Two new students have joined the Geostream UK-backed Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment: Resilience in a Changing World (FIBE2 CDT) programme at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering.
The FIBE2 CDT programme was created to resolve complex engineering challenges in the construction and remediation sector, using cutting-edge research and development by talented academics and researchers geared towards sustainability and resilience in the industry.
Three years ago, second-year PhD student Han Ding kickstarted the programme, and in 2023 he was joined by fellow student India Harding who is now in her first year PhD.
(More about Han and India in our 2023 article)
In their update from December, Han and India had both made great starts in their PhD research, focusing on using waste as cost-effective and sustainable stabilisation binders for remediation.
Welcoming new students to FIBE2 CDT for 2024
We are now delighted to welcome two further PhD students to the programme: Jerry Yu and Xuan Wang. Both Jerry and Xuan are currently completing their MRes year before commencing PhD research in earnest.
Which areas of research will Jerry and Xuan be focusing on?
Jerry Yu
Jerry is passionate about exploring the combination of biology and engineering, especially the application of biotechnology to sustainability and the built environment. While his background leans towards the life sciences, he has been diving into the engineering side throughout his MRes year. He is excited to be collaborating with McAuliffe on the project entitled “Smart microbes for sustainable and resilient land regeneration”.
Coming from a biotechnology background, Jerry hopes to integrate his existing knowledge into sustainable land remediation. He is currently undertaking his MRes project, revealing the potential self-healing properties of MICP stabilised soils through bacteria. Going forward, he hopes to focus on the intersections between MICP self-healing, soil stabilisation and bioremediation processes, exploring the integration of these processes into scalable, industry-relevant sustainable practices.
Xuan Wang
Prior to joining the FIBE2 CDT, Xuan graduated from Imperial College London with a MSc degree in Environmental Engineering, and worked as a Research Assistant at University College London. Her PhD will investigate the remediation of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in contaminated groundwater and soils.
As PFAS have spread globally in various environmental compartments (e.g. groundwater and soils) and posed risks to human health, a number of remediation technologies have been developed such as immobilisation technologies (e.g. stabilization and solidification), mobilisation techniques (e.g. soil washing and phytoremediation), and destruction technologies (e.g. electrochemical treatment and sonolysis). Her PhD project aims to explore the treatment performance of these remediation technologies for PFAS-contaminated soils and groundwater, and provide efficient, cost-effective, sustainable and ‘‘resilient’’ remediation strategies for future remediation.
We look forward to hearing more about their research developments in the coming years, and wish all four students on the programme continued success.