Iseult Lynch

Professor Iseult Lynch is a leading environmental chemist at the University of Birmingham's School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, where she holds the position of Professor of Environmental Nanosciences, Theme Lead for Environmental Sciences, and Director of Research for the Centre for Environmental Research and Justice (CERJ). She also serves as Chair of DEFRA's Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee, advising the UK government on chemicals in the environment, and is an affiliate of the Birmingham Institute of Sustainability and Climate Action.

Professor Lynch earned her BSc (Hons) in Chemistry in 1995, followed by a PhD in Chemistry in 2000, and later an MBA in 2012. Her educational background has equipped her with a unique interdisciplinary perspective that bridges environmental science, policy, and management.

Professor Lynch's research focuses on the environmental interactions of nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces with biological entities, ranging from macromolecules to organisms, and the interactions of nanoscale materials with other co-pollutants as part of mixture toxicity. She is a pioneer in making toxicology research data and models Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable (FAIR), co-leading the workpackage on FAIR Research data for the EU Horizon Europe funded Partnership for Assessment of the Risks of Chemicals (PARC). Her work spans developing predictive models of nanomaterials toxicity, creating safe and sustainable by design materials and chemicals, and applying nanoscale and advanced materials to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in precision agriculture, water purification, and clean energy.

Analysis of Professor Lynch's recent publications reveals a strong focus on environmental nanotechnology applications for sustainability challenges. Her work demonstrates significant contributions to developing safe and sustainable by design materials, particularly metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for environmental applications. There's a clear emphasis on nanomaterial safety assessment, water purification technologies, and the development of computational tools for predicting nanomaterial behavior in environmental systems. Her research increasingly integrates FAIR data principles and digital approaches to enhance materials innovation while ensuring environmental safety.

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Chair of DEFRA's Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee
• Associate Editor for Environmental Science: Nano
• Editorial Board member for Particle & Fibre Toxicology
• Steering Committee member for Work Group 7 (dissemination) in the EU Nanosafety Cluster

Professor Lynch plays an active role in academic leadership and mentoring. She serves as the undergraduate admissions tutor for Environmental Science and leads undergraduate modules on molecules and materials, environmental protection, and environmental pollution. Additionally, she is the deputy director of the MRes in Biological and Environmental Nanoscience and module leader for the MRes module 'Biological and Environmental Nanoscience'. Her research is supported by significant grants from EU Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programs, including NanoFASE, NanoGenTools, EC4SafeNano, and PARC, demonstrating sustained funding success in competitive international research programs.

Professor Lynch is an integral member of the Birmingham Plastics Network, an interdisciplinary team of over 40 academics addressing the global plastics problem through a holistic approach that brings together chemists, environmental scientists, philosophers, linguists, economists, and experts from diverse fields. She also contributes to the Centre for Environmental Research and Justice (CERJ), which focuses on environmental justice issues, and collaborates extensively with international colleagues to advance the field of environmental nanoscience.