Dr Risha Nathan

Portrait photo of Dr Risha Nathan For media enquiries please contact the Press Team
Lecturer
Faculty:
Faculty of Science and Engineering
School:
Life Sciences
Location:
Cambridge
Research Supervision:
Yes

Risha has more than seven years of experience in toxicology, analytical chemistry and forensic science, and is a 50Next Awardee in the Science Innovators category in the Class of 2022 (awarded by Basque Culinary Centre, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain). Risha’s PhD work was focussed on decontamination of drinking water through biosorption using fruit and vegetable peel waste.

A recipient of various Doctoral and Travel awards at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, and having qualified the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship and Eligibility for Lectureship in Forensic Science in New Delhi, India, Risha’s career is based on research and university teaching.

[email protected]

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View Risha's ResearchGate profile

Background

Risha joined Anglia Ruskin University as Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry in August 2022. She is a member of the Forensic & Investigative Sciences Research Group.

In her previous jobs she has worked as Assistant Professor in Forensic Science at Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India; as a Junior Analyst at the National Dope Testing Laboratory under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India; and as an intern at the Chemistry Division of the State Forensic Science Laboratory under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

Risha has a BSc Honours degree in Chemistry, an MSc degree (Gold medallist) in Forensic Science, and a PhD degree in Toxicology.

Spoken Languages
  • English
  • Hindi
Research interests

Risha’s research interests lie in analytical chemistry, toxicology, and forensic sciences. She has previously worked on various toxicology projects including the analyses of drugs and heavy metals from various matrices such as water, human viscera, and body fluids.

Areas of research supervision

Risha's experience in research supervision includes supervising MSc dissertation projects and PhD research projects on Forensic Toxicology.

Teaching
  • Forensic Chemistry
Qualifications
  • PhD (Toxicology) from University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
  • MSc (Forensic Science)- Gold Medallist from LNJN National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Delhi, India
  • BSc (Chemistry Honors) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Life Member, Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)
  • Scientific Committee Member, International Association of Scientists and Researchers (IASR)
  • Honorary Member, Global Academy of Forensic and Investigative Medicine and Sciences [GLAFIMS]
  • Student Member, Graduate Women (Otago) formerly, New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women (NFGW)
  • Student Member, Otago Institute for the Arts & the Sciences (Associate member - Royal Society of New Zealand)
  • Student Member, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) - Asia/Pacific
  • Student Member, Society of Toxicology (SOT)
Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Risha’s PhD work was supported by funding from a Deans Bequest Grant, School of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, and a Doctoral Scholarship from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Selected recent publications

Nathan, R. J., Jain, A. K. and Rosengren, R. J. (2022) 'Biosorption of heavy metals from water: mechanism, critical evaluation and translatability of methodology', Environmental Technology Reviews, 11(1), pp. 91-117. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/21622515.2022.2078232

Nathan, R. J., Jain, A. K. and Rosengren, R. J. (2021) 'Non-equilibrium multi-ion biosorption isotherms and thermodynamics for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 14(3), pp. 246-255. dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.14221.34

Sharma, D.K., Nathan, R.J., Kumar, R., Jain, A.K., 2021. Heavy Metal Toxicity: Impact on Human Health: A Review. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, 14(3), pp. 270-278.

Nathan, R.J., Martin, C.E., Barr, D. and Rosengren, R.J., 2021. Simultaneous removal of heavy metals from drinking water by banana, orange and potato peel beads: a study of biosorption kinetics. Applied Water Science, 11(7), pp.1-15. doi.org/10.1007/s13201-021-01457-7

Nathan, R.J., Barr, D. and Rosengren, R.J., 2020. Six fruit and vegetable peel beads for the simultaneous removal of heavy metals by biosorption. Environmental Technology, 43(13), pp.1935-1952. doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2020.1858183

Singh, R.J., Martin, C.E., Barr, D. and Rosengren, R.J., 2021. Cucumber peel bead biosorbent for multi-ion decontamination of drinking water collected from a mine region in New Zealand. Environmental Technology, 42(16), pp.2461-2477. doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2019.1703824

Singh, R.J., Martin, C.E., Barr, D. and Rosengren, R.J., 2019. Immobilised apple peel bead biosorbent for the simultaneous removal of heavy metals from cocktail solution. Cogent Environmental Science, 5(1), p.1673116. doi.org/10.1080/23311843.2019.1673116

Recent presentations and conferences

2022-(Best Oral presentation- First position) “Non-equilibrium multi-ion biosorption isotherms and thermodynamics for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water” at (Virtual) Forensis Agora: International Conference on Forensic Science and Criminology 2021, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.

2019 (Oral)- “Fruit and Vegetable Peel –Alginate Beads for Removing Heavy Metals from Drinking Water” at XIII World Aqua Congress International Conference & Exhibition 2019, New Delhi, India.

2019 (Poster)- “Drinking water treatment using cucumber peel immobilised on sodium alginate: multi-ion biosorption of arsenic and heavy metals” at 2019 International Congress of Toxicology, co-sponsored by SOT, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

2019 (Oral)- “Apple peel bead biosorption of heavy metals from drinking water” at 2019 School of Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Colloquium Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2018 (Poster)- “Immobilized fruit and vegetable peels as effective biosorbents for removal of arsenic and heavy metals simultaneously from cocktail solution” at SETAC North America 39th Annual Meeting, Sacramento, California, USA.

2018 (Oral)- “Fruit and vegetable peel-sodium alginate bead biosorption with respect to the uptake of arsenic and heavy metals: A study of multi-ion biosorption parameters” at WIOW 2018 Symposium, Canberra, Australia.

2018 (Oral)- “Biosorption of heavy metals from drinking water using fruit and vegetable peels” at 2018 School of Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Colloquium Programme, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2013 (Poster)- (Best Poster presentation- second position) “Assessment of Drinking Water Collected from Refugee Camps in India for Toxic lead Levels by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry & Decrease in Levels of Lead in Water by Use of Banana Peel” at ‘Workshop on Empowerment of Women using Environmentally Sustainable Technologies’, jointly organized by the Allahabad Chapter of the National Academy of Sciences India, The institute of Applied Sciences and Institute of Rural Health Research & Development, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

2012 (Oral)- “Environmental Crime Forensics” at ‘National Seminar on Advanced Biology: Emerging Trends in Biological Galaxy’, organized by Department of Zoology, Chaudhary Mahadeo Prasad College, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Media experience
2022
2020
2017