Professor Helen Onyeaka PhD, SFHEA

• PhD in Chemical Engineering
• MSc in Chemical Engineering
• BEng/BSc in Chemical Engineering
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Memberships

• The Institute of Biomedical Science
• Society for General Microbiology
• Biochemical Engineering Subject Group (IChemE)
• Institute of Biology
• Society of Chemical Industries
• The European Federation of Biotechnology, Society for Applied Microbiology

Professor Helen Onyeaka is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Microbiology in the School of Chemical Engineering at University of Birmingham and Deputy Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA). She is an internationally recognised researcher whose work sits at the interface of engineering, microbiology, sustainability and public health.

With over 25 years of experience in research, teaching and academic leadership, Professor Onyeaka's expertise spans sustainable food systems, industrial microbiology, food safety, bioprocess engineering and environmental sustainability. Her research addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges, including food security, climate change adaptation, circular economy solutions, healthcare waste valorisation and microbiome-based innovations.

Professor Onyeaka leads and contributes to multidisciplinary research programmes that bring together expertise from engineering, life sciences, policy and industry. Her work focuses on developing practical and sustainable solutions that support resilient food systems, environmental protection and improved public health outcomes. She has established extensive international collaborations with academic institutions, industry partners, policymakers and non-governmental organisations across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

Her research has made important contributions to advancing understanding of food safety under changing environmental conditions, the role of microbiomes in food and health systems, waste-to-value technologies and sustainable industrial processes. She has published extensively in leading international journals and regularly participates in expert consultations, policy discussions and international initiatives aimed at addressing sustainability, climate and health-related challenges.

In addition to her research activities, Professor Onyeaka is passionate about education, mentorship and research capacity strengthening. She supervises postgraduate researchers and supports the development of early-career academics and professionals from around the world. She also serves on editorial boards, reviews for numerous international journals and contributes to professional and scientific networks that promote innovation, sustainability and knowledge exchange.

Through her research, teaching and leadership activities, Professor Onyeaka remains committed to advancing scientific excellence and delivering impactful solutions that contribute to sustainable development and societal wellbeing.

Professor Onyeaka contributes to teaching across chemical engineering, industrial microbiology, food safety, sustainability and bioprocess engineering. She supports undergraduate and postgraduate education through lectures, project supervision, dissertation supervision and research-led teaching activities.

Current teaching contributions include areas such as:

• Food Microbiology
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Research Projects and Dissertation Supervision
• Postgraduate Research Training
• Principles of Nutrition

Professor Onyeaka welcomes applications from suitably qualified PhD candidates interested in:

• Food Safety and Food Security
• Industrial and Environmental Microbiology
• Microbiome Science
• Sustainable Food Systems
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Circular Economy and Resource Recovery
• Waste Valorisation
• Climate Change and Food Systems
• Biotechnology and Bioengineering
• Public Health and Environmental Sustainability

She has supervised and continues to supervise doctoral and master's research projects across these interdisciplinary areas.

• Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety

Research focused on enhancing food security, food quality, food safety and resilience within sustainable food systems under changing environmental and climatic conditions.

• Microbiome Science and Biotechnology

Investigation of microbial ecosystems and microbiome applications for food production, health, environmental management and industrial biotechnology.

• Circular Economy and Resource Recovery

Development of innovative approaches for waste reduction, waste valorisation and resource-efficient industrial processes.

• Climate Action and Sustainability

Research supporting climate adaptation, decarbonisation, sustainable development and policy-informed solutions for global sustainability challenges.

• Bioprocess Engineering

Application of engineering principles to the design and optimisation of biological processes and technologies for industrial and environmental applications.

Poster/Oral Presentation

• 11th European Congress on Biotechnology (ECB11), held at the Convention Centre in Basel Switzerland from 24-29 August 2003
• The Spring Colloquium, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, UK, 2003
• Young Engineers Reception, House of Commons, Westminster, London, UK, December 2002
• The Biochemical Engineering Subject Group (IChemE) meeting, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Cambridge, UK, December 2002
• Presented at The University of Birmingham School seminar November, 2002
• Society for General Microbiology meeting, Loughborough, UK, September, 2002

• 2nd international conference on “Analysis of microbial cells at the single cell level”, Vejle, Denmark, June, 2002

Academic Awards and Achievements

• Worked and acknowledged in the production of “over the counter” male fertility kit now marketed as "Fertell". (Development of a novel home sperm kit - Björndahl et al. Human reproduction (2005) Vol. 21 (1): 145)
• Won the Bridon postgraduate award for the best PhD project in 2003
• Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering for the 11th European Congress on Biotechnology, Basel, Switzerland, 2003
• Won a prize at the IChemE Biochemical Engineering Subject Group Postgraduate Research Event (2002) for the best poster presentation
• Performed consultancy work for 3M Science and pH7 and is now a speaker for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)
• Raised funds from different societies and companies for payment and travel expenses to different conferences. For the past three years, she has been involved in the production of a training manual and also in the training and teaching of adults in the voluntary sector.
• In collaboration with her local church, Dr Onyeaka supports various mental health organisations across Birmingham. Her community also supports those in need with material or financial donations around Birmingham and worldwide.