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The Team
Who We Are
Dr Stuart Connop
Associate Professor and Director of the Sustainability Research Institute
Stuart has 20 years of experience working in conservation ecology and nature-based solutions research. He is a specialist in ecomimicry in urban green infrastructure design with a specific focus on using invertebrate ecology as a foundation for designing urban green spaces for people and nature. He has expertise in habitat assessment, design, monitoring and management. His background includes biodiversity and ecosystem service monitoring and the associated data analysis, including the use of spatial analysis and ISIS invertebrate assemblage analysis to quantify habitat quality.
Stuart has a track record of research leadership in UK and European projects including Work Package leadership in TURAS, Connecting Nature, Biurbs, and (starting in 2024) UGPplus. Stuart sits on UK and EU Standards Committees and Task Forces and has provided consultancy services to a diverse range of external partners (Natural England, Buglife, Newham Council, Thames Water, TfL, Environment Agency, etc)
Dr Bamdad Ayati
Senior Research Fellow | SRI, Research Degree Leader
Bamdad Ayati is a Senior Research Fellow at the Sustainability Research Institute. He is a materials chemist with an interest in low-carbon building materials.
Alan Chandler
Interim Dean of Research
Alan's areas of expertise cover material technology, the theory of architectural conservation design, and community engagement. Alan's work on earthen architecture at UEL was presented at the International Conference on Nonconventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT) at Bath University in September 2009 and published in the American Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture.
As part of establishing the research into tensile construction techniques, the work has been featured in the RIBA Journal, the Architects Journal, Architectural Research Quarterly and Building Design, as well as in a number of publications on concrete and materiality in architecture.
Dr Karina Corada Perez
Green Infrastructure Research Assistant
Karina is an interdisciplinary environmental chemist who works as a green infrastructure research assistant specialising in air pollution. She has a master's degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of Chile. After working as a researcher and consultant in Santiago de Chile, she moved to London in 2018 to study for a PhD at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London. Her research focuses on green infrastructure and how it influences urban air quality. Her research helps inform decision-making for more health-promoting urban environments by optimising the expected benefits of green infrastructure through a holistic understanding of the positive impacts and trade-offs of these green interventions. Her research offers a comprehensive and up-to-date strategic view of implementing green infrastructure in cities to reduce exposure to air pollutants. Her interest is to support the transformation of cities towards a better and healthier environment through a transdisciplinary approach, using strategically nature-based solutions. Outside of her research work, she runs a healthcare products business to encourage women/mothers in Chile to practice conscious self-care. She also loves biking, travelling, trying new vegetarian recipes, painting, knitting, and making her own eco-friendly toiletries.
Sam Jelliman
Research Assistant
Sam is currently leading research which explores how businesses can be supported to transition to net zero carbon. He is also involved in peatland restoration and air quality projects. Sam has experience working for the government and the third sector in London, New Zealand and Mongolia in the areas of behaviour change, sustainable transport and air pollution. He has experience across a range of sustainability issues and enjoys studying how various fields intersect and interact with each other to find real-world solutions. Sam studied Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Susan Keeping
Sustainability Project Delivery Manager
Sue provides oversight to the Eastern and South Eastern New Energy Projects for the SRI.
These projects aim to identify and take steps to remove barriers to decarbonisation utilising research collaboration and business support across an area of England from Hertfordshire to Thurrock. Working with a range of delivery partners across the private and public sectors, Sue ensures the partnership can effectively support businesses to take the next step on their decarbonisation journey involving a range of activities and services.
Working closely with the SRI Administration Team and colleagues in Research and Development Support (ReDs), Sue has ensured effective project management structures are in place and has helped to shape the programme governance for our European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Portfolio. Sue has 17 years of experience managing projects and programmes in the sustainability and economic development environment, driving sustainable practice in the built environment and upskilling businesses and individuals.
