Cressida Bowyer, PhD

I'm a Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Science and Health and the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of Portsmouth.

I'm also Deputy Lead for the University's Revolution Plastics initiative, driving interdisciplinary research and innovation to tackle the global plastics crisis.

A biological scientist by training and having previously worked in the arts, the primary purpose of my research is to address global problems such as air quality, lung health and plastic pollution. I use transdisciplinary and participatory methodologies for action research and dissemination within the University's Sustainability and the Environment research theme.

I work on several international projects using creative methods, such as music, digital storytelling, puppetry and visual arts, to engage communities and find solutions to global issues in line with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I play a central role in developing international partnerships for Revolution Plastics, including our connections with community partners, governments and academia in the global south. This includes the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding with International University Vietnam, Strathmore University, Kenya and Shahjalal University, Bangladesh.

As a founding member of the AIR (Action for Interdisciplinary Research) Network, I pioneered novel creative approaches for working with community champions in Mukuru, Nairobi, Kenya. We continue to work with these community champions in the TUPUMUE, Action Against Covid Transmission (ACT) and Sustainable Transitions to End Plastic Pollution (STEPP) projects, further developing the methodologies and delivering training workshops for community based champions.

You can find my profile here: https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/persons/cressida-bowyer