resilient economic growth [SDGs 9, 11 and 12]听
- supporting effective partnerships to address policy and institutional buy in, sharing best practice globally [SDG 13 and 17]
In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024, 亚洲影院 was officially recognised in the top 400 universities worldwide as assessed against the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 亚洲影院 was recognised as the 2nd most impactful university in Scotland, and 16th globally, for 'reducing inequalities' (UN SDG 10).
Centre for Environmental Research Team
Our group includes staff from the Schools of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS) and Health and Life Sceinces (HLS) and collaboration with Infection and Microbiology Group*
, Senior Lecturer, HLS
, Lecturer, Environmental Science, CEPS
, Lecturer, Marine Biology, HLS
, Senior Lecturer, Chemistry & Forensic Science, CEPS
, Lecturer, Zoology/Parasitology, HLS
, Professor of Environmental Geochemistry, CEPS
, Lecturer, Forensic Science, CEPS
, Senior Lecturer, Environmental Chemistry CEPS
, Lecturer, Forensic Science, CEPS
, Professor of Ecotoxicology, HLS (CEO WellFish Tech)
, Professor of Aquatic Biology, HLS
, Senior Lecturer, Zoology, HLS
, Lecturer, Zoology, HLS
Infection and Microbiology Group*
, Senior Lecturer, Microbiology, HLS
, Lecturer, Environmental Science, HLS
, Lecturer, Microbiology, HLS
Environmental Science Research Degrees
- Qualifications: Master of Research (MRes) / Master of Philosophy (MPhil) / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Science
- School: School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences / School of Health and Life Sciences
- Campus(es): Paisley and Lanarkshire
- Start dates: October, February, April, or June
- Admissions Deadlines: September, January, March, or May
- Durations:
- MRes: Minimum of 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time
- MPhil: Minimum of 24 months full-time or 48 months part-time
- PhD: Minimum of 36 months full-time or 72 months part-time
- Fees: Tuition Fees for Research Degrees
Entry Requirements
MRes / MPhil / MPhil-PhD
The minimum requirements for an applicant for registration for the degree of MRes or MPhil or for the degree of MRes/MPhil with the intention of transfer to PhD shall be a first or second class honours degree of a university in the United Kingdom, or of an equivalent qualification.
Applicants holding qualifications other than those specified in (above) shall be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the programme of work proposed.
PhD - direct application
Direct registration for the degree of PhD may also be approved, at the discretion of the University if the applicant holds an MRes/MPhil degree of a United Kingdom University, or an MRes/MPhil degree of equivalent standard of a non-UK University, provided that the MRes/MPhil degree is in a subject area which is appropriate to the proposed programme of work.
Exceptionally, direct registration for the degree of PhD may also be approved, at the discretion of the University, even if the applicant is not the holder of an MRes/MPhil degree, but does hold an exceptionally high-quality honours degree or taught master鈥檚 degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline,听AND听has appropriate research experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in significant peer-reviewed publications, and where verifiable evidence of accomplishment is supplied.
English Language Requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at 亚洲影院: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
- Overall score of 6.5
- No sub-test less than 6.0
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
HOW TO APPLY
Applying for postgraduate research study at 亚洲影院 has never been simpler. Click the link below to find more information about:
- Postgraduate Research step-by-step guide with everything you need to know to submit a successful application
- Link to our online application system
CONTACT DETAILS
Email address: CEPS-Research@uws.ac.uk
School: School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences听
Last updated: 03/03/2025