Project team

Dr. Lebogang Babedi is a multidisciplinary geoscientist with expertise in mineral processing, flotation fundamentals, and spectroscopic techniques. He completed his PhD in Geology at Stellenbosch University in 2022 and subsequently joined Queen’s University in Canada as a postdoctoral fellow focused on sulphide flotation systems. He currently serves as an Innovation Researcher at the Camborne School of Mines, working at the intersection of analytical instruments and geometallurgical protocols.

Fiona Charnley is Professor of Circular Innovation in the Business School at the University of Exeter and Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy. Fiona leads multiple government and industry-funded research projects covering topics such as the use of digital technology to accelerate the adoption of the circular economy, circular healthcare and remanufacturing. For the last four years Fiona has led the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub and has extensive experience of working with organisations from across sectors to identify new approaches to design, innovation, manufacture and business modelling to transform resource use and value creation. She has also led numerous education and executive training programmes to support future leaders in developing the skills and capabilities necessary to drive a circular transition. Fiona has also published a book on the Circular Economy: Handbook of the Circular Economy: Transitions and Transformation

Peter has over twenty years of experience relating to policy and regulation of renewable energy sources of electricity and of heat. He has been active in low carbon heating for over a decade of this, leading on projects to consider national targets for heat energy decarbonisation and developing city heat strategies. He will advise on the potential to exploit waste heat from mineral excavation and its potential to displace fossil fuels from local and national heat supply.

Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Mining at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter. My research and teaching interests lie in the fields of extractive metallurgy, materials science, nanotechnology and applied geochemistry for a range of applications including: the development of novel mining techniques, mine site reclamation, waste treatment, water treatment and contaminant transport. I also like to apply a holistic approach which considers the wider environmental, cultural and political implications of such activity.

Matthew is an Associate Professor in Intelligent Mining, Director of Business Engagement and the CEO of KMO-Fleet (University spin out company) and he specialises in the digital optimisation of extractive operations. His research interests are established around electronic and computer control, while exploring various surveying methodologies to accurately control and evaluate engineering problems.

Senior lecturer and Experimental Officer in Minerals Engineering. My main area of research is in the physical separation of minerals. With a particular interest in modelling and simulation, including fundemental modelling using techniques such as CFD-DEM and use of sensor-based sorters. I have expertise in modelling and simulation of physcial separation equippment and in prarticulr gravity separation equipment. I also have expertise in process mineralogy, applying mineral preoprties to predict processing behaviour.

Patrick Foster is the Head of the Camborne School of Mines and a Professor in Mine Safety. He started his career with the coal industry in the UK before working as a mining safety consultant with a large international consulting firm working with mining companies in South Africa, India and the UK in improving safety management systems and risk management. He is a Council Member of the Mining Association of the United Kingdom and has been a member of the Multi Stakeholder Group of the UK’s implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative since 2013. He led the development of the Mine Management Degree Apprenticeship at CSM and was on the trailblazer group that developed the specification.

Dr Daniel Hending is an ecologist and conservation biologist, with expertise in how biodiversity responds to environmental change, cryptic species research, remote sensing approaches for wildlife monitoring, biogeography, and applied conservation. Dan obtained a BSc in Conservation Biology from the University of the West of England (UWE), followed by a research MSc (MRes) and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Bristol. He has subsequently worked as a postdoctoral research associate and then a research fellow at both the University of Bristol and, most recently, the University of Oxford. In addition to his academic interests, Dan has extensive fieldwork experience and has spent multiple years leading field-based research in Madagascar, Ghana, Vietnam, Kenya, and the UK.

Professor of Ecology and Head of Department, Centre for Ecology and Conservation (2018-2025). Ecological interests span statistical, evolutionary, conservation, epidemiological, demographic and environmental topics. Data science to help tackle the global biodiversity crisis. Human impacts on ecological systems. Biodiversity net gain in the face of sustainable human development.

Karen Hudson-Edwards is Professor in Sustainable Mining at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter. She has had over 35 years’ experience working in the fields of mine waste geochemistry, mineralogy, remediation and management, critical metals, and sustainable mining and circular economy.

Charlie is a geologist by background, but in acknowledgement of the importance of uncertainty did his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Exeter, working in partnership with the Met Office on machine learning for probabilistic forecasting and environmental modelling. He has since been a Research Fellow at the University of Exeter in the Institute for Data Science and AI and in the Centre for Environmental Intelligence. Charlise is working with Frances Wall and Craig Withers on estimating and mapping secondary source critical metals across the UK. These are critical metals that have already been mined out of the ground, and are now contained within electronic devices, building materials, and renewable energy installations across the UK. Estimating their quantities and whereabouts—an inventory of the UK’s secondary source critical metals—helps to develop and inform the UK's recycling strategy and bolster security of domestic critical metal supply.

Dr Chenyan Lyu has expertise in sustainable finance, energy economics, financial economics and macroeconomics. Chenyan obtained her PhD in Economics, MSc in Finance, and BSc in Agriculture and Forestry. Before joining the CMCC, Chenyan served as a Research Fellow at the Department of Finance and Accounting, University of Exeter Business School.

Innovation Fellow and Lecturer within the Camborne School of Mines and Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter. Expertise in the formation of Critical Metal Deposits and more recently, applying this expertise to investigate the valorisation opportunities for mine wastes and the application of Circular Economy thinking to metals exploration and mining sector.

