PMF is delighted to confirm that Alex Mead, who previously trained at the University of Plymouth, has accepted a fully funded PhD studentship and will begin in January 2026. This exciting opportunity is made possible through PMF’s generous contribution of £60,000, alongside additional support from the University, bringing the total funding to £81,000.
Alex’s research will focus on a critical and emerging health challenge: the presence of micro and nanoplastics in the human liver. His work will investigate the burden of these particles in patients with liver disease and explore how this has changed over time by analyzing historical human specimens. This project will provide vital insights into the long-term impact of environmental pollutants on liver health and could help shape future strategies for disease prevention and treatment.
This studentship marks a major step forward in establishing Plymouth as a leading center for Environmental Hepatology. PMF’s support is pivotal in enabling this groundbreaking research, which addresses one of the most pressing environmental health issues of our time.
Human liver cancer cells exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics. Electron microscope images show the tiny plastic particles building up inside the cells, trapped within small compartments called endosomes.
Top image: Human liver tissue slices exposed to red fluorescent polypropylene nanoplastics for 48 hours. The images show these tiny plastic particles being taken up by liver cells, where they begin to cause signs of cell stress and damage. (Confocal Microscopy)
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