CERJ PhD Cohort
Developing next-generation approaches to address the escalating global issue of environmental pollution
Our PhD Cohort is revolutionising approaches to protect human health and the environment. Students are funded through initiatives such as UKRI iCASE, the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA) cohort, and the €400m Horizon PARC project. Together, they are employing state-of-the-art methodologies that leverage science to policy, innovation, and environmental justice on a global scale.
CERJ PhD Cohort
Matthew Barnard
Project: Integration of Transcriptomics and Phenomics within AI-Enhanced AOP Framework for Next-Generation Risk Assessment
Having completed his MSci in Biological Sciences at the University of Birmingham, Matthew Barnard is a first year PhD student specialising in Daphnia-based ecotoxicology and environmental omics. His PhD project, affiliated with the Centre for Environmental Research and Justice (CERJ) and the EU Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC), focuses on integrating transcriptomic and phenomic data within the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework using machine learning and AI. By working at the interface of biology and engineering, his research aims to optimise a high-throughput behavioural platform to develop next-generation risk assessment, while reducing reliance on animal testing.
Maria Oke
Project: Restoring environmental justice with Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) for diverse ethnic populations
Following completion of her BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick, Maria Oke graduated from the University of Oxford with an MSc in Modelling for Global Health. Eager to continue her education and contribute to the alleviation of health inequalities, she is currently researching and modeling how environmental pollutants disproportionately affect the health of socioeconomically deprived communities for her PhD. With a passion for science communication, she is excited to work with CERJ and PARC to draw meaningful policy recommendations from her research to help reduce these disparities.
Isabelle Kavanagh
Project: Unravelling Species Sensitivity to Chemicals Through Comparative Toxicology
Isabelle Kavanagh holds a BSc in Environmental Science and an MSc in Human and Environmental Toxicology with Law from the University of Birmingham. For her Master’s thesis, completed in collaboration with PrecisionTox, she explored cross-species chemical sensitivity in alternative model organisms. Using Bayesian methods, she assessed their potential to inform chemical hazard assessment under REACH. This experience, together with her strong commitment to biodiversity and environmental protection, sparked her passion for cross-species research. Beyond her academic work, Isabelle is enthusiastic about public engagement and science-to-policy communication. She has taken part in outreach activities such as the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2025 with the University of Birmingham, helping to bring research to wider audiences. Her PhD research within the CERJ-PARC cohort will focus on exploring how cellular responses vary across animal species by utilising diverse cell lines to understand the mechanisms underlying differences in chemical sensitivity. Specifically, she will develop comparative approaches to establish a foundation in cross-species cellular toxicology and its relevance to whole-organism effects.
Molly Cooper
Project: Revolutionizing Chemical Safety: A One Health Approach Using Nematodes
Molly Cooper holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Liverpool and an MSc in Toxicology from the University of Birmingham. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Birmingham as part of the CERJ-PARC cohort. Molly is particularly interested in the application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in chemical risk assessment. Her research focuses on developing a high-throughput, reliable testing system using nematodes to better understand the effects of chemical pollution on soil health. In particular, she investigates species and strain specific responses to chemical exposure, aiming to improve the ecological relevance of toxicity testing and contribute to more effective protection of both human and environmental health.
Yasmin Ranu
Project: Transitioning to NAMs: Exploring Behavioural and Economic Drivers
Yasmin Ranu holds an MSc in Human and Environmental Toxicology with Law and a BSc in Biochemistry, both from the University of Birmingham. During her MSc she trained in REACH regulations, AOPs, QSAR, and PBK modelling and gained experience within agrochemical mixture assessments. She further developed her expertise by partnering with BAYER for her Master’s thesis. Alongside her academic journey, Yasmin completed an internship in medical communications, where she honed her skills in scientific writing and data communication. These experiences have equipped her to bridge the gap between science, policy and economics. She is passionate about advancing the use of NAMs to contribute to a safer, more sustainable future for chemical safety assessment. Yasmin’s research within the CERJ-PARC PhD cohort will combine toxicology, economics, and regulatory science to investigate the behavioural and economic factors influencing the adoption of NAMs, with the aim of supporting a shift away from traditional animal-based testing toward more efficient, ethical, and human-relevant approaches.
Ossama Edbali
Project: Novel computational approaches for processing and analysing large-scale, multi-batch LC-MS-based metabolomics data
Ossama Edbali holds an MSci in Computer Science (2018) and an MSc in Bioinformatics from the University of Birmingham, where he focussed on programming language theory and developed a real-time framework for monitoring LC-MS metabolomics studies. He worked as a software engineer building search systems across industries before joining Phenome Centre Birmingham in 2024 as an Experimental Officer in Computational Metabolomics and starting a part-time PhD. His research develops novel methods for processing large-scale, multi-batch, long-term LC-MS metabolomics studies, with emphasis on sample monitoring, anomaly detection, external factor correction, and comparative metabolomics.