Panel Discussion: Sustainability in the Lab

Panel Discussion: Sustainability in the Lab Laboratories are essential hubs of scientific innovation—but they also consume vast resources and generate significant waste. From single-use plastics to energy-intensive equipment, the environmental footprint of research spaces is under increasing scrutiny. As institutions and researchers seek to align with global sustainability goals, the lab becomes a critical frontier for change. Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring leading voices in sustainable science. Our expert panel will explore practical strategies, innovative technologies, and cultural shifts that are transforming laboratory operations. From circular economy models and life cycle assessments to behavior change and policy leadership, this session will offer actionable insights for anyone working to make research more sustainable. Attend this webinar to: • Discover how labs can reduce single-use plastics through reuse, recycling and smarter procurement. • Learn how life cycle thinking and data-driven analysis can guide sustainable lab decisions. • Explore how institutions are fostering a culture of sustainability—from grassroots initiatives to sector-wide strategies. • Hear from experts driving change across academia, industry and policy. Martin Farley is the Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability at UKRI and a pioneering sustainability specialist with a global background. Raised between France and the United States, Martin became the UK and Europe’s first full-time sustainable laboratory specialist at the University of Edinburgh. He went on to initiate and lead sustainable science and laboratory programmes at King’s College London and UCL, and founded Green Lab Associates in London. Martin is the creator of the LEAF programme, a leading framework for sustainable research, and currently leads UKRI’s SPARKHub initiative. He is also a co-founder of UKNSR (UK Network for Sustainable Research), and an active contributor to national efforts such as the NUS-led Green Impact Labs Tab initiative. His work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the Green Gown Award for Sustainability Professional, a Papin Medal, and the EMBO Award for Sustainable Laboratories in 2024. He is an IEMA Fellow and a sought-after consultant, speaker, and educator in the field of sustainability. Martin is the editor of the forthcoming book The Sustainability of Science and author of several influential publications on sustainable research and green lab practices. With his visionary leadership and steadfast commitment, Martin continues to shape the future of sustainable laboratories and research environments worldwide. And here is the template for the emails: Dr Helena Rapp Wright is an MRC Centre Early Career Research Fellow at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, focusing on exposure to contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). She earned her BSc in Chemistry from the University of La Laguna (Spain) in 2014 and an MRes in Forensic Science from King’s College London in 2016, completing research projects in analytical chemistry. After her MRes, she worked for two years at LGC (UK) in bioanalytical sciences, developing techniques for drug identification and quantification in clinical trials. In 2018, Helena secured an EPA-sponsored PhD studentship at Dublin City University, with part-time research at King’s College London, investigating CECs in environmental water samples. She completed her PhD in 2021 and joined Imperial College London as a Research Associate in the Emerging Chemical Contaminant Group, specializing in wastewater-based epidemiology. Her research interests span analytical and environmental chemistry, sustainability, wastewater analysis, biomonitoring, and CECs. Helena is also an elected member of the Environmental Chemistry Group at the Royal Society of Chemistry, contributing to advancing knowledge in environmental and analytical chemistry. Jinghui (Helen) is the CTO and Co-Founder of LabCycle, bringing a strong background in microbiology, biotechnology, and sustainable technologies. She completed her PhD as a Marie Curie FIRE Fellow at the Institute of Sustainability, University of Bath. Growing up in a family of healthcare workers, with a decade of hands-on experience in various laboratories, Helen has seen the single-use lab plastics problem first-hand. Driven by her passion for promoting sustainable practices in the research and healthcare sectors, she co-founded LabCycle to create a circular economy for laboratory plastics. Star Scott is the founder and manager of the Sustainable Science and Green Labs program at the University of Georgia. She has a background in conservation-driven research and is a deep believer in the interconnectivity of all living things. Star is dedicated to making the research enterprise more sustainable and more equitable and is currently focused on resource conservation, landfill diversion, creating equitable systems, environmental and social justice, and sustainable procurement. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), is a Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium fellow, a founding member of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council’s Laboratory Guidance Action Team and a certified human rights consultant. Star is a recipient of the I2SL Phil Wirdzek Emerging Leaders award, as well as the 2023 I2SL International Outstanding Green Labs program award winner.