Mapping Global Health Through Wastewater: A PhD in mass spectrometry at the Cutting Edge of Public Health

About the Project

Wastewater‑based epidemiology (WBE) is a rapidly emerging and highly interdisciplinary research field that uses chemical and biological markers in wastewater to provide near‑real‑time, population‑level insights into health, behaviour, and environmental exposures. By capturing information from entire communities in an anonymous and non‑invasive way, WBE overcomes key limitations of traditional public‑health surveillance, including reporting delays, sampling bias, and reliance on clinical testing. Its power as anearly‑warning and decision‑support tool—most visibly demonstrated during the COVID‑19 pandemic—has transformed how we monitor public health, enabling faster outbreak detection, improved trend analysis, and more equitable, data‑driven interventions at scale.

This exciting PhD studentship will contribute to Wastewater Watch, a pioneering global initiative aiming to capture the first simultaneous snapshot of human health worldwide through wastewater analysis (https://wastewaterwatch.org). The project offers a unique opportunity to be part of a truly international, high‑impact programme at the forefront of environmental and public‑health research.

The student will work with state‑of‑the‑art analytical infrastructure in the Centre of Excellence in Water-Based Early-Warning Systems for Health Protection (CWBE) including high‑end triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and novel Waters MRT (multi‑reflecting time‑of‑flight) technology. These cutting‑edge tools will be used to investigate a broad spectrum of targets, ranging from exposure indicators—such as chemicals derived from household, industrial, and agricultural activities (e.g. pesticides, flame retardants, PFAS, phthalates, bisphenols, biocides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)—to biomarkers of biological response, including inflammation‑, stress‑ and epigenetics‑related markers, as well as pharmaceuticals as proxies for disease.

Working closely with a fellow PhD student at Bangor University and within multidisciplinary research teams at the Universities of Bath and Bangor, the successful candidate will help generate a unique, global‑scale dataset. This dataset will provide unprecedented insights into human health, positioning the student at the cutting edge of modern public‑health and environmental science while developing highly sought‑after analytical, collaborative, and translational research skills.

The student will receive training in a range of modern analytical techniques and data handling approaches. In addition, he/she will join an interdisciplinary team at CWBE with critical research expertise in the area and excellent research infrastructure. Experience of academic/government/industrial research (e.g. potential secondment), interdisciplinary and international working and development of legislation and water, public health policy, will provide an exciting opportunity for further professional development.

Candidate Requirements:

Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or high Upper Second Class UK Honours degree (or the equivalent) in a relevant subject. A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous. Non-UK applicants must meet the programme’s English language requirement by the application deadline.

Enquiries and Applications:

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be directed to Prof Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern (bkh20@bath.ac.uk).

Formal applications should be submitted via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Chemistry prior to the closing date of this advert.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.

If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.

Funding Notes

Candidates may be considered for a University of Bath studentship tenable for 3.5 years. Funding covers tuition fees, a stipend (£21,805 p/a in 2026/7) and access to a training support budget.