About us
The Pharma Pollution Hub was co-founded in 2021 and registered as a charity in November 2024.
Read more about our JOURNEY AND FUTURE PLANS, the amazing PEOPLE involved, and the very generous FUNDING we have received.
OUR JOURNEY AND FUTURE PLANS
The concept of the Pharma Pollution Hub was co-founded in 2021 by Dr Kelly Thornber and Professor Charles Tyler. It was based upon their experiences in pharmaceutical pollution research and impact, which identified a need for an independent body to drive action to address the complex issue of pharmaceutical pollution
Pre-2021: Foundational research
Our preliminary work to test the research concepts of the Pharma Pollution Hub brought together 30 stakeholders to map the UK healthcare pharmaceutical system as a case study. This was published as a call-to-action in 2022. To build upon this work we then worked with 48 stakeholders to develop a method for creating transformational national mitigation strategies and applied this to our UK case study. This work was published in December 2025 and provides a roadmap for our work in driving systems change.
Since 2022 we have also held preliminary think tank workshops, written blogs, given many presentations and attended/led policy workshops (see our Outputs page).
In November 2024 the Pharma Pollution Hub was registered as a charity.
2021-2025 (PHASE I): Establishing the Pharma Pollution Hub
2026-2036 (PHASE II): Transitioning to financial independence
In this current second phase we are aiming to transition from a research concept to financially-independent charity. During this time we need to secure external funding to cover our core running costs. We will also be applying for funding to carry out specific projects and to develop our ideas for a service-based provision (more information released as and when we decide this is likely to work!).
If you are interested in being part of our collective journey, please consider partnering with us on research projects, commissioning us to do work for you, or donating to help us cover our core costs. See our getting involved page or contact us directly.
Our aim is to create a sustainable, financially-independent body that can drive transformational change for the benefit of society as a whole.
The more people who get involved, the more likely we are to achieve this. So please get involved!
2036 onwards: Long-term sustainability - success!
OUR PEOPLE
Operational Staff
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Kelly is CEO and Co-Founder of the Pharma Pollution Hub. She has over twenty years of experience working at the intersection of medical and environmental research, science communication and project management. She is passionate about driving real-world change through applying systems thinking methodologies and facilitating inclusive and open dialogue between stakeholders. Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.
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Madeleine (“Maddie”) St John is Communications Officer for the Pharma Pollution Hub and a PhD researcher at the University of Bath working with the UK Health Security Agency. She focuses on wastewater-based epidemiology for antimicrobial resistance and pharmaceutical pollution, and is passionate about translating complex evidence into clear, actionable messages for policy and practice.
Strategic Advisory Group
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Charles is a Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Exeter and an internationally leading environmental scientist and ecotoxicologist with 35 years’ experience in this field. His research spans ecotoxicology, molecular systems biology, sustainable aquaculture, aquatic animal health, and conservation.
He has received various awards including the Fisheries Society of the British Isles Beverton Medal (2012), the Founders Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (2015), and the Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation (2022, Zoological Society of London). He has published over 350 research papers/reviews and was named among the top 1% most highly cited researchers in the world (Clarivate 2021).
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Sharon is a Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health at NHS Highland and Visiting Professor at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Her speciality is in pharmaceutical public health and PPH policy, and she has expertise in sustainability, climate change adaptation, environmental pollution and protection, and water quality. She is a Co-Founder of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, aiming to reduce pharmaceutical pollution in the environment.
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Claas is an Associate Professor at the INSERM CERMES3 Institute in Paris, France. As a historian of science, medicine, technology, and the environment, he has published extensively on the history of infectious disease, environmental surveillance, and drug innovation and regulation.
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Fiona chairs the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition and is an independent expert advisor on wellbeing, sustainability, and public health. She is a visiting Professor at UCL and a Senior Associate at Cambridge University’s Sustainability Leadership Programme. She formerly served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director General in the UK Government, responsible for health improvement and health inequalities.
Board of Trustees
Chair
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Charles is a Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Exeter and an internationally leading environmental scientist and ecotoxicologist with 35 years’ experience in this field. His research spans ecotoxicology, molecular systems biology, sustainable aquaculture, aquatic animal health, and conservation.
He has received various awards including the Fisheries Society of the British Isles Beverton Medal (2012), the Founders Award from the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (2015), and the Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation (2022, Zoological Society of London). He has published over 350 research papers/reviews and was named among the top 1% most highly cited researchers in the world (Clarivate 2021).
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Carol is a Research and Development professional and drug development expert with over 30 years of experience within UK and US based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and the non-profit sector with a focus on drug acquisition and profiling of NCEs and biologics. She also has experience in managing a semi-philanthropic dementia fund with a key focus on identifying and developing novel disease-modifying mechanisms for the treatment of diseases that cause dementia, sourcing opportunities from academic research groups and small companies. She supports companies on Advisory and Management Boards and providing consultancy for a number of Biotech and SME companies
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Victoria is a commercial and data law specialist and partner at Trowers and Hamlins international law firm. She focusses upon complex contracts and projects and in particular those involving data privacy issues and technology agreements. Victoria advises clients within various sectors including technology, life sciences, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, education, charities and the public sector. She is ranked by Legal 500 as a leading individual in her sector.
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Sharon is a Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health at NHS Highland and Visiting Professor at The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Her speciality is in pharmaceutical public health and PPH policy, and she has expertise in sustainability, climate change adaptation, environmental pollution and protection, and water quality. She is a Co-Founder of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership, aiming to reduce pharmaceutical pollution in the environment.
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Fiona chairs the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition and is an independent expert advisor on wellbeing, sustainability, and public health. She is a visiting Professor at UCL and a Senior Associate at Cambridge University’s Sustainability Leadership Programme. She formerly served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director General in the UK Government, responsible for health improvement and health inequalities.
OUR FUNDING
We are hugely grateful to all of our funders.
2021 - 2025: Thank you to the University of Exeter, the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust for co-funding a series of short research projects that enabled us to carry out our foundational work analysing the UK healthcare pharmaceutical system and establishing the Pharma Pollution Hub.
2025 - 2030: We are delighted to be partners on the £6.5 million “UK Hub for One Health Systems: Creating Sustainable Health and Social Care Pathways”, led by the University of Exeter. This is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
2026: We are very pleased to have been awarded funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (administered through the University of Exeter) to run a short project on assessing the environmental, health and economic risks of pharmaceutical pollution in a changing global context.