Affiliation: University of Birmingham, Environmental nanoscience research group

Dr. Sophie Marie Briffa read for a BSc (Hons.) in Chemistry with Materials (2011) and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering (2013), at the University of Malta. In 2017 she was awarded a PhD in Environmental Health Risk from the University of Birmingham (UoB). Her PhD thesis, titled “Synthesis and Ageing Transformations of Manufactured Metal Oxide Nanomaterials” received the Sir Oliver Lodge Prize (2017) for its high quality. The work focused on developing a nanomaterial library of comparably sized PVP capped metal oxide nanomaterials with different metal oxide cores for the purposes of nanosafety studies and looked into the effect of different ageing processes.

Sophie has authored a number of peer-reviewed articles and has participated in several international conferences with numerous presentations. She is currently working as a research fellow in the Environmental Nanoscience research group at the UoB working on the H2020 funded project ACEnano and focusing on analytical and characterisation excellence in nanomaterial risk assessment. Her research interests include NM synthesis and characterisation, NM behaviour and transformations in the environment, nanosafety and eco-toxicity of nanomaterials. 

In addition to her research, Sophie is passionate about the performing arts, she is a classically trained pianist and runs Hagley School of Dance. She is a qualified ballet teacher holding a Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies from the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and a BA in dance education from the RAD in conjunction with the University of Bath. Her dissertation was awarded the Philip Nind Award for its outstanding quality.