![Steve Cheung](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/5091?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Overview
I graduated from Bangor University with a bachelors degree in Applied Marine Biology where my research focused primarily on aquatic ecology and oceanography, with a final year project on the imact of a tidal turbine on fish schools. As part of my undergraduate degree I undertook a placement year here at Cardiff with the Fish Hives Project in which I was responsible for managing the data collection and analysis of artifical coral reef structures. This connection then enabled me to do my Mres at Cardiff University studying the impacts of microplastics on fish welfare and disease.
As part of the OneZoo CDT my PhD project is investigating the impact that pharmaceuticals have on the environment and fish health in a multi-disciplinary collaboration with the Schools of Chemistry, Bioscience and Engineering. I am supervised by Dr Ben Ward, Prof Jo Cable, Prof Devin Sapsford from Cardiff University, Prof Luis Mur from Aberystwyth University and my stakeholder Dr Dan Read from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Research
Thesis
Environmental distribution, aquacultural consequences and development of nature-based water treatment technologies for mass pharmaceutical interventions during global pandemics
Currently over 756 million confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have caused over 6.7 million deaths. Preparedness for future global pandemics must consider the wider environmental consequences following such catastrophic events. For novel infectious diseases, treatment options are primarily limited to symptom alleviation via antivirals, antibacterials, antimalarial agents and immunomodulators. Consumption of these medications, which increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, are released into the environment through bodily fluids and improper disposalof unused medicines.
The ecotoxicology and wider environmental implications of these pharmaceuticals are severely neglected. This is particularly problematic for aquatic environments as aquaculture is the fastest growing food industry (valued at over $260 billion globally) and for many countries constitutes the major source of protein. Since the majority of pharmaceuticals end up in water bodies this will have a direct impact on aquatic organisms while also increasing the risk of drug resistance. Unfortunately, the rate of pharmaceutical removal within WastewaterTreatment Plants (WWTP) is extremely poor.
Therefore, a key solution is the development of nature-based engineering solutions that more efficientlyremove pharmaceutical contaminants, while also deploying more robust techniques of water analysis for pharmaceutical detection and in vivobiological testing.
Funding sources
I am fully funded by the OneZoo CDT which is funded equally by NERC, BBSRC and MRC
Biography
Education
- PhD in Chemistry, Cardiff University (2023-2027)
Environmental distribution, aquacultural consequences and development of nature-based water treatment technologies for mass pharmaceutical interventions during global pandemics
- Mres in Biosciences, Cardiff University, Distinction (2022-2023)
Disentangling the impact of plastics and their additive on the welfare of fish
- BSc in Applied Marine Biology, Bangor University, First Class (2017-2021)
The potential impacts of a novel marine renewable energy device on diel vertical migratory fish schools
Experience
- Fish Hives research assistant (2019 - present)
Assessing the suitability of novel artifical reef structures in coral reef restoration
