PhD studentships for recruitment to Cohort 8 (September 2026-30):

Aerosol-Assisted Microreactor System for Rapid UV-Vis Detection of PFAS

Theme: Aerosol Technology

Join us in tackling one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges: the detection of “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in water. This PhD will pioneer a miniaturised microreactor that combines aerosol technology with in-situ UV-Vis spectroscopy to deliver fast, portable, and low-cost PFAS sensing. By injecting aerosolised carboxylic acids into flowing water samples, the system forms UV-active complexes with PFAS, enabling immediate detection. You’ll design novel microfluidic architectures, explore cutting-edge aerosol generation (nebulisation and electrospray), and validate the system under real-world conditions—paving the way for field-deployable sensors that protect health and the environment.

Lead supervisor: Dr Bernardo Castro Dominguez 

Physico-chemical properties of model respiratory aerosols from deep lungs

Theme: Aerosols and Health / Basic Aerosol Processes

Airborne disease transmission depends on the physico-chemical properties of respiratory droplets that carry the pathogens: water loss affects how long droplets remain airborne; and pH changes and salt crystallisation affect how long the airborne pathogens remain infectious. Scientists have not yet modelled aerosol from deep breathing that contains lung surfactants, which affect the behaviour within the droplets. You will investigate these processes on acoustically levitated model respiratory droplets and films incorporating biomolecules, using polarised imaging, quartz crystal microbalance, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray scattering. With these you will develop better models to understand respiratory droplets in indoor environments.

Lead supervisor: Dr Adam Squires

Characterisation and Abatement of Particle Emissions from Combustion of Low Carbon Fuels

Theme: Aerosol Technology / Aerosol Measurement Techniques

Zero carbon fuels (H2 and NH3) have been advocated as sustainable alternatives to decarbonise the energy and transport sectors. However, their impact in air quality still has yet to be understood. In the case of NH3 fuelled thermal propulsion systems particle emissions derived from secondary NH3 reactions could be formed and then released to the atmosphere. This PhD project will develop emissions sampling and characterisation methodologies, new knowledge and data to understand emissions formation and transformation processes and propose technological solutions to abate those emissions. Findings will be disseminated via publications/conferences, CDT website, social media, public engagement activities.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Athanasios Tsolakis

Fundamental Studies of Road Dust Resuspension in Urban Air

Theme: Atmospheric Aerosol Studies

Resuspension of road dust is a major but poorly quantified source of airborne particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), with significant health and policy implications. The focus of this project is to conduct controlled field and laboratory experiments designed to elicit the factors determining fluxes of resuspended particles, leading to development of predictive models. This will be complemented by the collection of chemically speciated size fractionated particles at roadside locations with a view to developing enhanced receptor models capable of identification and quantification of resuspended particles in urban atmospheres. By inverse dispersion modelling emission factors for different vehicle classes will be estimated.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Roy Harrison

Healthier indoor environments through low cost source apportionment

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Air pollution is a global killer responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths per year worldwide. Successful air quality management and control not only requires measurement of air pollution levels, but it also requires information on the sources of air pollution and their relative magnitudes and importance. Without this information, it is impossible to plan and enact cost-effective control measures. By achieving local source apportionment in a lower cost manner, this project will allow source apportionment to be used more widely for regulatory and compliance purposes globally.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Francis Pope

Improving indoor PM2.5 air quality during the transition to Net Zero Housing

Theme: Aerosols and Health

The UK’s commitment to Net Zero by 2050 requires the transitioning to Net Zero in the housing sector, but this shift can potentially increase indoor PM2.5 pollution unintentionally. Our goal is to mitigate this by improving indoor air quality during the transition. We will co-develop interventions with stakeholders, including behaviour nudging, and implement them in real or test homes, monitoring indoor environments with novel sensors. The collected data will be analysed using machine learning and causal inference methods developed by the mentors, providing science-based evidence to guide policy and ensure a healthy transition to Net Zero housing.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Zongbo Shi

Self-Assembly in Indoor & Outdoor Aerosols

Theme: Aerosols and Health / Basic Aerosol Processes / Aerosol Measurement Techniques

Fatty acids & esters are key components of urban aerosols as they are emitted in substantial quantities from cooking. These molecules arrange themselves within atmospheric aerosols, and we will explore the effects this organisation has on aerosol properties. Within water droplets these molecules self-organise to form 3–D structures strongly affecting physical properties including diffusion, viscosity & water uptake. We will collect urban aerosols and study the 3–D structure of atmospheric samples & aerosol proxies using cutting-edge methods to establish the impact on chemical lifetimes of organic molecules and the implications on human health in indoor & outdoor environments. 

