Areas of expertise
- Applied Informatics
- Environment and Health
- Monitoring and Environmental Informatics
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
Dr Francis Hassard is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health Microbiology at Cranfield Water Science Institute and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. He provides technical leadership in drinking water microbiology.
Dr Hassard is Visiting Lecturer at the University of South Africa.
Former visiting researcher at De Montfort University.
Francis has a distinct research agenda into the following topics:
Biofiltration for sustainable potable water production
Flow cytometry and analysis of water pathogens
Emerging pathogens and public health surveillance
Micropollutants treatment: including PFAS, microplastics, pesticides and taste / odour compounds
Wastewater biofilm reactors
His postdoctoral research focused on the study of biogeochemical determinants of water quality and nutrient dynamics taking whole catchment approaches. Francis' PhD research focused on biofilm reactors for wastewater treatment and the study of hazardous micro-pollutants. His first degree was in Marine Biology at the University of Southampton, where he also achieved a distinction in a Masters on the same topic. Before joining Cranfield, Francis worked at Bangor University as a Research Associate and Atkins Global as a technical specialist in water quality and environmental modelling.
Research opportunities
I am currently recruiting for doctoral research students in the general area of water microbiology.
Self funded PhD students should contact directly for discussion of opportunities.
Research students:
PhD candidates (3-4 years)
MSc by Research (12 months research project)
Visiting research students/placements/internships (no less than three months, ideally 6 months or more)
Current activities
Research Themes
Francis' research seeks to develop areas including:
Enumeration of emerging pathogens.
Wastewater-based epidemiology / surveillance
Biological treatment of micropollutants
Next generation biofiltration systems for water treatment
Other responsibilities:
Francis is Academic Lead and Point of Contact for the National Research Facility in Water and Wastewater Treatment.
He leads a working group on Water Biofilms as part of the UKRI BBSRC EBNet.
Member of Midlands Innovation Flow Cytometry Committee
Editorial roles:
Associate Editor - Sustainable Microbiology https://academic.oup.com/sumbio
Associate Editor (Guest) - Frontiers in Microbiology https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/39745/fundamental-and-practical-advances-in-bioremediation-of-emerging-pollutants-as-add-on-treatments-for-polluted-waters
Regular Peer-Reviewer for:
Scientific Reports
Science of the Total Environment
Environment International
Water Research
Academic profiles:
SCOPUS - https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=56181497500
WoS - https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/GSE-1754-2022
ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4803-6523
Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=CpGNVvgAAAAJ&hl=en
Mass Media:
Guardian Skip the dip? Swimming in the sea increases risk of illness, analysis suggests - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/27/skip-the-dip-swimming-in-the-sea-increases-risk-of-illness-analysis-suggests
New Scientist Sewage surveillance spots new covid-19 variants as effectively as PCRs - https://www.newscientist.com/article/2329168-sewage-surveillance-spots-new-covid-19-variants-as-effectively-as-pcrs/
Reuters World News Sewage testing could protect schools, hospitals from COVID-19 outbreakshttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-sewage-buildings-idUSKBN27T1DF
Television and Radio Appearances:
BBC Horizon - Honest Supermarket https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006p3j
Channel 5 - Secrets of Your Supermarket Food 25th November 2022
BBC Look East - Finding Covid outbreaks in our sh** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb6Vy3fEh_M
BBC World Service / BBC Radio 4 - Inside Health, Secrets of sewage science 04/10/2022 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001cpcf
BBC Radio 4 - Troubled Water https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001k0dq
BBC 1 - Good Morning Live - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001wlcl/morning-live-series-5-23022024
Channel 4 - Joe Lycett vs Sewage - https://www.channel4.com/programmes/joe-lycett-vs-sewage
Social Media:
https://mobile.twitter.com/frankiehass
https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-hassard/
Completed projects for Regulators, UK Research Councils and Industry:
In excess of £4.5 million
Clients
Natural Environmental Research Council, Severn Trent Water, UK Water Industry Research, Thames Water, Defra Drinking Water Inspectorate, Royal Academy of Engineering, South-east Water, Northumbrian Water, Affinity Water, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK Health Security Agency.
