Our Researchers - CDT WIRe

Meet the WIRe CDT researchers and see the exciting range of PhD projects they are working on below. To see the PhD researchers who have graduated from the programme, click here.

Cohort I

Dimitris Athanasopoulos-Tseles

Project Title: Eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wastewater Treatment

Host: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Severn Trent Water

Rowan Pearce

Project Title: Delivering a Resilient Approach to Tertiary Phosphorus Removal from Wastewater

Host: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, Scottish Water, Thames Water

Alethea Goddard

Project Title: Promoting high quality and multifunctional green infrastructure

Host: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water

Cohort II

Congratulations to Cohort II who have all completed their PhD projects!

See our alumni here

Cohort III

Sreelakshmi Babu

Project Title: The future of wastewater-based epidemiology

Host: Newcastle University/Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water, Scottish Water

Isabel Carneiro Cardoso da Silva

Project Title: Achieving biologically stable / low AOC water in the UK

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, UKWIR

Anna Charatzidou

Project Title: Effects of microplastics on interactions between soil biota, soil structure and crop performance in sewage sludge-amended soils

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Scottish Water

Anna Christy

Project Title: Minimising whole life carbon emissions in a multi-site utility

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water

Polly Grundy

Project Title: Controlling water chemistry to improve drinking water quality and minimising disinfection by-products

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, UKWIR

Eleyna McGrady

Project Title: Resilience of Groundwater Resource under Severe Drought

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water

Samuel Nyarko

Project Title: Securing drinking water supplies: the role of organic matter on water treatability

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: Lorch Foundation, Sue White Fund, Anglian Water

Lucie Bertolaso

Project Title: Taking 20th Century water treatment assets into the mid 21st Century

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water, Thames Water

Matthew Pitt

Project Title: The influence of tillage methods on water transport through the whole soil profile

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Affinity Water

Mark Powders

Project Title: Ammonia to energy: A key decarbonisation strategy for the water sector

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent, Anglian Water

Pinelopi Savvidou

Project Title: Wastewater Integrated Selection Environment: A UK Model comprising regulation, resilience and sustainability

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Atkins

Alan Smalley

Project Title: Real Time Forecasting of Catchment Water Quality to Improve Supply Resilience

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Thames Water

Charlie Whitelegg

Project Title: Unlocking the potential of hydraulic transients as a source of information about water distribution networks

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: University of Sheffield, Scottish Water

Siqi Xu

Project Title: Resource and energy recovery from sewage sludge by optimised advanced thermal conversion process control

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Thames Water

Cohort IV

André Araujo Frota

Project Title: Catchments as the first stage of treatment

Host: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, UKWIR

Raman Suri

Project Title: Ceramic nanofiltration: Creating a resilient future for drinking water supply

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Scottish Water, Welsh Water, Anglian Water

Ishara Perera

Project Title: Data density to predictive power – Intelligent Water Distribution Systems

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Scottish Water

George Crowley

Project Title: Machine Learning Methods for Monitoring of Complex Water and Sewer Network Infrastructure

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Thames Water

Kaeli Brazier

Project Title: Understanding the risks associated with contaminated floodwater from urban drainage systems

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsor: Incorporated – EU research project

Zachary Thompson

Project Title: Quantifying and Abating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Large Wastewater Treatment Plants

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water Ltd

Ana Amezaga-Kutija

Project Title: Proactive management of dissolved organic carbon in catchments to mitigate climate change impacts on trihalomethanes formation in water treatment

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water Ltd

Jennifer Hollands

Project Title: Disrupting disruptions: Drinking water treatment resilience to chemical shortages

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water, Thames Water

Anne Wairimu Kamau

Project Title: Understanding the role of nitrogen in the formation of nitrogenous disinfection by-products in drinking water treatment systems

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsor: EPSRC, UKWIR

Blessing Mobolaji

Project Title: Nitrous oxide management in a novel biological process

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsor: Anglian Water

Cohort V

Cerith Rhys-Morgan

Project Title: Persistent droughts and water supply system risk in a changing climate

Host: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, United Utilities

Freya Thornley

Project Title: Integrated biological system design of catchment systems for non-point pollution control

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsor: Newcastle University

Gareth Cotton

Project Title: Data Driven Control of Urban Drainage Systems (EMS)

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, EMS

Hannah Wright

Project Title: Investigating the Impact of Climate Change on River Water Quality to Secure Future Water Supplies