I have experience in project management in the digital space, as well as with European-funded programmes and have spent much of my career working with businesses in Cornwall and the South West. Since joining University of Exeter, I have worked in research development and am excited to combine that experience with my project management background in supporting the transdisciplinary Critical Minerals Challenge Centre.

Dr Julian Ortiz is the Mark Cutifani / Anglo American Chair in Mining Innovation at Camborne School of Mines, where he focusses on geostatistics and predictive geometallurgy, developing algorithms for numerical modeling of geoscientific and mine production data to model the mineral resources and mining processes, predict performance and manage risk, associated to all stages of the extraction and processing of the materials mined.

Carol is leading on the strategic and operational policy and commercialisation activity for the new Critical Minerals Challenge Centre. Previous role was Senior Impact and Partnership Development Manager for the UKRI Circular Economy Centre in Technology Metals (Met4Tech) where she also led on the policy impact activities across the collaborating institutions. Extensive (25+ years) work experience in policy-regulatory and environmental sustainability studies for the mining, metals/chemicals, and energy sectors.

An interdisciplinary political economist who writes, researches, teaches and advises about the futures of work produced by geopolitical, digital and green transitions, and how governments, politicians and policymakers shape these futures through place-based industrial policies. Senior Lecturer in Politics and Director of Business Engagement & Innovation for the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences on the University of Exeter's Cornwall Campus in hometown of Penryn; Co-Investigator of the Economic & Social Research Council Centre for Sociodigital Futures and Fellow of the Institute for the Future of Work.

Jake has much experience at coordinating a variety of research projects from EU and UK-funded programmes. Jake has developed his administrative skills by working on a variety of projects at the University and previously at the National Lobster Hatchery. These skills will be transferred to the Critical Minerals Challenge Centre in the form of event coordination, communications and assisting the project manager with administration tasks.

Dr Lesego Senjoba is an innovation Fellow in Extractive technology with expertise in predictive maintenance, real time equipment monitoring, AI-driven optimization, and sustainable mining practices. Her work integrates machine learning , and digital technologies to enhance operational efficiency in the mining sector.

Robin is an Associate Professor of Geology at CSM. He has over 35 years’ research experience on all aspects of SW England geology, including granites, mineralisation and deep geothermal energy. Robin has a strong record of collaborative research, and knowledge transfer, with minerals / geothermal companies working across the region and the British Geological Survey.

I am a political and economic anthropologist researching industrial and community relations in Britain. I hold a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Critical Minerals Challenge Centre, where I bring the South West’s history of mining together with envisioned futures. Across Britain, physical, ecological, and socioeconomic scars were left by the vacation of industry throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Re-industrialisation in the 21st demands careful work to establish how local communities might benefit most. To this end, I research and map social infrastructure, community wealth funds, labour and skills shortages, and economic history. Further research interests include: mineral rights and licencing, socioeconomic inequality and class, mining folklore, and the social impacts of environmental pollution. My work feeds into conversations of policymaking and strategic decision-making. In the past, I have worked with the UK Government’s Policy Lab, the Department for Education, Natural England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Ministry of Justice. My work in the CMCC maintains this attention to policy impact, communicating between local communities, industry, and government. Before my current role, I undertook a PhD in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge (official award date: 2026). Funded by the ESRC, this project examined industrial relations, inequality, and gentrification on the Cornish coast. Before this, I trained in Comparative Social Policy (MSc) at the University of Oxford, and in Social Anthropology (BSc) at the London School of Economics (LSE).

Professor of Applied Mineralogy, with a background in geochemistry, mineralogy of critical minerals, especially rare earths, niobium. Whole systems views of circular economy of critical minerals including responsible sourcing and sustainable development. Leadership of transdisciplinary, international and mixed industry/academic teams, including development of critical minerals in SW England.

Joanie is an Associate Professor in Politics with the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and is Co-Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies.  Joanie's expertise is in the interface between rural economic development, our environments, skills, and local governance, focussing in particular in the mining regions of Cornwall UK, and Appalachia US.  Current and recent work includes what nature recovery can bring to peripheral economies (NaRRed), green skills development in rural areas (Critical Minerals), and skills and regional development (Evolving the Cornish Economy).

Craig is a geologist with a background in exploration geology, marine geology, numerical modelling, resource mapping and circular economy research. He holds an MScR in numerical modelling from Durham University and an MSc in Exploration Geology from Camborne School of Mines. He works in industry for CMS Geosciences in marine geology and has previous experience of Andean tectonics fieldwork during time at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. His recent work with the UN affiliated UK ICE SRM focused on critical minerals, higher education, and wider resource governance using international resource management frameworks – such as the UNRMS and UNFC. His current research focuses on anthropogenic resource distribution, using geological, spatial and resource management approaches to support resource recovery, recycling strategy, domestic supply resilience and policy-relevant decision-making.

Chendi Zhang is a Professor of Finance at the University of Exeter Business School, and currently Associate Dean for Research & Impact responsible for the School's research and impact strategy and faculty development across interdisciplinary themes. His research focuses on sustainable investing, corporate finance, and behavioural finance. He is the founding Director of Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre and Director and Treasurer of Global Research Alliance for Sustainable Finance and Investment.