Grantham PhD 2025 Intake

Prof Ralf Toumi/Department of Physics
PhD Title: New global tropical cyclone model

This project involves using and developing the Imperial College Storm Model (IRIS) in order to investigate and understand the impacts of tropical cyclones.

Dr Fredi Otto/Centre for Environmental Policy
PhD Title: Attribution of Heatwaves and Compound Extreme Events in East Africa

Harriet uses attribution methods to disentangle the drivers of heatwaves across East Africa, a historically understudied phenomenon in this region. Building on this foundation, she will then investigate the mechanisms of compound extreme events, such as co-occurring drought and heat events. 

Dr Michele Paulatto/Department of Earth Science &Engineering
PhD Title: Exploring porphyry copper deposits via geophysical imaging of active and ancient magmatic/hydrothermal systems

Phoebe is using geophysical techniques including local earthquake tomography to better image the structure of magmatic and hydrothermal systems at volcanoes in the Andes, and compare these results to known porphyry systems to try and better understand how large copper deposits are formed. 

Dr Alexandra Collins/Centre for Environmental Policy
PhD Title:  Decision-makers need clear evidence of how nature's benefits travel across landscapes and who receives them.

This PhD prototypes and tests an ecosystem service flow mapping framework that links natural capital extent and ecosystem condition to the benefits delivered. By fusing co-production approach with network and process-based modelling of services, it aims to provide practical guidance for nature recovery planning and links the evidence needed to finance large-scale nature restoration in the UK.

Dr Daniel Valero/Civil and Environmental Engineering
PhD Title: Transport of large plastics in turbulent suspensions 

Phoebe’s research, which focuses on the numerical modelling of macroplastics in turbulent environmental flows, aims to understand the complex plastic-fluid interactions and to develop plastic transport models that give insights into the global plastic fluxes and accumulation.

Dr Jiorgios Kourelis/Department of Life Sciences
PhD Title: Bioengineering of plant NLR immune receptors to enhance disease and insect resistance

Cecilia’s research focuses on how Solanaceous plant populations adapt to insect pest pressure through modifications of their immune systems in the face of climate change. Her research includes developing bioengineering tools to modify plant immune receptors for increased disease and insect resistance under temperature stress. This project aims to develop sustainable crop protection alternatives to chemical pesticides.

Dr Heather Graven/Department of Physics
PhD Title: Next-generation greenhouse gas emissions estimation using AI Al, big data and atmospheric measurements

Incorporating ML and Big Data techniques alongside atmospheric measurements to develop city-based greenhouse gas emission prediction models.

Prof Guy Woodward/Department of Life Sciences; Prof Leon Barron/SPH; Dr Gareth Roberts/Department of Earth Science and Engineering;  
PhD Title:  Impacts of pesticides in a warming world: from molecules to ecosystems

Roseline's research focuses on how pesticide pollution interacts with rising temperatures, impacting freshwater ecosystems from individual organisms to food webs and whole ecosystems. Her project spans local and national scales using next generation sensors, complemented with biomonitoring tools in controlled environment rooms and large-scale mesocosm experiments (96 artificial ponds) at Silwood Park.

Dr Ed Gryspeerdt/Department of Physics
PhD Title: Developing new tools to measure aerosol impacts on convective clouds

Lizzy’s research focuses on using satellite and ground-based observations to quantify the response of convective clouds to natural and anthropogenic aerosols, with implications for constraining radiative forcing.

Dr. Gary Konstantinoudis/Grantham Institute; 
PhD Title: Tracking Climate-Related Health Risks in England

Archie's work focuses on developing scalable Bayesian models to estimate spatiotemporal trends in excess mortality attributable to extreme climate events and human-induced climate change.

Dr Helena Rapp Wright/School of Public Health; Dr. Channa Jayasena/Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction; Professor Leon Barron/School of Public Health
PhD Title: The impact of dietary pesticide exposure on sperm function

Margarita's research will be focusing on human health, more specifically looking at whether dietary exposure to pesticides can affect male fertility. This is an issue that has become more prevalent in recent years and is being investigated in more detail. The project will involve testing human tissue samples for a select group of pesticides, with a significant part of the work dedicated to analytical method development for the detection of these compounds at low concentrations. This project is strongly aligned with the Grantham's research goals as part of their new pesticide initiative and is crucial to further understand the potential impacts of pesticides on male reproductive health.