PhD Projects

Our training programme is set within a multidisciplinary environment. All Partners are dedicated to developing a multi-, cross- and pan-disciplinary London centre of environmental science doctoral training.

We recognise the need to develop student skills in new subjects and linking research areas between traditional subjects. Each Partner has submitted a selection of PhD projects falling within each research theme.

Below is the list of the exemplar projects available. Students are also invited to develop their own bespoke projects. Click on a column header to sort the table, or use the ‘advanced search’ to search for projects on a particular topic, in a particular research theme, or at a particular institution.

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1st Supervisor Inst. Project Title Theme 2nd Supervisor Inst.
Martin-Puertas, Celia RHUL Evaluating the effects of shifting solar activity on European Climate during the Holocene Past Life & Environments Blockley, Simon RHUL
Maslin, Mark UCL Understanding the evolution of Mediterranean vegetation by studying the Miocene Petrified Forest of Lesvos (Greece) Past Life & Environments Tzedakis, Chronis UCL
Maslin, Mark UCL Integrated satellite analysis to monitor water leakage from pipe networks Environmental Pollution
Millington, James KCL Anthropogenic Fire in Dynamic Global Vegetation Models: Generalised agent-based modelling Pan-disciplinary Wooster, Martin KCL
Milner, Alice RHUL A delicate balance? Understanding spontaneous switches from erosion to carbon accumulation in northern peatlands. Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes
Milner, Alice RHUL Using fossil fungal spores to predict future climatic change impacts on ecosystems Biodiversity & Ecology Gange, Alan RHUL
Mirumachi, Naho KCL Evaluating the importance of flood pulse cycles in the Okavango socio-ecological system: Challenges of developing a free-flowing river. Pan-disciplinary Tebbs, Emma KCL
Morgan, Jason RHUL Seismic and Geophysical Study of the Dynamics of the Reunion Plume and its Plume-Ridge Interaction Solid Earth Dynamics
Muller, Peter-Jan UCL Fusion of CryoSat-2, MISR and other remote sensing data for sea ice surface characterisation Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Tsamados, Michel UCL
Murrell, David UCL Linking patterns and processes in tropical forests Biodiversity & Ecology Olhede, Sofia UCL
Newbold, Tim UCL How does climate modify the response of biodiversity to land use? Biodiversity & Ecology
Nicoll, Malcolm IOZ Future-proofing threatened species recovery programmes Biodiversity & Ecology Murrell, David UCL
Oliveri, Paola UCL Evolution of mineralized skeleton in planktonic larvae of echinoderms Evolution & Adaptation
Olson, Peter NHM The role of transcription factor evolution in flatworm parasitism Evolution & Adaptation Stollewerk, Angelika QMUL
Papineau, Dominic UCL Signs of life in Paleoarchean chemical sedimentary rocks Past Life & Environments Powner, Matthew UCL
Pearson, Richard UCL Identifying traits that make plant species vulnerable to climate change Biodiversity & Ecology Moat, Justin KEW
Pearson, Richard UCL Stability of complex ecological networks under climate change Biodiversity & Ecology Severini, Simone UCL
Percy, Diana NHM Genomic investigation of host race formation and speciation on oceanic islands Biodiversity & Ecology Nichols, Richard QMUL
Petrone, Chiara Maria NHM Timescale of explosive eruptions at densely populated active volcanoes Natural & Biological Hazards Downes, Hilary BBK
Pickering, Kevin UCL Architecture and stacking patterns of deep-marine lobe and related deposits, Eocene Hecho Group, Jaca basin, Spanish Pyrenees: Depositional processes, sandbody geometry and stacking patterns Past Life & Environments Bown, Paul UCL
Pogge Von Strandmann, Philip UCL Keeping the Earth habitable Past Life & Environments
Pomiankowski, Andrew UCL Genomic signatures of good genes sexual selection Evolution & Adaptation Fowler, Kevin UCL
Portugal, Steve RHUL Dynamics of flocking in birds: the role of individual recognition and social learning Evolution & Adaptation Leadbeater, Elli RHUL
Portugal, Steve RHUL Evolution of eggshell surface structure and physiology Evolution & Adaptation Russell, Douglas NHM
Pritchard, Hugh KEW Bioenergy research: African Jatropha – a comparative study of phylogeny and seed quality Biodiversity & Ecology Seal, Charlotte KEW
Pritchard, Hugh KEW Seeds in Space: What molecules are lost in a space vacuum? Biodiversity & Ecology Kataria, Dhiren UCL
Rae, Jonathan UCL Changes in Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling during substorm onset Natural & Biological Hazards
