My research journey: Dr Samuel Cusworth, PhD, MSc and BSc, Lancaster University (2015 - 2024) — now a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zürich, Switzerland.

It was a crossroads moment for Sam Cusworth. Just finishing his BSc at Lancaster in Environmental Management, he needed to decide whether to follow friends who’d started jobs with large salaries at ‘big five’ accounting firms — or stay in academia and try and do something about the world’s growing environmental problems?

The BBC’s Blue Planet documentaries highlighting the global threat from plastic pollution, along with an opportunity to study for a PhD in single-use plastics in agriculture, made up his mind. And this, in turn, led to membership of a community of researchers working at the leading-edge of solutions.

“The city and the university really felt like a place I could call home for eight years. From starting my bachelor’s to finishing my PhD, the memories I have made with people inside and outside of the University, from lab technicians to the local triathlon group, made my experience unforgettable.

“From an academic perspective, it was incredibly motivating to be surrounded by so many people who were passionate about their research and at the forefront of their respective fields. Collaborating with an industry partner during my PhD was such a privilege. I had the opportunity to meet with a range of people across the agricultural industry; growers, suppliers and technical managers, who each had invaluable advice and insights into the land they used for growing and how plastics were an essential, or non-essential part of that. This was crucial in developing a holistic perspective of how things actually work in the real world, rather than through the lens of scientific papers.”

Sam’s experience at Lancaster led to his securing a postdoctoral position at ETH Zürich in Switzerland, developing sampling and extraction strategies for microplastics in soil.

“I am thinking of new ways to take representative samples of microplastics from soils, but also how to maintain sample representativeness once the sample arrives in the lab. We ‘dope’ in-house produced plastics with environmentally rare metals which are used as conservative experimental tracers to better detect microplastics in complex media. These plastics are not only used to identify sampling errors and try to reduce them, but also to better understand the distribution, fate and effects of micro- and nanoplastics in environmental systems.”

He points to the importance of being part of a strong research collective.

“I came into the PhD with a handful of questions and left with hundreds, which I think is what defines a successful PhD and also a credit to my supervisors, industry experience and the diverse environment at Lancaster.My supervisors, Professors Carly Stevens, Martin McAinsh and Bill Davies, encouraged me to think independently, participate in engagement events, and opened doors to collaboration with researchers in China — support which is still helping me now. I really value a diverse atmosphere where people are open to new perspectives and learning about different cultures, which is something Lancaster really excels at.”

This article was initially featured in issue ten of Lancaster University's Global Research Newsletter.

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