Claire Gwinnett

Professor Claire Gwinnett is recognised as one of the world's leading forensic fibre researchers. Her expertise is in the analysis and interpretation of fibres for the purposes of investigating crime and understanding environmental pollutants.

Claire was part of the team that first discovered microplastics being ingested by deep sea organisms and has worked on microplastic research on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Hudson and Mississippi Rivers in the US, farmland in Turkey, Weddell Sea in Antarctic and rivers and coastal areas around the UK, including investigating freshwater otter spraint (poo!).

Claire is also a National Geographic Explorer and was part of an expedition to map microplastic pollution around the Hawaiian islands.

Awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship for her forensic fibre and microplastic work in 2018, she set up and leads the international Forensic Fibres and Microplastics Research Group which works with Government bodies, research establishments, charities and industry partne