Welcome!
On this site, you’ll find information about my work as well as examples of projects I’ve worked on. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), the French National Centre for Scientific Research, based at the Institute of Earth Sciences of Orléans (ISTO), where I lead research activities related to X-ray microtomography within the Porous Media Research Group.
I am interested in hydrogeochemistry of contaminants in porous media. Over the past five years, I have combined experimental and modeling approaches to investigate colloid–mineral interactions, adsorption phenomena, contaminant competition, and critical materials’ transport in porous media, linking molecular-scale processes to macroscopic behavior. Currently, I am investigating the role of colloids in groundwater remediation and subsurface energy storage. My approach integrates 4-D (time+3D) X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray µ CT), reactive transport modeling, and surface complexation to reveal how colloids control contaminant mobility in subsurface environments. I am always interested in new and challenging research problems. Feel free to get in touch.
Who am I?
I specialize in hydrogeochemistry with a keen focus on investigating the fate of emerging contaminants in the environment such as heavy metals and radionuclides, through understanding their behavior within natural systems.
My journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. After which I came to Europe on Erasmus Mundus joint master programme in Groundwater and Global Change – Impacts and Adaptation (GroundwatCh) at Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal),UNESCO IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (the Netherlands) and Technische Universität Dresden (Germany), instilling a solid understanding of fluid dynamics across diverse contexts. Following this, I contributed as a hydrogeology consultant at United Nations (UNU-FLORES) in Dresden, gaining practical insights into sustainable resource management.
At UNU-FLORES, I developed my interest in emerging contaminants which led me to pursue my PhD research with innovative training network (ITN-PANORAMA), funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant. My thesis topic was dedicated to the reactive transport of rare earth elements (REE) and interactions with mineral surfaces such as quartz, goethite, and organo-mineral colloids. My PhD work was focused on connecting the molecular interactions of REE with their macroscopic behavior in porous media. To achieve this upscaling approach, I develop surface complexation and reactive transport models.
I thrive on collaboration and knowledge exchange, connecting with fellow researchers, professionals, and organizations to drive innovation and sustainability. As an advocate for interdisciplinary approaches, I look forward to applying my expertise to help solve pressing challenges at the nexus of geochemistry, hydrogeology, and environmental science.
Currently, I am pursuing my post-doctoral research funded by European Research Council at Energy and Environmental Geosciences group of Earth Sciences Institute of Orleans. I investigate colloidal control of multi-phase flow in geological porous media using 4-D X-ray micro tomographic imaging.