ProfessorLeon Barron

Leon Barron is Professor of Analytical & Environmental Sciences in the Environmental Research Group where he leads the Emerging Chemical Contaminants team. His research aims to further our understanding of the sources, distribution, fate, risks and impacts of chemical contaminants on environmental and public health. His team examines thousands of everyday use chemical substances such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, illicit drugs, pesticides, 'forever chemicals' (PFAS), plastic-related chemicals, disinfectant by-products, metals, inorganics and industrial chemicals. The research covers all environmental compartments (e.g., soil, water, air and the built environment) as well as living organisms. He is a recognised expert in analytical chemistry, particularly in developing new tools and methodologies involving separation science and mass spectrometry which underpin many of his research projects.

He holds a BSc(Hons) in Analytical Science (2001), a PhD in Analytical Chemistry (2005) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (2011). He pursued his postdoctoral research at Dublin City University, Ireland and at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research developing novel approaches to monitoring environmental contaminants in water and soil. He moved to King's College London as a Lecturer (in 2009) and then Senior Lecturer (in 2015) in Forensic Science. He then moved to Imperial College London as a Reader in 2020 and promoted to Full Professor in 2025. He has published >100 peer-reviewed articles in the fields of analytical chemistry, environmental pollution, ecotoxicology and forensic science.

He is Editor in Chief of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Book Series on Chemistry in the Environment and also sits on the editorial board of Science & Justice, Journal of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences (from 2011-2014 he was its Editor in Chief). He regularly acts as a peer-reviewer for several internationally reputed analytical journals and for grants submitted to national and international research councils. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences and the Higher Education Academy. He has served for over six years as elected members of the RSC Analytical Sciences Community Council, the RSC Separation Science interest group committee, as well as the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund (ACTF).

Key Leadership Roles:

Emerging Chemical Contaminants Team lead within the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/school-public-health/environmental-research-group/research/emerging-chemical-contaminants/

Chair, RSC's Separation Science Interest Group 


Postgraduate PhD Student Supervision:

Shahid, A Measuring pesticide exposure and microbial-level impacts in soil ecosystems using novel passive sampler devices (EPSRC/ICB funded studentship with Syngenta)

Oloyede, O Measurement and prediction of the biotransformation rate of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment (BBSRC/AstraZeneca-funded PhD studentship)

Grant, D Developing capability for opioid misuse monitoring using wastewater-based epidemiology (NHIR-funded PhD studentship with UKHSA under the HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health)

O'Hern , L. Forever Chemicals”: Advanced removal of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water, PhD Student

Birkitt, L A machine learning approach to understand how invertebrates maintain homeostasis upon exposure to pharmaceuticals, BBSRC/AstraZeneca funded PhD studentship

Post-doctoral fellows:

Dr Helena Rapp-Wright, MRC-CEH Early Career Fellow in Bioanalytical Science and Health

Dr Shane Fitzgerald, Low cost passive sampling of VOCs in indoor air (NERC Wellhome project) and analysis using LC-QTOF-MS, GC-MS, comprehensive GCxGC-TOF-MS

Dr Alexandra Richardson, (UNSaFE) UNderstanding the Scale, Sources, Fate and Effects of PFAS pollution (NERC Addressing environmental challenges: NERC highlight topics grant 2025-2029)

Dr Melanie Egli, Large scale monitoring of emerging contaminants in surface waters

Professional Services staff

Chyshanthi Christy, Commercial Projects Manager and Coordinator

Margarita White, Will Francis, Juditha Gurumurthy and Dan Hourigan Research Assistants