Dr Agatha Grela

Agatha is an analytical chemist who, having worked in a forensic toxicology lab, has first-hand experience in the analysis of street drugs and various forensic toxicology evidence types. Her research interests lie in the detection of drugs and pharmaceutical compounds from various matrices. She is a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Member of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, an Associate Member of the Charted Society of Forensic Sciences and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

[email protected]

Background

Agatha holds a PhD in chemical sciences from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and has worked in a forensic toxicology laboratory where she analysed toxicology samples and street drugs. After working as a postdoctoral research assistant from March 2017 to July 2018, on a project looking into drug detection from spiked drink (submitted as a REF case study), Agatha returned to ARU in August 2022. Prior to taking up her current post, she taught at the University of West London.

Agatha's areas of expertise are in Analytical chemistry, Forensic analytical toxicology and Drug chemistry.

As well as being Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, Agatha is Course Director for MSc Forensic Science, School of Life Sciences Research Ethics Panel Chair and Faculty Research Ethics Panel Deputy Chair.

Research interests

• Drink spiking research
• Drug analysis from various matrices (biological and non-biological)
• Stability of drugs in different matrices
• Application of microfluidics in forensic chemistry

Areas of research supervision

Current research degree supervisions:

• Second supervisor for a PhD project: Exploring Influences, Behaviours and Impacts of Bystanders in Response to Spiking Incidents

Recently completed research degree supervisions:

• Second supervisor for a PhD project: Diclazepam and its Metabolites: A Chemometric Interpretation

Teaching

• BSc (Hons) Forensic Science
• BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigative Studies
• MSc Forensic Science

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemical Sciences, Application of lipidomics in the search of depression biomarkers. Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
• MSc in Chemistry, specialisation in analytical chemistry. Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

Memberships, editorial boards

• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists
• Associate Member of the Charted Society of Forensic Sciences
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Drink spiking: Investigating the stability of drink spiking related drugs in various storage conditions. – Summer 2023 Undergraduate Taster Placement (internal funding)

Application of microfluidic analytical devices in the detection of drugs for biological and non-biological materials – ARU 2023 Internship Scheme (internal funding)

Drinkaware charity funding for evidence-based research on drink spiking, 2022 (Co-Investigator, funding for: £89,130)

Scientists hidden from history – a celebration of BAME scientists – funded by the Biochemical Society (Diversity in Science grants), funding for £500

Capacity building on forensic toxicology and drugs chemistry in Nepal – funded by Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund; collaborator; duration: 25 June 2018 - 06 July 2018; funding for £5,000

Application of lipidomic methods in depression diagnosis – project “Preludium” funded by the National Science Centre, Krakow, Poland; principal investigator; duration: 3 years (2013 – 2016); funding for approx. £27 300. This grant was the main funding source of my PhD project.

Application of metabolomics and proteomics in the identification of biomarkers for neuropsychiatric disorders and the effects of psychiatric drugs – funded by the Faculty of Chemistry; principal investigator; duration: 2011 – 2012, funding for approx. £1,200.

Selected recent publications

Gautam L, Cole MD, Grela A (2026) Getting to know GHB: A natural neurotransmitter with negative consequences. Nature Chemistry. DOI: 10.1038/s41557-026-02080-2 Cole MD, Gautam L, Grela A (2025) Controlled Drug Analysis, Royal Society of Chemistry, Hardback ISBN: 978-1-78801-534-9

Grela A, Gair S, Gautam L (2025) Understanding, experiences, and reporting of drink spiking and needling incidents in the UK. Scientific Reports. Manuscript under review.

Barron K, Grela A, and Gautam L, (2025). Spiking educational toolkit. Anglia Ruskin University.

Gautam L, and Grela A (2024) Drink spiking research findings, Anglia Ruskin University, Available at: https://shorturl.at/2CtHK (Accessed 15 August 2025).

Gautam, L., Grela, A., Satyal, J., 2022. Sexual Assault through a Forensic Lens: Understanding Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Issues in Nepal. Annapurna Journal of Health Sciences, 2(4).

Gautam, L., Bohara, A., Satyal, J., Grela, A., 2021. Alcohol: Use, abuse and associated impacts on health and crimes. Annapurna Journal of Health Sciences, 1(2), pp. 49–55. doi: 10.52910/ajhs.45

Davies, C., Gautam, L., Grela, A., Morrissey, J., 2020. Variability Associated with Interpreting Drugs within Forensic Hair Analysis. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 40(7), pp. 868-888. doi: 10.1002/jat.3959

Grela, A. (2019) Manuscript jigsaw – how to help students write dissertations. A poster presented at: The Festival of Learning and Teaching, 3rd July 2019, University of West London: UK.