Lead supervisor: Prof. Christian Pfrang

Assessing the effects of pathogen airborne survivability on airborne transmission risk in indoor environments

Theme: Aerosols and Health

The COVID-19 pandemic renewed our focus on understanding airborne transmission and the need for sophisticated modelling capabilities to assess infection risk. This project will develop mathematical models for assessing airborne transmission risk and control, incorporating pathogen decay profiles and airborne survivability features. Model developments will be supported through measurement campaigns assessing survivability across various timescales and environmental conditions. Through application case studies, effective mitigation strategies and model appropriateness will be assessed. This broad and exciting PhD project will offer an opportunity to develop a unique skill set, gaining a breadth of experience across computational modelling, experimental methods and lab sciences, through to application case studies.

Lead supervisor: Dr Alexander Edwards

Coming in from the cold: Understanding Pathogen Survival and Adaptation During Aerosol Transmission

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Moraxella catarrhalis, a bacterial pathogen primarily affecting humans, is commonly found in children but less so in adults. It causes respiratory infections and possesses surface proteins that enhance survival in the human body. Interestingly, these bacteria are related to organisms from Antarctic permafrost, which change surface protein expression in cold temperatures. This PhD project aims to examine M. catarrhalis survival in respiratory droplets under varying environmental conditions and assess the role of surface proteins in this process. Additionally, it will investigate how surface protein expression impacts the ability of these bacteria to infect human cells following aerosol transmission.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Darryl Hill

Exploring the Atmospheric Impacts of More Accurate Representations of Aerosol Surface Properties

Theme: Basic Aerosol Processes

Surfactants are important components of aerosol chemical composition and may play crucial roles in determining the fraction of atmospheric aerosol that activates into cloud droplets. The high surface area-to-volume ratios inherent to aerosols make it challenging to accurately estimate the surface tension of microscopic aerosol droplets based solely on macroscopic measurements. This project will explore the surface tensions of picolitre volume aerosol droplets containing surfactant mixtures, comparing against and refining thermodynamic model predictions. The refined models will then be parameterized and incorporated into atmospheric box models to assess the magnitude of aerosol surface tension impacts on climate.

Lead supervisor: Dr Bryan Bzdek

Respiratory aerosol as a biomarker for mechanical ventilation within anaesthesia and intensive care

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Respiratory aerosol is generated deep within the lung via the bronchiolar fluid film burst mechanism during tidal breathing. Mechanical lung ventilation alters normal respiratory dynamics by delivering positive pressure, which can cause barotrauma or volutrauma, yet current ventilator settings are largely weight-based, and do not account for patient-specific physiology or pathology. Exhaled particle measurement during mechanical ventilation may provide a novel, non-invasive biomarker of alveolar recruitment and lung injury. This approach may enable personalised ventilation strategies, reducing the risk of ventilator-induced damage and improving patient outcomes.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Tony Pickering

The Role of Wildfires in the Earth System: Feedbacks, Radiative Forcing, and Future Climate Projections using UKESM

Theme: Atmospheric Aerosol Studies

Wildfires are a critical and uncertain component of the climate system. This project will quantify fire-climate feedbacks using the UKESM2 Earth system model with its interactive fire module, INFERNO. The research has three objectives: to examine the impact of recent wildfires on climate and atmospheric composition; to determine the effective radiative forcing in the future of biomass burning aerosols under different future scenarios; and to assess future wildfire risks and feedbacks in climate overshoot scenarios. This provides training in climate science and aims to reduce key uncertainties in projecting future climate change.

