2014-present     Research Fellow, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University
2009- 2014          Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), The University of Queensland

2009       Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2005       Bachelor of Environmental Science (Advanced) (Honours) , The University of Wollongong, Australia

2019 Australian Academy of Science France and Europe EMCR Mobility Grants

2013-2018: NHMRC-European Union Collaborative Research Grants ‘SOLUTIONS for present and future emerging pollutants in land and water resources management’ (APP1074775)

2010-2013: ARC Linkage Project ‘Fate of micropollutants in water recycling: Influence of dissolved organic matter’ (LP100200276) – Australian Postdoctoral Industry Fellowship (APDI)

Neale P.A., Escher B.I. (2020) Mixture Modelling and Effect-Directed Analysis for Identification of Chemicals, Mixtures and Effects of Concern. In: Jiang G., Li X. (eds) A New Paradigm for Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology. Springer, Singapore

Enault, J., Loret, J.F., Neale, P.A., de Baat, M.L., Escher, B.I., Belhadj, F., Kools, S.A.E., Pronk, G., Leusch, F.D.L. (2023) How effective are water treatment processes in removing toxic effects of micropollutants? A literature review of effect-based monitoring data, J. Water Health https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2023.235

Neale, P.A., Escher. B.I., de Baat, M.L., Enault, J., Leusch, F.D.L. (2023) Effect-based trigger values are essential for the uptake of effect-based methods in Water Safety Planning, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 42, 714-726

Leusch, F.D.L., Lu, H.-C., Perera, K., Neale, P.A., Ziajahromi, S. (2023) Analysis of the literature shows a remarkably consistent relationship between size and abundance of microplastics across different environmental matrices, Environ. Pollut. 319, 120984

Neale, P.A., Escher. B.I., de Baat, M.L, Dechesne, M., Deere, D.A, Enault, J., Kools, S.A.E., Loret, J.F., Smeets, P.W.M.H., Leusch, F.D.L. (2022) Effect-based monitoring to integrate the mixture hazards of chemicals into Water Safety Plans, J. Water Health 20 (12), 1721–1732

Lu, H.-C., Ziajahromi, S., Locke, A., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2022) Microplastics profile in constructed wetlands: Distribution, retention and implications, Environ. Pollut. 313, 120079

Nguyen, A.Q., Vu, H.P., McDonald, J.A., Nguyen, L.N., Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A., Khan, S.J., Nghiem, L.D. (2022) Chiral inversion of 2-arylpropionoic acid (2-APA) enantiomers under anaerobic conditions, Environ. Sci. Technol. 56, 8197-8208

Lu, H.-C., Ziajahromi, S., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2022) Letter to the Editor regarding “Microplastics: A review of analytical methods, occurrence and characteristics in food, and potential toxicities to biota” by Bai et al. (2022), Sci. Total Environ. 819, 152706

Nguyen, A.Q., Nguyen, L.N., McDonald, J.A., Nghiem, L.D., Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A., Khan, S.J. (2022) Chiral inversion of 2-arylpropionoic acid (2-APA) enantiomers during simulated biological wastewater treatment, Water Res. 209, 117871

Franklin, H.M., Doederer, K., Neale, P.A., Hayton, J.B., Fisher, P., Maxwell, P., Carroll, A.R., Burford, M.A., Leusch F.D.L. (2021) Terrestrial dissolved organic matter source affects disinfection by-product formation during water treatment and subsequent toxicity, Environ. Pollut. 283, 117232

Lu, H.-C., Ziajahromi, S., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2021) A systematic review of freshwater microplastics in water and sediments: Recommendations for harmonisation to enhance future study comparisons, Sci. Total Environ. 781, 146693

Bain, P.A., Gregg, A., Pandey, A.K., Mudiam, M.K.R., Neale, P.A., Kumar, A. (2021) Using bioanalytical tools to detect and track organic micropollutants in the Ganga River near two major cities, J. Hazard. Mater. 404, 124135

Escher, B.I., Neale, P.A. (2021) Effect-based trigger values for mixtures of chemicals in surface water detected with in vitro bioassays, Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 40, 487–499

