ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ

ARC Industry Fellow, Scientia Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering

I am an environmental microbiologist and water engineer with extensive experience spanning both academia and industry. My research focuses on microbial ecology, industrial microbiology, and bioprocessing for sustainable water and waste management. By integrating microbial genetics, bioengineering, and environmental management, I develop innovative solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and optimise resource recovery from wastewater and organic waste streams. For instance, in microbial ecology, I investigate acid-tolerant microbial communities involved in methane (CH4) and nitrogen (N) cycling in engineered and natural environments (e.g., ARC DP230101340, DP260100039). My industry collaborations have enabled field-scale validation of microbial processes for wastewater treatment and bioresource recovery (e.g., ARC IE230100245, LP230201054).

At present, I have established an internationally recognised research profile in water and environmental engineering, with a strong focus on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and resource recovery from wastewater systems. My research impact stems from a multidisciplinary combination of environmental microbiology, process engineering, and industry-led innovation. Since transitioning into academia in 2019 following 2.5 years in industry, I have demonstrated a steep upward trajectory in research leadership, productivity, and impact. I am currently a Scientia Associate Professor at ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Sydney, leading the Green Environmental Technologies for Sustainability (GetSustain) research group. 

Since 2019, I have secured over $12 million in competitive research funding as CI (>$6.5M as Lead CI), including 2 ARC Discovery Projects, 4 ARC Linkage Projects, 2 industry research fellowships, 1 CRC-P, and substantial in-kind support from major Australian water utilities. My projects directly address key national and global challenges in CH4 and N2O mitigation, nutrient recovery, and circular wastewater management. I maintain strategic collaborations with several of Australia’s largest water utilities, as well as international industry partners. These strong collaborations ensure my research is grounded in real-world applications with direct implementation pathways.

I have supervised 8 HDR students to completion, with graduates achieving outstanding recognition, including ARC DECRA/Industry Fellowships, Advance Queensland Fellowship, Australian Water Association (AWA) National Student Prize, UQ Dean’s Award, and Honourable Mention for PhD dissemination by AEESP (USA). I currently lead 9 HDR students, 2 postdoctoral researchers, and 1 ARC DECRA Fellow, providing tailored career development support.

I have authored >160 articles in Q1 (or top-25%) journals, averaging >20 journal publications per year. In >50%, I am the 1st or corresponding author. These publications have garnered 5,000+ citations (averaging more than 30 citations per paper) with 40+ H-index. Of the total ~160 journal publications, 60+ papers were published in Nature Publishing Group journals (Nature Sustainability, Nature Water, Nature Communications) and top discipline-specific journals (ISME Journal, Environ Sci & Technol, and Water Research). Eight papers have been Clarivate Highly Cited papers, meaning they rank in the top 1% by citations in the Environment & Ecology field.

My research generates industry-relevant outputs, including three filed Australian patents: Method of Upgrading Biogas (2025903941), Gas Treatment Process (2022902104), and Method for Treating Wastewater or Sludge (2019901771). I have co-founded a spinout company for accelerating the commercialisation.