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Professor of Chemical Engineering, Pro-Provost (UCL East)
Biography
Paola Lettieri is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Pro-Provost for UCL East, UCL’s new campus at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. She is a member of the University Management Committee at UCL. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE).
She joined the Department of Chemical Engineering in 2001 as a Research Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the first female engineer to be awarded a RAEng Fellowship. Prior to this, she spent 5 years at BP Chemicals, Sunbury. She was the recipient of a prestigious Senior Research Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering and The Leverhulme Trust for her work on nuclear waste management. She has authored over 250 papers and 7 book chapters. She is co-author of a book published by Springer on Fluidized bed reactors: processes and operating conditions.
Teaching Summary
Prof. Paola Lettieri has 25 years' experience in Particle Technology and Fluidization. Through research collaboration and consultancy, she has enabled the development of new fluid-bed processes, resolved significant operational problems in complex industrial plants, and supported the design of sustainable processes. Her work encompasses experimental measurements, x-ray imaging and mathematical modelling. Her pioneering work on the effect of process conditions on gas fluidized beds contributed to understanding the role of interparticle forces and has been applied in industries in the chemical, petrochemical, nuclear and energy-from-waste sector.
She is also expert in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Through research and consultancy, her work in LCA has influenced waste management strategies for energy recovery from waste, bio-hydrogen production, plastic waste reduction including circular PPE solutions for healthcare, nuclear waste management and the environmental impact assessment of construction projects. She actively collaborates with industry including Veolia, Woodland Trust, Royal British Legion, NHS, NNL, Mace, etc.
Research Summary
Prof. Paola Lettieri has 25 years' experience in Particle Technology and Fluidization. Through research collaboration and consultancy, she has enabled the development of new fluid-bed processes, resolved significant operational problems in complex industrial plants, and supported the design of sustainable processes. Her work encompasses experimental measurements, x-ray imaging and mathematical modelling. Her pioneering work on the effect of process conditions on gas fluidized beds contributed to understanding the role of interparticle forces and has been applied in industries in the chemical, petrochemical, nuclear and energy-from-waste sector.
She is also expert in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Through research and consultancy, her work in LCA has influenced waste management strategies for energy recovery from waste, bio-hydrogen production, plastic waste reduction including circular PPE solutions for healthcare, nuclear waste management and the environmental impact assessment of construction projects. She actively collaborates with industry including Veolia, Woodland Trust, Royal British Legion, NHS, NNL, Mace, etc.
Awards
2012
IChemE Junior Moulton Medal for the paper with my PhD student (Chandni Patel) on "Techno-economic performance analysis and environmental impact assessment of small-to-medium SRF combustion plants for energy production in the UK" published in PSEP.
2010
Best Paper Award (shared with co-authors) at the 25th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management, Philadelphia.
2005
Research Award from the International Fine Particles Research Institute (IFPRI), AGM, Harrogate, UK, in recognition of the industrial relevance of my research in particle technology.
Education
1999
PhD in Chemical Engineering, UCL
1994
Laurea in Mechanical Engineering, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy
Professional Affiliations
- FIChemE
- CEng
- FREng
Publications
Chau, C., Paulillo, A., Lu, N., Miodownik, M., & Lettieri, P. (2021). The environmental performance of protecting seedlings with plastic tree shelters for afforestation in temperate oceanic regions: A UK case study. Science of the Total Environment, 791. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148239
Paulillo, A., Clift, R., Dodds, J. M., Milliken, A., Palethorpe, S. J., & Lettieri, P. (2020). Radiological Impacts in Life Cycle Assessment. Part I: General framework and two practical methodologies. Science of The Total Environment, 135179. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135179
Paulillo, A., Clift, R., Dodds, J., Milliken, A., Palethorpe, S., & Lettieri, P. (2020). Radiological Impacts in Life Cycle Assessment – Part II: Comparison of Methodologies. Science of The Total Environment, 134712. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134712
Yates, J. G & Lettieri, P., (2014). Fluidized Bed Reactors: Processes and operating Conditions.. Springer International Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319395913
Al-Salem, S. M., Lettieri, P., & Baeyens, J. (2009). Recycling and recovery routes of plastic solid waste (PSW): A review. Waste Management, 29(10), 2625-2643. doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2009.06.004