Professor Robert Chilcott

Professor of Toxicology University of Hertfordshire

  • Hatfield England

His research into chemical exposure has informed policy guidance for emergency response teams in the event of chemical attack.

Contact

University Alliance

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Areas of Expertise

Counter Terrorism
Burns
Toxic Chemicals
Toxicology
Poisons
Contamination

Biography

Professor Robert Chilcott is Professor of Toxicology in the Toxicology Research Group at the University of Hertfordshire’s Department of Clinical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. His research explores how we respond to incidents involving the deliberate or accidental release of toxic chemicals - and exploring ways of improving survival chances for those who have been exposed to these chemicals. He has examined chemical warfare agents and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (known as TICs). He works with UK police forces and coroners’ offices, and contributes to counter-terrorism investigations.

Robert’s early career involved working with toxins and chemical warfare agents for the UK’s Ministry of Defence. He went on to work in public health responses to toxic incidents within the UK’s Department of Health. His PhD looked at ways of protecting the skin from sulphur mustard burns. He has been interviewed by media on a range of chemical warfare and toxic chemical incidents - including responding to claims that using disinfecting chemicals might help to prevent COVID-19 contamination and speculation on potentially poisonous contents in jewellery.

Media Mentions

Where does vanilla flavouring come from and what has it got to do with beavers’ anal secretions?

Metro  online

2020-11-10

According to Robert Chilcott from the University of Hertfordshire: ‘Fortunately, German chemists discovered that vanillin (one of the chemicals responsible for the taste of vanilla) could be extracted from the humble conifer.

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Coronavirus: Trump’s disinfectant and sunlight claims fact-checked

BBC  online

2020-04-24

"Injecting bleach or disinfectant at the dose required to neutralise viruses in the circulating blood would likely result in significant, irreversible harm and probably a very unpleasant death," says Rob Chilcott, professor of toxicology at the University of Hertfordshire."

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'Injecting bleach kills!': UK scientists issue warning after Trump coronavirus comments

Yahoo! News Australia  online

2020-04-24

Professor Rob Chilcott, Professor of Toxicology at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Injecting bleach or disinfectant at the dose required to neutralise viruses in the circulating blood would likely result in significant, irreversible harm and probably a very unpleasant death.

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Multimedia Appearances

Social

Accomplishments

Winner of the Times Higher Education Award for STEM Research Project of the Year

2018

Office of the Vice Chancellor Research Team of the Year Award

2018

Joint Recipient of the Best Practice award for the European Union’s Health Programme

2012

Education

Imperial College London

Ph.D.

1999

University of Birmingham

M.Sc.

Toxicology

1992

University of Sheffield

B.Sc.

Biochemistry and Physiology

1991

Affiliations

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
  • Chartered Biologist
  • European Registered Toxicologist
  • Media spokesperson for the UK Register of Toxicologists

Articles

Decontamination and Management of Contaminated Hair following a CBRN or HazMat Incident

Toxicological Studies

2019

This in vitro study evaluated the “triple protocol” of dry decontamination, the ladder pipe system (a method for gross decontamination), and technical decontamination for the decontamination of hair following chemical contamination.

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Sebomic identification of sex- and ethnicity-specific variations in residual skin surface components (RSSC) for bio-monitoring or forensic applications

Lipids in Health and Disease

2018

“Residual skin surface components” (RSSC) is the collective term used for the superficial layer of sebum, residue of sweat, small quantities of intercellular lipids and components of natural moisturising factor present on the skin surface.

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Hybrid in vitro diffusion cell for simultaneous evaluation of hair and skin decontamination: temporal distribution of chemical contaminants

Scientific Reports

2018

Most casualty or personnel decontamination studies have focused on removing contaminants from the skin. However, scalp hair and underlying skin are the most likely areas of contamination following airborne exposure to chemicals.

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