• Environmenta life cycle assessment
• Circular economy
• Sustainable fuel, food and fibre systems
• Food-energy-water nexus
• Biogas, biomass and biofuels
• Biomaterials, biopolymers and plastics in the circular economy
• Microplastics in drinking water
• Resource mapping and quantification

Dr Beatrice Smyth is a senior lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, and is part of the Research Centre in Sustainable Energy. Her research is focused on environmental impacts and circular economy thinking, and specific areas of interest include energy and carbon life cycle analyses, optimisation of energy pathways, resource quantification and mapping, and economic assessment. Ongoing research projects include nutrient management of digestate combined with energy recovery, the use of short rotation coppice willow to reduce agricultural run-off and improve water quality, sustainability indicators for food, hydrogen for heavy duty transport, microplastic pollution in drinking water, and the sustainable use of plastics in a circular economy. Prior to moving to Queen’s in 2013, Beatrice worked in both the public and private sectors, mainly in energy/carbon management and in geotechnical and environmental engineering. Beatrice has wide experience in working in multi-disciplinary teams, with colleagues from psychology, management, public health, politics and sociology.

2017/18-present: MSc Sustainable Energy Systems (Lecturer)

2020/21-present: PGCert Applied Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Technologies (Lecturer)

2013/14-present: Stage 3/Stage 4/MSc Final Year Project/Dissertation (Module Coordinator and Supervisor)

2012/13-2016/17: Stage 4/MSc Nuclear Engineering (Module Coordinator and Lecturer)