Akshaya Lekha (She/Her)

I am a PhD researcher in the Biosciences Department, funded through the NERC RED-ALERT Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT). My research specialises in freshwater ecotoxicology, with a particular interest in how environmental stress affects freshwater organisms and the role of epigenetic mechanisms in mediating these responses.

My research takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining environmental chemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics and ecotoxicology to investigate how organisms respond to environmental stress. I am particularly interested in linking molecular mechanisms to ecological responses to understand how environmental change affects freshwater ecosystems.

With a background in Zoology and Ecology, I have experience across aquatic ecotoxicology, conservation and ecological research. My interests span both ecological and molecular perspectives, allowing me to explore environmental responses across different levels of biological organisation.