DrStephanie Wright

I lead the Microplastics team in the Environmental Research Group, at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health. My research aims to advance understanding of the role of micro- and nanoplastic exposure in human health and disease. My work has mainly focused on plastic aerosols and respiratory toxicology, and more broadly includes micro- and nanoplastic (including rubber) detection, characterisation and quantification in the atmospheric environment and human tissues; and their toxicological assessment using in-house test materials and in vitro models of the human airway and immune system.

My PhD in Biosciences (2015) focused on microplastic ecotoxicology, before two consecutive fellowships on microplastics and human health at King's College London. I became Lecturer in Environmental Toxicology (2019), and joined Imperial College London in 2020. I have 15 years’ research experience in the field of microplastics, specifically in exposure and biological impacts; sit on the editorial board for Microplastics and Nanoplastics (Springer); have been on national tv and radio as a guest expert; participated in European Commission and World Health Organisation working groups; and contributed towards policy change.

At the core of my team's research is a microplastics analytical suite, integrating a dedicated clean working environment, equipment and protocols to fabricate test materials, TD/pyrolysis-GCxGC TOF MS to quantify plastic polymers, and a multimodal Raman imaging platform with advanced microscopy (Atomic Force, Scanning Nearfield Optical) for detection and characterisation of sub-micron particles, and modes to improve the optical contrast of potential micro(nano)plastics within a sample (Polarised Light, Time Correlated Single Photon Counting and epifluorescence).

More widely I work with colleagues in the Department of Immunology and Inflammation, National Heart and Lung Institute, and Department of Surgery and Cancer to address questions focussed on specific disease pathways and pathologies triggered by persistent materials.


Key Research Interests:

Methods of microplastic detection, characterisation and quantification using vibrational microspectroscopic and mass spectrometric techniques

Microplastic exposure and bioaccumulation in a pathological context

Microplastic toxicity

Particle, fibre and chemical toxicology

Nanoplastics – detection, exposure, and toxicology


Teaching and Supervision:

MPH module coordinator for ‘Planetary Health and Emerging Environmental Challenges (with Dr Diana Varaden)

Project supervisor for the MPH, GMPH, and Health Data Analytics programmes (School of Public Health)


Postgraduate Supervision:
Akturk, A – Investigating the impact of micro and nano plastics on endothelial function, immune cell behaviour, and Multiple myeloma activity In Vitro (primary: T McKinnon, I&I).

Mobayen, G – Investigating the impact of micro and nano plastics on endothelial function, and immune cell behaviour (primary: T McKinnon, I&I)

Blake, H – Airborne microplastic detection and quantification – developing, evaluating, and applying novel laboratory and field-based approaches

Friedrich, H – Microplastics interference in mammalian cell metabolism via Infrared Microimaging and Nanospectroscopy (primary: A Chan, King's College London)

Laskowska, J – Mechanistic studies of airborne microplastics in human airway models in vitro (primary: T Tetley, NHLI)

Katsouli, J – Factors affecting microplastic particle translocation across the alveolar-capillary barrier and consequences for human health (primary: J Bernadino de la Serna, NHLI)

Auyang, E – Differential toxicology of respirable microplastics in human alveolar type 1 epithelial and macrophage-like cells

Jones, L – Assessing potential toxicity and metal bioavailability of secondary microplastics using in-vitro human gastric models (2024)

Levermore, J – The potential for microplastics to impact human health (2020)


Postdoctoral Research Associates and Fellows:

Dr Alena Vdovchenko (2025-present) – Raman microspectroscopy for micro(nano)plastic detection and characterisation in human tissues

Eric Auyang – (2024-present) The role of social determinants in the potential for inhaled microplastic pollution to effect macrophage energy metabolism

Dr Shane Fitzgerald (2023-present) – Py-GC TOFMS for detection and quantification of potential microplastics in different atmospheric environments

Dr Antonis Myridakis 2020

Dr Yukari Ishikawa 2021-2025

Dr Joseph Levermore 2020-2023