Jonathan Pearson

Dr Jonathan Pearson is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick and Head of Warwick Water. With over 20 years of experience in coastal and environmental hydraulics, he has held academic positions at the Universities of Edinburgh and Sheffield. His research focuses on resilient infrastructure against natural hazards and the environmental fate of organic pollutants. Funded by EPSRC, NERC, BBSRC, and the EU, his work includes projects on coastal flood resilience, pollutant biodegradation, and microplastic dynamics.

Education:

• Ph.D., 1999: 'Mixing due to the effects of waves', University of Sheffield, UK
• B.Eng (Hons), 1992: Civil & Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK

Research Interests:

1. Resilient Infrastructure: Investigating coastal defenses, climate change impacts (sea level rise, extreme events), and retrofitting solutions (e.g., recurve walls) to enhance resilience. Collaborative projects with HR Wallingford and DHI address disaster management and emergency response to flooding.
2. Environmental Fate of Pollutants: Studies microbial community interactions in biofilms, pollutant degradation rates, and the role of bed-form characteristics in water-sediment systems. Recent work includes EPSRC-funded projects on chemical exchanges and pollutant persistence under seasonal variations.

Key Contributions: Over 100 publications span coastal engineering, microplastic transport, wave overtopping modeling, and constructed wetlands. Notable grants include a Royal Academy of Engineering/Leverhulme Trust fellowship for coastal resilience research and EU-funded studies on pollutant dynamics in biofilms.

Awards:

• Royal Academy of Engineering / The Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (202X)

Teaching: Leads modules on Water Engineering for Civil Engineers, River Mixing, and organizes the African Field Course for fourth-year students. Office hours are Fridays 10–12 noon during term time.

Labs & Teams: Directs Warwick Water, a research hub focusing on water engineering solutions. Collaborates with industry partners like Unilever and Syngenta for applied research on environmental sustainability.