Lead supervisor: Dr Paul Griffiths

Modular aerosol generation using electrosprays

Theme: Aerosol Measurement Techniques

Electrosprays have long been used for generating controlled streams of droplets in the micron and submicron range. There are many uses in the pharmaceutical, food, analytical chemistry areas, as well as in applications for surface coating and microthrusters in space. The understanding of the processes surrounding electrospray breakup is moderate; breakup processes are controlled by complex interactions of flow and electrical field distributions, and only recently has computational fluid dynamics reached the point where ab initio predictions of break up and transport can be made and the coupled transport equations for sprays and electric field can also be attempted. The project aims to generate data and simulations capable of creating predictable and validated design solutions for the purpose.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Simone Hochgreb

Development of online respirable fibre monitoring technology

Theme: Aerosol Measurement Techniques

Develop the next generation of fibre monitoring technology. This PhD tackles one of the toughest challenges in occupational and environmental health: detecting and identifying airborne fibres such as asbestos in real time. You will benchmark current fibre measurement techniques, explore cutting-edge optical methods for fibre discrimination, and pioneer systems that selectively capture suspect particles for offline confirmation. The project offers extensive hands-on laboratory work alongside real-world field trials, giving you experience from controlled experiments to applied deployment. You will build expertise in aerosol science, optics, and instrumentation, with opportunities to collaborate with industry and regulatory bodies shaping workplace safety.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Chris Stopford

Metrology and Standardisation of Airborne eDNA (MESA-eDNA)

Theme: Aerosol Measurement Techniques

“This project investigates the behaviour of airborne environmental DNA (eDNA). It involves designing protocols to assess eDNA stability and reproducibility across different sampling media and evaluating the efficiency of commercial samplers and nebulisers using UH facilities. In collaboration with NPL, a controlled release campaign will quantify sampler performance, followed by field trials using unknown eDNA sources and advanced analytical techniques. The ideal candidate is a biologist or aerosol scientist with experience in bioassays and wet chemistry analytics. Outcomes will inform next-gen sampler design, be shared through publications and conferences and feed into the development of new documentary standards for eDNA monitoring.”

Lead supervisor: Dr Nikolay Dimov

Aerosolised Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) for lung drug delivery

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are versatile nanomaterials offering unparalleled tuning of particle size, morphology, and surface charge. This project systematically investigates how these material attributes affect their performance in aerosol formulations for the delivery of biological molecules to the lung. Using advanced synthesis, characterization, and in vitro/in vivo models, it aims to uncover the relationships between LDH properties and their aerosol delivery efficiency, immunostimulatory capacity, and suitability for next-generation vaccines and biotherapeutics. Close partnership with Iuvantium enables direct translation of research findings toward innovative medical applications in immunotherapy and drug delivery

Lead supervisor: Dr Jorge Bernardino de la Serna

High Time Resolution Quantification of PM2.5 Oxidative Potential

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Air pollution contributes to over 7 million premature deaths annually. Despite compelling evidence associating exposure to particulate matter (PM) with adverse health effects, the most harmful PM chemical components remain unclear. Oxidative potential (OP) is emerging as a key biologically relevant metric which provides a crucial link between PM composition and adverse health impacts. This project will utilise state-of-the-art instrumentation to investigate the PM components and emission sources which drive OP through controlled laboratory studies prior to long-term deployment at air pollution measurement sites in London, providing new insights into the most hazardous sources of particle pollution. 

Lead supervisor: Dr Steven Campbell

Multiscale Models for Synthesis of Tailor-Made Nanoparticles for Advanced Applications

Theme: Basic Aerosol Processes

Aerosols synthesised in fluid flows have multiple uses including batteries, tires, solar cells and gas sensors for lifestyle diagnostics. The value of such products depends a lot on particle size and morphology. Therefore, control over these characteristics allows synthesis of tailored nanoparticles for novel applications. The group of S. Rigopoulos has developed unique methods for population balance modelling, which is a method for predicting size and morphology distributions. The objective of this project is to harness these methods, in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and molecular simulations, to provide a multiscale approach for development of controlled nanoparticle synthesis.

