Imad Ahmed is a Chartered Chemist and an active member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is an independent research fellow in Environmental Nanogeochemistry at the Department of Earth Sciences. He researches the different ionic and molecular forms of heavy metals present in surface waters, soils, industrial effluents and biological fluids (e.g., urine, blood and saliva), using a method known as “Chemical Speciation Analysis”. He is particularly interested in the chemistry of tunable redox-active nanomaterials, their effect on the cycling or cleanup of toxic trace elements in the environment, and their potential effect on human health. For instance, he has researched the potential link between nanoparticle air pollution and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.