Markovic, M., Neale, P.A., Nidumolu, B., Kumar, A. (2021) Combined toxicity of therapeutic pharmaceuticals to duckweed, Lemna minor, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 208, 111428

Ziajahromi, S., Neale, P.A., Telles Silveira, I., Chua, A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2021) An audit of microplastic abundance throughout three Australian wastewater treatment plants, Chemosphere, 263: 128294 

Neale, P.A., Grimaldi, M., Boulahtouf, A., Leusch, F.D.L., Balaguer, P. (2020) Assessing species-specific differences for nuclear receptor activation for environmental water extracts, Water Res. 185: 116247

Neale, P.A., Braun, G., Brack, W., Carmora, E., Gunold, R., König, M., Krauss, M., Liebmann, L., Liess, M., Link, M., Schäfer, R., Schlichting, R., Schreiner, V., Schulze, T., Vormeier, P., Weisner, O., Escher, B.I. (2020) Assessing the mixture effects in in vitro bioassays of chemicals occurring in small agricultural streams during rain events, Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 8280–8290 

Neale, P.A., Feliers, C., Glauch, L., König, M., Lecarpentier, C., Schlichting, R., Thibert, S., Escher, B.I. (2020) Application of in vitro bioassays for water quality monitoring in three drinking water treatment plants using different treatment processes including biological treatment, nanofiltration and ozonation coupled with disinfection, Environ. Sci. Water Res. Technol. 6, 2444-2453 

Leusch, F.D.L., Khan, S.J., Deere, D., Cunliffe, D., Neale, P.A., Humpage, A. (2020) Deriving safe short-term chemical exposure values (STEV) for drinking water, Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 110: 104545 

Kroon, F.J., Berry, K.L.E., Brinkman, D.L., Kookana, R., Leusch, F.D.L., Melvin, S.D., Neale, P.A., Negri, A., Puotinen, M., Tsang, J.J., van de Merwe, J.P., Williams, M. (2020) Sources, presence, and potential effects of contaminants of emerging concern in the marine environments of the Great  Barrier Reef and Torres Strait, Australia, Sci. Total Environ. 719, 135140 

Neale, P.A., Branch, A., Khan, S.J., Leusch, F.D.L. (2019) Evaluating the enantiospecific differences of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) using an ecotoxicity bioassay test battery, Sci. Total Environ. 694: 133659

Leusch FDL, Neale PA, Busetti F, Card M, Humpage A, Orbell JD, Ridgway HF, Stewart MB, van de Merwe JP, Escher BI (2019) Transformation of endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceutical and personal care products during drinking water disinfection. Science of The Total Environment 657:1480-1490

Ziajahromi, S., Kumar, A., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2019) Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the acute toxicity of a synthetic pyrethroid to midge larvae (Chironomus tepperi) in synthetic and river water, Sci. Total Environ. 671: 971-975

Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2019) Assessing the role of different dissolved organic carbon and bromide concentrations for disinfection by-product formation using chemical analysis and bioanalysis, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 26: 17100-17109

Altenburger, R., Brack, W., Burgess, R.M., Busch, W., Escher, B.I., Focks, A., Hewitt, M., Jacobsen, B.N., López de Alda, M., Ait-Aissa, S., Backhaus, T., Ginebreda, A., Hilscherová, K., Hollender, J., Hollert, H., Neale, P.A., Schulze, T., Schymanski, E.L., Teodorovic, I., Tindall, A.J., de Aragão Umbuzeiro, G., Vrana, B., Zonja, B., Krauss, M. (2019) Future water quality monitoring – Improving the balance between exposure and toxicity assessments of real world pollutant mixtures, Environ. Sci. Eur. 31: 12

Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A., Busetti, F., Card, M., Humpage, A., Orbell, J.D., Ridgway, H., Stewart, M.B., van de Merwe, J.P., Escher, B.I. (2019) Transformation of endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceutical and personal care products during drinking water disinfection, Sci. Total Environ. 657: 1480-1490

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I. (2018) In vitro bioassays to assess drinking water quality, Current Opinion Environ. Sci. Health, 7: 1-7

Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L., Escher, B.I. (2018) What is driving the NF-κB response in environmental water extracts? Chemosphere 210: 645-652

