I grew up in Suffolk, “down south” in East Anglia. I did BSc Environmental Earth Science followed by MSc Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, both at Aberystwyth University in Wales. During my MSc I was involved in research into acid mine drainage (AMD) at the Tanjung Enim opencast coal mining site in South Sumatra, Indonesia. After this, I moved to Manchester and worked in a commercial laboratory for almost two years before starting my PhD.
My PhD research is looking into the geomicrobiological basis of arsenic mobilisation in aquifers. The project will involve combining a broad range of microbiological, geochemical (organic and inorganic) and mineralogical techniques on sediment and water samples from Cambodia and Vietnam. Groundwater-derived arsenic poisoning is a huge issue in South East Asia, often called “the largest mass poisoning in human history” and I’m passionate about contributing to such important research.
My main hobby is hiking. I love the outdoors and enjoy going on long country day-hikes in the weekends and sometimes multi-day treks. In Manchester, I consider myself very lucky to have some of the UK’s best hiking areas (including the Peak District and Lake District) only short train-ride away. I also enjoy going to the cinema and theatre, as well as day-trips and travelling.
My favourite mineral is pyrite, mainly for its gold like appearance (giving rise to its nickname “fools gold”). Pyrite is also interesting from a bio-geochemical perspective, its microbial mediated oxidation leads to AMD and it is also a fossil-forming mineral.
Hi! I’m Mingyu Feng, coming from China. I studied Environmental Engineering for my bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Sun Yat-Sen University in 2016 and 2019, respectively. After graduating, I worked as an environmental consultant for two years. The working experiences inspire me to pursue a PhD studying. My PhD research project will focus on carbon materials […]
I’m Charlie! I am originally from a land far-far away (Bristol) but have been living in Manchester for the past 4 years, though am still yet to drop the silly Bristol accent. I started chemistry at UoM in 2018 and graduated in 2022, despite covids best efforts! My masters project was in the organic materials […]
Hi! My name is Abdulaziz, from Saudi Arabia. In 2009, I graduated from King Saud University with a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Science. Afterward, in 2014, I completed my Master’s degree in Earth Science, and thesis titled “mineralogical and geochemical of bauxite ore deposits in Saudi Arabia” at King Saud University. I have worked in […]
Guten Tag, as we say in Germany. I’m Raphael and I am, you guessed it, from Germany. I did my Bachelor and Master of Science in the Chemistry Department of the University of Cologne. That’s the city I always thought was famous for its gothic cathedral, but seems to be better known in the UK […]