Sue has studied Business Sustainability Management with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, is an IPMA Level D, Certified Project Management Associate, and is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society. She studied education and the arts at the University of Warwick. Sue believes that Individual knowledge and collaborative action are the keys to unlocking the sustainability challenges that we face and is passionate about finding ways to demonstrate how we can work together to achieve step changes in improving society, and spaces and protecting natural and built environments and ecosystems.
Energy and Carbon Senior Research Fellow
Mehri is an environmental social researcher with a background in environmental management, climate change and energy decarbonisation. She has a first PhD in Environmental Planning and Management, and a second PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Liverpool. Mehri is interested in investigating the relationship between society and environmental issues through engaging with various stakeholders. She has extensive experience in working with stakeholders from various sectors such as energy, water, agriculture and tourism in developed and developing countries. She currently works at the SRI, as a social scientist and is involved in a European Regional Development-funded project 'Eastern New Energy'.
Before joining SRI, she had a postdoctoral role at the University of Exeter, the Energy Policy Group (EPG), as a policy researcher to work on an EPSRC-funded project to explore UK energy policy makers' perceptions on cooling decarbonisation. Before this, she was at the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) of the University of Leeds as a Research Fellow and worked on climate service and adaptation projects. Her qualifications are: PhD, Environmental Science (2015-2019), Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Science, University of Liverpool, UK. PhD, Environmental Management (2010-2014), School of Environment, Science and Research, Tehran, Iran. MSc, Environmental Planning, School of Environment, University of Tehran, Iran. BSc, Agriculture Engineering, School of Agriculture, University of Tehran, Iran.
Richard Lindsay
Head of Environmental Sciences
Richard is an internationally recognised specialist in peatland conservation. He leads the SRI's portfolio of research and consultancy for peatland management and conservation and has been responsible for assembling and presenting several key peatland conservation cases and management and monitoring programmes at both national and international levels.
Richard joined UEL in 1997 to reshape and update the University's conservation degrees and graduates have since gone on to work for conservation agencies in the UK, Mexico and China. Prior to his time at UEL, Richard worked for over 20 years in professional nature conservation.
Dr Mike Medas
Senior Research Manager
Mike is a specialist in environmental sustainability, with interests in renewable energy, life-cycle assessment and embodied carbon within the built environment. He also has extensive experience in managing sustainable urban regeneration programmes and delivering models of community-led regeneration across the UK.
Dr Caroline Nash
Research Fellow
Caroline's work focuses on biodiversity and urban green infrastructure (UGI) design. During her PhD research, she investigated state-of-the-art measures to maximise the biodiversity value of UGI, with a particular focus on the brownfield ecomimicry. Caroline has extensive experience in ecological consultancy and biodiversity monitoring.
Professor Darryl Newport
Former Director, Sustainability Research Institute
Darryl is an environmental scientist specialising in the built environment. His research and policy interests include renewable energy systems, sustainable construction through alternative material use and natural resource management. Darryl has worked on several major infrastructure projects in London including the 2012 Olympics.
He's also closely involved in the development of the Institute for Sustainability - including the Sustainable Industry Park at Dagenham Dock.
Dr Gloria Osei
Research Fellow
Gloria Osei is a Research Fellow, with specific research interests in nature-based solutions. Her professional interests are in urban spaces, Green Infrastructure development management, and environmentally-led innovation in the Built Environment. Her preoccupations are focused on environmental and social responsibility.
She has experience within the field of engineering and the built environment and has been involved in a range of activities from research into the application and use of green space as a nature-based solution and the power equality of stakeholders, as well as industry experience in analytical assessments, ground investigation, and site works. Gloria has accomplished writing research reports and proposals employing specific theoretical perspectives and highlighting critical thinking in project development and management.
Within SRI, Gloria is currently working on the BiUrbs project, a UKRI-funded project for an improved understanding of the economics of biodiversity.