Escher, B.I., Neale, P.A., Villeneuve, D.L. (2018) The advantages of linear concentration-response curves for in vitro bioassays with environmental samples, Toxicol. Chem. 37: 2273-2280

van de Merwe, J.P., Neale, P.A., Melvin, S.D., Leusch, F.D.L. (2018) In vitro bioassays reveal that additives are significant contributors to the toxicity of commercial household pesticides. Toxicol. 199: 263-268

Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A., Arnal, C., Aneck-Hahn, N.H., Balaguer, P., Bruchet, A., Escher, B.I., Esperanza, M., Grimaldi, M., Leroy, G., Scheurer, M., Schlichting, R., Schriks, M., Hebert, A. (2018) Analysis of endocrine activity in drinking water, surface water and treated wastewater from six countries, Water Res. 139: 10-18

Novák, J., Vrana B., Rusina, T., Okonskia, T., Grabic, R., Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I., Mácová, M., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Creusot, M., Allan, I., Hilscherová, K. (2018) Effect-based monitoring of the Danube River using mobile passive sampling, Total Environ. 636: 1608-1619

Altenburger, R., Scholze, M., Busch, W., Escher, B.I., Jakobs G., Krauss, K., Krüger, J., Neale, P.A., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Almeida, A.C., Seiler, T.-B., Brion, F., Hilscherová K., Hollert, H., Novák, J., Schlichting, R., Serra, H., Shao, Y., Tindall, A.J., Tollefsen, K.-E., Umbuzeiro, G., Williams, T.D., Kortenkamp, A. (2018) Mixture effects in samples of multiple contaminants – an inter-laboratory study with manifold bioassays, Int. 114: 95-106

Neale, P.A., Brack, W., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Busch, W., Hollender, J., Krauss, M., Maillot-Maréchal, E., Munz, N.A., Schlichting, R., Schulze, T., Vogler, B., Escher, B.I. (2018) Solid-phase extraction as sample preparation of water samples for cell-based and other in vitro bioassays, Sci. Process. Impacts 20: 493-504

Escher, B.I., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Behnisch, P.A., Brack, W., Brion, F., Brouwer, A., Buchinger, S., Crawford, S.E., Du Pasquier, D., Hamers, T., Hettwer, K., Hilscherová, K., Hollert, H., Kase, R., Kienle, C., Tindall, A.J., Tuerk, J., van der Oost, R., Vermeirssen, E., Neale, P.A. (2018) Effect-based trigger values for in vitro and in vivo bioassays performed on surface water extracts supporting the environmental quality standards (EQS) of the European Water Framework Directive, Total Environ. 628-629: 748-765

Ziajahromi, S., Kumar, A., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2018) Environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics negatively impact the survival, growth and emergence of sediment-dwelling invertebrates, Pollut. 236: 425-431

Nivala, J., Neale, P.A., Haasis, T., Kahl, S., König, M., Müller, R.A., Reemtsma, T., Schlichting, R., Escher, B.I. (2018) Application of cell-based bioassays to evaluate treatment efficacy of conventional and intensified treatment wetlands, Sci. Water Res. Technol. 4, 206–217

Hebert, A., Feliers, C., Lecarpentier, C., Neale, P.A., Schlichting, R., Thibert, S., Escher, B.I. (2018) Bioanalytical assessment of adaptive stress responses in drinking water: A predictive tool to differentiate between micropollutants and disinfection by-products, Water Res. 132, 340-349

Scott, P.D., Coleman, H.M., Khan, S., Lim, R., McDonald, J.A., Mondon, J., Neale, P.A., Prochazka, E., Tremblay, L.A., Warne, M. S., Leusch, F.D.L. (2018) Histopathology, vitellogenin and chemical body burden in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) sampled from six river sites receiving a gradient of stressors, Total Environ. 616-617, 1638-1648

Leusch, F.D.L., Aneck-Hahn, N.H., Cavanagh, J.E., Du Pasquier, D., Hamers, T., Herbert, A., Neale, P.A., Scheurer, M., Simmons, S.O., Schriks, M. (2018) Comparison of in vitro and in vivo bioassays to measure thyroid hormone disrupting activity in water extracts, Chemosphere 191, 868-875