Rae, Jonathan UCL Understanding Van Allen Radiation Belt loss processes and their impact on the upper atmosphere Natural & Biological Hazards
Reuter, Max UCL Identifying the targets of balancing selection in wild populations Evolution & Adaptation Andres, Aida UCL
Riesch, Rüdiger RHUL Examining the processes that generate, maintain, and threaten biological diversity Evolution & Adaptation
Ross, Gordon UCL Statistical Modeling of Earthquake Recurrence Times Natural & Biological Hazards Guillas, Serge UCL
Rossberg, Axel QMUL Spatio-temporal modelling of planktonic biodiversity to resolve the paradox of the plankton Biodiversity & Ecology Hanson, China QMUL
Routledge, Edwin Brunel Control and Prevention of S. mansoni transmission to Humans Natural & Biological Hazards Emery, Aidan NHM
Routledge, Edwin Brunel Prevalence and Ecotoxicological Risk of Retinoids in the Environment Environmental Pollution Kanda, Rakesh Brunel
Routledge, Edwin Brunel The ‘Trojan Horse’ – transfer of chemicals to animals from sediments by microplastics Environmental Pollution Spencer, Kate QMUL
Rowcliffe, Marcus IOZ Behavioural economics and unanticipated outcomes of Payment for Ecosystem Services in Kenya conservancies Biodiversity & Ecology Homewood, Katherine UCL
Ruban, Alexander QMUL Molecular factors ensuring high adaptability of Hedera helix to the light environment Evolution & Adaptation Leitch, Ilia KEW
Ruban, Alexander QMUL Molecular factors ensuring effective adaptability of Hedera to high light. Evolution & Adaptation Leitch, Ilia KEW
Sammonds, Peter UCL High temperature fracture and flow in volcanic systems Solid Earth Dynamics
Sammonds, Peter UCL Sea ice monitoring and imaging using FMCW radar on unmanned aerial vehicles Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Lok, Lai Bun UCL
Sammonds, Peter UCL Ice shelf dynamics Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes
Schofield, Gail QMUL Using drones to elucidate the drivers of the temporal and spatial ecology of sea turtles and sharks on remote island environments Biodiversity & Ecology Eizaguirre, Christophe QMUL
Scrimshaw, Mark Brunel Evaluating the performance of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems using Enfield as a Case Study Environmental Pollution Spencer, Kate QMUL
Scrimshaw, Mark Brunel Chemicals in the home: assessment of the challenge for wastewater treatment Environmental Pollution
Shields, Graham UCL The Cambrian explosion: causes and consequences Past Life & Environments
Solferino, Giulio RHUL HErupt: Hydrothermal cell pre-Eruptive simulation: An analogue model of bubble formation in explosive magmas Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Hier-Majumder, Saswata RHUL
Soligo, Christophe UCL Phylogeny, form and function of primate tarsal bones Evolution & Adaptation
Song, Teh-Ru Alex UCL What can long period seismic tremors tell us about physical-chemical processes inside active volcanoes? Solid Earth Dynamics
Spencer, Kate QMUL Sediment structure, hydrology and erosion in restored saltmarshes Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Wharton, Geraldene QMUL
Spencer, Kate QMUL Microplastic-sediment interactions (MiPSi) Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Wharton, Geraldene QMUL
Stollewerk, Angelika QMUL Genetics underlying social evolution Evolution & Adaptation Wurm, Yannick QMUL
Stukins, Stephen NHM Microfossil phylogeny, evolution and diversity in the early Neogene Past Life & Environments Wade, Bridget UCL
Sturzenbaum, Stephen KCL Assessment of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the nematode: an invertebrate model for a complex discipline Environmental Pollution Arlt, Volker KCL
Sumner, Seirian UCL Why should the world care about wasps? Ecological and economic importance of wasps Biodiversity & Ecology Clare, Beth QMUL
Sumner, Seirian UCL Estimating the value of social wasps as natural pest-control agents Biodiversity & Ecology Pearson, Richard UCL
Sumpter, John Brunel Which human pharmaceuticals pose the greatest threat to aquatic organisms? Environmental Pollution
Tebbs, Emma KCL Satellite remote sensing for investigating the ecology of Lesser Flamingos and cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in East African Rift Valley lakes Biodiversity & Ecology Wooster, Martin KCL
Tennyson, Jonathan UCL Molecular absorptions in the atmosphere of the early Earth Earth, Atmosphere & Ocean Processes Yurchenko, Sergey UCL
Thomas, Mark UCL Wildlife forensic science in the field: Using genetics to protect Malaysia’s tigers Pan-disciplinary Meakin, Georgina UCL
Thomson, Andrew UCL Lab Geophysics – the acoustic velocity of mantle minerals Solid Earth Dynamics Brodholt, John UCL
208 PhD projects available

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