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water

Mohammad Reza Shekofteh

Project Title: Proactive Water Network Management

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water

Muna Hassan

Project Title: Supressing Greenhouse Gases Emissions from Sewage Sludge Treatment – Supporting the Water Industry Meeting Net-Zero

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water, Scottish Water, Thames Water, United Utilities, Welsh Water, Wessex Water

Rachael Giles

Project Title: Biological Coagulant Recovery for Resilient and Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Thames Water, Welsh Water, United Utilities, Scottish Water, Severn Trent Water

Roman Tijsseling

Project Title: Adaptive Monitoring of System Health (AMoSH)

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: The University of Sheffield, South Staffordshire Water

Tomas Hotzel Escardo

Project Title: Advanced Sensing and AI for Risk Detection in Rail Environments

Host University: The University of Sheffield

Sponsors: The University of Sheffield, Network Rail

Vladislav Dmitrievich Dukhovskoy

Project Title: City-scale strategies for urban drainage to regulate quantity and quality of flow

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Northumbrian Water

Cohort VI

Madeleine Tate

Project Title: Peri-urban strategies for sustainable surface water management

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Newcastle City Council

Jasper Wressell

Project Title: Service Reservoir Integrity

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Water

Emily Jane Blackburn

Project Title: Understanding risks from emerging contaminants PFAS to surface water resources

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Southern Water

Vincent Smith

Project Title: Developing an easy-to-use device for onsite detection of sewage in water

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, WRC Group, Northumbrian Water

Lydia Mahan

Project Title: Measuring the environmental benefits and social impact of large scale Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsor: Severn Trent Water

Nick Donati

Project Title: Virus Research in Surface- and Ground Waters

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Scottish Water, DWI

Doreen Machibya

Project Title: Defining-the-outfall-mixing-zone

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Severn Trent Water

Joshua Weatherill-Frow

Project Title: From Crisis to Sustainability: A Policy Analysis of Post-Conflict Water Infrastructure Reconstruction in Ukraine in the Context of Climate Change

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsor: Newcastle University

Mercy Adagayi

Project Title: Track-PFAS: PFAS inventory for risk assessment in water treatment works: sources, equilibrium and exposure routes

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, WTW Corporate

Linda Sebty Alobaidy

Project Title: Big data network complexity and machine learning to deliver targeted pro-active dwds maintenance

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, South West Water

Cohort VII

Gabriella Everett

Project Title: Impacts of Blending Drinking Water from Desalination into Existing Distribution Systems

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water

Joanna Karska

Project Title: Scaling up of innovation in water utilities

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Yorkshire Water

Samuel Garnham

Project Title: A simple approach to tailoring biofilms for effective removal of micropollutants during wastewater treatment

Host University: University of Sheffield

Sponsors: EPSRC, Southern Water

Boyang Wang

Project Title: Reimagining and intensifying total nutrient removal secondary biological treatment processes to meet net zero targets (NutriZero)

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Yorkshire Water, Southern Water, Stantec, Microvi

Natasha Chrouch

Project Title: Establishing the potential for improved management of intermittent sewage discharges with nature-based solutions (NbS for CSOs)

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Yorkshire Water, Wessex Water, United Utilities, Severn Trent, Environment Agency

Rubin Das

Project Title: Unveiling and enhancing nature-based solutions for mitigating emerging micropollutants (NbS for micropollutants)

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, WRC Group, Southern Water, Scottish Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, Environment Agency, Anglian Water

Sebastian Gibbs

Project Title: Maximising PFAS forever chemical removal from drinking water

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Anglian Water, Yorkshire Water, Thames Water, Northumbrian Water

Letícia Niedvieski

Project Title: Energy-SuDS: The potential of heat exchange in Sustainable Drainage Systems for decarbonising heating and cooling

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Mitsubishi Electric R&D Centre Europe B.V.

Jacob Roberts

Project Title: Next-Generation Flood Models: Physics-informed neural networks for urban resilience

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: University funded

Dougie MacFarlane

Project Title: Nitrous oxide in the wastewater industry: Measurement, monitoring, and mitigation

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, Severn Trent, Yorkshire Water

Reuben Harris

Project Title: Tackling algae and algae-derived challenges in drinking water

Host University: Cranfield University

Sponsors: EPSRC, UKWIR

Lubabah Hossain

Project Title: Understanding the retention and treatment of highway runoff pollutants within roadside bioretention systems – and implications for design and long-term maintenance

Host University: Newcastle University

Sponsors: EPSRC, HR Wallingford