Joseph Sanchez
Green Infrastructure Research Assistant
Joe has a diverse understanding of the issues around sustainability through studying a Green Building MSc at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Joe's research has focused on developing nature-based solutions for site developments with sustainable drainage systems and ecological conservation proposals, sustainable materials and council housing retrofit, Building Energy Performance, Life Cycle Assessment, and scenario mapping. Joe's background is in technical design and carpentry, which he practised for several years in the industry, giving him the capacity to think practically and with his hands. In a volunteer capacity, he is a member of a community housing union in South London and works in practical conservation at the Forestry Commission's Bedgebury Pinetum.His interests are driven by a focus on inclusivity and equity of access to the benefits of green space and climate resilience across cities and rural landscapes.
Joe has contributed to the SRI's deliverables on the Horizon 2020 project Connecting Nature, reviewing the SRI's output of a technical solutions guidebook for nature-based solutions by incorporating wider NbS case studies demonstrating impactful planning, design, delivery, monitoring and upscaling. Currently, Joe works on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded Greenhouse Gas Removal project, exploring the multitude of benefits and co-benefits of peatland restoration. He is also working on the Eastern New Energy project funded in part by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), supporting small and medium-sized enterprises working towards decarbonisation through testing material performances in the laboratory.
Daiva Raguckiene
Business Manager
Daiva supports staff on key SRI projects, HR and recruitment, and administrative duties and oversees the Institute's communication activities and website presence. Daiva is SRI's Research Degrees Sub-committee (PGR) representative.
Daiva graduated with a First Class Honours in Law LLB from UEL, a BA in International Tourism Management from London Metropolitan University and an event management diploma from King's College London. Daiva runs an event management business - DT Conferences & Events- focusing on fraud prevention and risk mitigation in the banking industry. Daiva is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Lisa Sweetman
SRI Team Administrator
Lisa started with the Sustainability Research Institute on a temporary basis nearly 14 months ago and was over the moon when she became a permanent member of the team. Lisa's duties (amongst others) include organising events, purchasing for the team, minute taking, booking flights and accommodation, and ensuring spreadsheets and project databases are kept up to date. The position she holds is a far cry from her past work history. Lisa has spent most of her working life as a receptionist in the corporate sector. Although Lisa had very little previous experience in her position, she is committed to proving herself and enjoys using her organisational skills to keep on top of her diverse role and look after the team.
Dr Jack Clough
Research Assistant
Jack works in the 'Green Infrastructure' team. His main work focuses on wetland conservation and paludiculture in the UK and abroad. As a developing researcher, he has growing expertise in SuDs, ecological surveys, GIS, and terrestrial laser scanning. Previous projects have involved working on the UK’s first Sphagnum farming project funded through Innovate UK, identifying a new blanket bog in Southern Spain and working on the DEFRA paludiculture sub-group which aims to develop the paludiculture policy within the UK. In his spare time, Jack is often found outdoors hiking, climbing, and cycling.
Moza Ahmed
Graduate Trainee Project Manager
Moza is a graduate project management trainee who recently joined the SRI team. With a background in marketing and a degree from UEL, Moza brings a unique blend of skills and experiences to her new role. She has started her own business focused on motivating and empowering children through educational resources that celebrate diversity, reflecting her commitment to fostering positive societal change from an early age.
Driven by a deep-rooted belief in making a meaningful impact on the environment and society, Moza is passionate about sustainability. She is eager to contribute to the Sustainability Research Institution’s (SRI) mission by leveraging her marketing expertise to support initiatives promoting environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Moza is excited about the opportunity to grow professionally within the SRI team, viewing this position as the perfect fit to enhance her skills and knowledge. She is determined to use her role to contribute to the institute’s research and outreach efforts, helping to create a more sustainable future while advancing her career in the field of project management and sustainability.
Ajay Kathrani
Strategic Funding Advisor
Ajay has worked with and advised universities, development agencies, purpose-led organisations, SMEs and startups on sustainable innovations across a range of sectors - designing impact-led projects, commercialising R&D, and raising development funding. He has critical expertise in collaborative innovation - taking ideas from strategic concepts to viable client propositions, through to realisation and results.
