Find more staff
Role:
Department staff:
Research staff:
- Qualifications:MChem MRes PhD
- Position:Lecturer in Environmental and Forensic Toxicology
- Department:Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences (HAS)
- Telephone:+441179656261
- Email:Piers.Townsend@uwe.ac.uk
-
Social media:
About me
Area of expertise
My research lies at the intersection of computational chemistry, predictive toxicology, and marine environmental science. I specialize in developing and applying quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models, with a strong emphasis on integrating quantum chemical descriptors that can provide detailed mechanistic insight into the underlying processes. My primary aim is to better understand (and predict) how chemical contaminants impact aquatic and marine ecosystems.
I am particularly interested in developing non-animal, mechanism-informed approaches for chemical risk assessment in marine environments. This includes building predictive models that link fundamental molecular structure to toxicological outcomes in marine organisms, identifying key molecular initiating events (MIEs), and contributing to the development of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) relevant to aquatic species.
A key focus of my work is using both classical and quantum mechanical methods to model the interactions between marine pollutants and biological targets at the molecular level. These methods are crucial for understanding the persistence, bioavailability, and modes of action of marine contaminants.
Fundamentally, my goal is to contribute to more ethical, efficient, and environmentally sustainable approaches for assessing chemical safety in marine and freshwater systems, and to support regulatory frameworks in helping to protect aquatic ecosystems in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressure.
If you'd like to collaborate, please do get in touch.
Publications