Lead supervisor: Dr Stelios Rigopoulos

Vehicle derived resuspension as a source of ambient PM – improved quantification and estimation of emission factors

Theme: Atmospheric Aerosol Studies

Vehicle derived resuspension is a major but poorly quantified source of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), with significant health implications. This PhD project aims to improve the characterisation and quantification of vehicle-induced resuspension, addressing the variability introduced by traffic, meteorology, and road-surface conditions. New and established measurement of PM chemical composition, particle size distributions, traffic activity, and chemical source profiles will be used to better quantify this source in urban environments. It will derive inventory-ready emission factors, assess uncertainty, and evaluate health relevance via oxidative potential. Outputs will support improved UK/ London inventories and predictive modelling for health impact and policy development.

Lead supervisor: Dr David Green

Characterising UK-specific wildfire soot and tarballs

Theme: Atmospheric Aerosol Studies

Biomass burning impacts climate and human health, and is predicted to get worse with climate change, but the types of wildfires specific to the UK have not previously been studied in detail. Through this PhD, you will construct and commission a new facility at the university of Manchester for the specific study of biomass burning emissions (e.g. moorland wildfires, garden waste) and use the wide range of instruments to study the chemical, optical and cloud-forming potential of these emissions. A particular focus will be on the production and characterisation of tarballs, which are produced in abundance in biomass combustion.

Lead supervisor: Prof. James Allan

Moving towards a more personal assessment of exposure to air pollution for cancer patients

Theme: Aerosols and Health

Air pollution is a major global health risk, with increasing evidence linking fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to cancer outcomes. Current exposure assessments often rely on residential address estimates, overlooking daily movement across diverse environments and leading to substantial misclassification. This PhD, in collaboration with The Christie Hospital, will develop an advanced agent-based modelling framework, building on existing models, to generate detailed personal exposure estimates of PM2.5 for cancer patients. By integrating atmospheric data, demographic and activity datasets, and cancer treatment and clinical outcome data, the project will provide new insights into how PM2.5 exposure influences cancer risks and patient trajectories.

Lead supervisor: Dr Matthew Thomas

AI models for airborne particulate matter forecasting in urban areas

Theme: Atmospheric Aerosol Studies

People are often exposed to hazardous levels of particulate matter (PM) concentrations while performing daily activities, inadvertently putting their health and wellbeing at risk. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a game-changer in several areas of knowledge, including atmospheric sciences. Thus, this project aims to develop novel data-driven and physics-informed AI models based on state-of-the-art deep learning techniques to predict the concentrations of PM at urban scale under desired intervention scenarios, with improved performance and less computational requirements, using Guildford Living Lab as a case study to validate the solution against conventional models such as the ADMS-Urban.

Lead supervisor: Dr Erick Sperandio Nascimento

Beyond Decoration: The Active Role of Houseplants in Indoor Aerosol Dynamics

Theme: Aerosols and Health / Aerosol Measurement Techniques

Household activities such as cooking, smoking, and incense burning are major sources of indoor aerosols, particularly ultrafine particles that pose significant health risks. This PhD project investigates how indoor vegetation can act as a natural mitigation strategy by reducing aerosol concentrations and improving household air quality. The research combines low-cost sensor networks deployed in real homes, laboratory experiments analysing aerosol deposition on plant surfaces, and CFD modelling of particle transport. Working with the industrial partners and charity organisations, the project will deliver evidence-based guidance for sustainable indoor greening interventions to enhance health and wellbeing.

Lead supervisor: Prof. Prashant Kumar

Mitigating ultrafine particles with green infrastructure

Theme: Aerosols and Health

“Green Infrastructure (GI) serves as a passive method to mitigate exposure to roadside vehicular emissions, including airborne ultrafine particles (≤100nm; UFPs) that have significant health implications despite being unregulated.

This project aims to investigate the interactions between UFPs and urban GI in roadside environments, with a specific focus on UFP number and surface area.

The objectives will be achieved through a combination of novel field studies to understand the competing influences of particle transformation processes, laboratory investigations for physico-chemical characterisation of UFPs, and utilising the acquired knowledge to propose best practice recommendations for holistic urban GI planning. “

Lead supervisor: Prof. Prashant Kumar