Grela, A., Gautam, L., Cole, M. D., 2018. A multifactorial critical appraisal of substances found in Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault cases. Forensic Science International, 292, pp. 50-60. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.08.034

Cole, M.D., Grela, A., Gautam, L. Xanax: how does it work and what are the side effects? The Conversation. 11 April 2018. 

Recent presentations and conferences

Nehra N, Cherid S, Barron K, Grela A, and Gautam L, Responding to drink spiking: Evidence, gaps, and the need for collaborative action. Organised by Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, June 2025.

Safe Drinks, Safe Nights – A Day of Insight on Drink Spiking (02 June 2025, ARU Cambridge Campus, Organising committee): welcomed advocates, experts, researchers, and practitioners from across 14 organisations to explore how we can better understand and prevent drink spiking. ARU research on drink spiking was showcased throughout the day.

European Academy of Forensic Sciences Conference 2025 (May 2025; Oral presentation: Responding to drink spiking: Evidence, gaps, and the need for collaborative action, and Poster presentation: Evaluation of testing kits for detection of drugs in spiked drinks: Reliability and effectiveness assessment).

Taylor D, Grela A, and Gautam L, Identification of drugs and pharmaceutical compounds in urine from alleged drink spiking incidents using GC-MS (April 2025) British Conference of Undergraduate Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tynee.

Gautam L. Grela A and Drink Spiking research team organised a half-day knowledge exchange event on 20 February 2025 between Turkish forensic chemists and our forensic chemistry colleagues at the School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University. Welcoming forensic scientists from the Turkish National Police and Gendarmerie Command, and sharing platform with our MSc Forensic Science students, marked a significant milestone in fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

61st Annual Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, TIAFT 2023 (September 2024; Oral presentation: Application of chemometrics in the interpretation of diclazepam and its metabolite ratios and Poster presentation: Exploring drink spiking and needling in the United Kingdom

60th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists, TIAFT 2023 (August 2023; Poster presentation: Drink spiking: social issues and scientific challenges)

2022 IABPA European Conference (July 2022, organising committee).

Flow Analysis XV, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland (June 2022, oral presentation: Quantification of diclazepam and its metabolites using GC-MS for chemometric purposes).

European Academy of Forensic Science Conference, Stockholm, Sweden (May 2022, oral presentation: Diclazepam metabolite interpretation).

Annual Forensic Science Student Conference, University of West London, London, UK (March 2022, organiser).

Training day for forensic health professionals, University of West London, London, UK (May 2021, invited speaker: Science behind DFSA: Evidence gathering and analysing).

Seven Days FDP on Recent Advancement in Forensic Science and Technology (Crime Scene to Court Room), Amity University, India (March 2021, invited speaker: Science behind DFSA: Evidence gathering and analysing).

Annual Forensic Science Student Conference, University of West London, London, UK (February 2021, organiser).

International Conference by Biotechnology Society of Nepal (February 2021, oral presentation: Knowledge, perception and experience of DFSA among college students – comparison of Nepal and UK data).

International Conference by Biotechnology Society of Nepal (February 2021, scientific steering committee).

Seminar organised by Women’s Law Forum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (November 2020, invited speaker: Raising Awareness about Drink Spiking and Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault).

Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge, UK (March 2020, lecture: Drink Spiking: Myths, Truths and Advances in Forensic Science).

2nd International Caparica Conference in Translational Forensics, Lisbon, Portugal (November 2019, oral presentation; Drugs in drug facilitated sexual assault).

Workshop on Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Investigation, Kathmandu, Nepal (2019, oral presentation, co-author: Knowledge, perception and experience on DFSA in Nepal – A survey based study).

The Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal & The Himalaya (2019, oral presentation, co-author: Understanding the nature of sexual assault cases with the focus on Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault in Nepal through a forensic lens).

Annual Forensic Science Student Conference, University of West London, London, UK (2019, invited speaker: Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: a chemist’s perspective).

Research and Scholarship Day, University of West London, London, UK (2018).

Simultaneous Detection of Drugs Associated with Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Using Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (2018, poster presentation, co-author, The International Association of Forensic Toxicologist conference, Ghent, Belgium).

Fifth Annual Conference 2018 Forensics in Action, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK (2018, invited speaker: Sexual Assault and Drugs).

7th Annual Research Conference, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK (2017, oral presentation, co-author: Importance of alternative sample analysis in forensic investigation of drug facilitated sexual assault).

Media experience

Consultancy for documentary, Murder Detective with Graham Hill (episode on Murder of Adrian Murphy), aired 30 October 2022.

Consultancy for documentary developed for the Smithsonian Channel (Curious Life and Death of…, episode 2: Brian Jones), aired 13 September 2020.