Personal profile
Biography
Joanne has been a researcher and lecturer in the School of Engineering and Architecture at UCC since 2022 and joined Process and Chemical Engineering in 2025. She previously held postdoctoral research positions at UCC’s MaREI Centre and at Trinity College Dublin, where she completed a PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2014, supported by funding from the Irish Research Council.
Before moving into academic research, Joanne worked as an engineer in the pharmaceutical sector in Ireland and spent several years in international development and humanitarian roles with the United Nations and international NGOs.
Her research focuses on sustainable water and wastewater treatment systems, environmental management, engineering for emergency contexts, and creative approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation. She has contributed to national and international projects on decentralised wastewater treatment, solar water disinfection, and the evaluation of community climate action initiatives.
Joanne has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored research reports for the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. She continues to collaborate with industry, policymakers, and community partners to advance practical solutions for sustainability and resilience.
UCC Futures (primary)
- Sustainability Institute
PhD Supervision
- Available for PhD supervision
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Arts, creative & cultural initiatives for citizen engagement on climate action: Insights from Ireland's Creative Climate Action Fund
Mac Mahon, J., Revez, A., Burke, M., Hogan, P. & Nyhan, M. M., Jan 2025, In: Current Research in Environmental Sustainability. 9, 100274.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Systems thinking-informed and data-driven urban decarbonisation framework for individual, community and urban scale climate action
Purcell, L., Mahon, J. M., Daly, D., De Doncker, I. & Nyhan, M. M., 10 Jan 2025, In: Science of the Total Environment. 959, 178152.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Hydraulic conductivity assessment of falling head percolation tests used for the design of on-site wastewater treatment systems
Gill, L. W., Mac Mahon, J., Knappe, J. & Morrissey, P., 1 Jun 2023, In: Water Research. 236, 119968.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Sludge accumulation rates in septic tanks used as part of the on-site treatment of domestic wastewater in a northern maritime temperate climate
Mahon, J. M., Knappe, J. & Gill, L. W., 15 Feb 2022, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 304, 114199.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for SARS-CoV-2 – A review focussing on the significance of the sewer network using a Dublin city catchment case study
Mahon, J. M., Monleon, A. J. C., Gill, L. W., O’Sullivan, J. J. & Meijer, W. G., 15 Sep 2022, In: Water Science and Technology. 86, 6, p. 1402-1425 24 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access