Dr Neha Mehta

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Birmingham

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Dr Neha Mehta is an Assistant Professor at the Birmingham Energy Institute, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham. Neha’s area of expertise and research interests lie in the fields of whole energy systems analysis, environmental sustainability, circular economy, and waste-to-energy pathways. In her research she has used a wide range of research methods, including life cycle analysis, techno-economic assessment, material flow analysis and spatial mapping.

Research Groups

School of Chemical Engineering

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Outcome-oriented, collaborative, inclusive

Provision of Training

At the start of the project, I will provide a wider research context to help you select appropriate training opportunities. As you progress through the project, you will develop independence and will take ownership of research to identify suitable methods and skills needed to apply those. Technical training for using software and information from data sources will be provided by members of my group or myself.

Progression Monitoring and Management

We will meet weekly to set and review short and long-term goals. During these meetings, we will review progress in method development and data generation towards your PhD. If goals are not met, we will always discuss a plan of action together and update research methods.

Communication

I am readily available and accessible through emails and Teams messages for urgent queries. I don’t expect responses to emails or messages outside of normal working hours. I encourage team members to ask questions and seek guidance whenever needed. I am usually on campus, so please feel free to drop by my office to discuss new datasets or challenges.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per fortnight. These meetings will be a mixture of face-to-face and via video chat or telephone. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings) I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week's notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Cities, soil and sustainability: Integrating soil microbiomes, AI and life cycle assessment for climate-resilient urban green infrastructure

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Cities, soil and sustainability: Integrating soil microbiomes, AI and life cycle assessment for climate-resilient urban green infrastructure

Secondary Supervisor(s): Professor Helen Onyeaka

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes:

Sustainable Agriculture and Food (Plant and Crop Science)

Project Outline

Cities contribute to 80% of gross domestic product, and house 55% of the global population projected to reach 68% by 2050. Using Birmingham as a case study, this research will explore how soil microbial community impact nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and crop productivity. Resilient urban agro-ecosystems and functional green spaces are crucial nature-based solutions for urban cooling and sustainable food supply, to advance sustainable agriculture and net zero transitions.

The main aim is to investigate the biological mechanisms underpinning urban soil functionality and embed bioscience data into life cycle assessment (LCA) models for place-based climate adaptation in Birmingham. The objectives are: (1) Assess urban soil properties and microbiome functionality to determine biological suitability and resilience for urban agriculture and food security; (2) Conduct cradle-to-grave LCA of diverse green infrastructure typologies to quantify environmental impacts; and (3) Develop spatial 'what-if' scenarios integrating remote sensing data with LCA outputs to evaluate variations in heat island mitigation and carbon dynamics.

This interdisciplinary methodology combines soil bioscience, environmental systems, and spatial data analysis. Urban soils will undergo physicochemical profiling (carbon %, organic matter %, pH, texture) and biological analysis (microbial biomass carbon, extracellular enzyme activity, community profiling) to identify indicators of yield stability and nutrient-use efficiency. Attributable biological emission and sequestration fluxes will be embedded into LCA models to refine biological inventories. Spatial information will be used from remote sensing data using computer vision algorithms. Trade-offs between food production and urban heat island mitigation will be assessed by machine learning/AI models across varying spatiotemporal scales.

This PhD is supervised by Dr Neha Mehta, Prof Helen Onyeaka, Dr Jiarui Zhou at the University of Birmingham.

Co-supervisor on a project with Professor Joe Wood.