Ziajahromi, S., Kumar, A., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2017) Impact of microplastic beads and fibers on waterflea (Ceriodaphnia dubia) survival, growth and reproduction: Implications of single and mixture exposures, Sci. Technol. 51, 13397−13406

Neale, P.A., Altenburger, R., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Brion, F., Busch, W., de Aragão Umbuzeiro, G., Denison, M. S., Du Pasquier, D., Hilscherová, K., Hollert, H., Morales, D.A., Novák, J., Schlichting, R., Seiler, T.B., Serra, H., Shao, Y., Tindall, A.J., Tollefsen, K.E., Williams, T.D., Escher, B.I. (2017) Development of a bioanalytical test battery for water quality monitoring: Fingerprinting identified micropollutants and their contribution to effects in surface water. Water Res. 123, 734-750

Scott, P.D., Coleman, H.M., Colville, A., Lim, R., Matthews, B., McDonald, J.A., Miranda, A., Neale, P.A., Nugegoda, D., Tremblay, L.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2017).  Assessing the potential for trace organic contaminants commonly found in Australian rivers to induce vitellogenin in the native rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) and the introduced mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), Toxicol. 185, 105-120

Ziajahromi, S., Neale, P.A., Rintoul, L. Leusch, F.D.L. (2017) Wastewater treatment plants as a pathway for microplastics: Development of a new approach to sample wastewater-based microplastics, Water Res. 112: 93-99

Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L., Escher, B.I. (2017) Applying mixture toxicity modelling to predict bacterial bioluminescence inhibition by non-specifically acting pharmaceuticals and specifically acting antibiotics, Chemosphere 173: 387-394

Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A., Hebert, A., Scheurer, M., Schriks, M.C.M. (2017) Analysis of the sensitivity of in vitro bioassays for androgenic, progestagenic, glucocorticoid, thyroid and estrogenic activity: Suitability for drinking and environmental waters, Int. 99: 120-130

Neale, P.A., Achard, M.E., Escher, B.I. Leusch, F.D.L. (2017) Exploring the oxidative stress response mechanism triggered by environmental water samples, Sci. Process. Impacts 19: 1126-1133

Multer, K., Hollert, H., Leusch, F.D.L., Neale, P.A. (2017) Development and application of a simple method to detect toxic chemicals in fruits and vegetables that can be implemented in a rudimentary laboratory setting: A proof of concept study, Food Control 73: 1023-1031

Neale, P.A., Munz, N.A., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Altenburger, R., Brion, F., Busch, W., Escher, B.I., Hilscherová, K., Kienle, C., Novák, J., Seiler, T.B., Shao, Y., Stamm, C., Hollender, J. (2017) Integrating chemical analysis and bioanalysis to evaluate the contribution of wastewater effluent on the micropollutant burden in small streams, Total Environ. 576: 785-795

König, M., Escher, B.I., Neale P.A., Krauss, M., Hilscherová, K., Novák, J. Teodorović, I. Schulze, T., Seidensticker, S., Hashmi, M. A. K., Ahlheim, J., Brack, W. (2017) Impact of untreated wastewater on a major European river evaluated with a combination of in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis, Pollut. 220: 1220-1230

Ziajahromi, S., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2016) Wastewater treatment plant effluent as a source of microplastics: Review of the fate, chemical interactions and potential risks to aquatic organisms, Water Sci. Technol. 74: 2253-2269

Neale, P.A., Aїt-Aїssa, S., Brack, W., Creusot, N., Denison, M.S., Deutschmann, B., Hilscherová, K., Hollert, H., Krauss, M., Novak, J., Schulze, T., Seiler, T.B., Serra, H., Shao, Y., Escher, B.I. (2015) Linking in vitro effects and detected organic micropollutants in surface water using mixture toxicity modeling, Sci. Technol. 49: 14614-14624

Escher, B.I., Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2015) Effect-based trigger values for in vitro bioassays: Reading across from existing water quality guideline values, Water Res. 81: 137-148

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I., Leusch, F.D.L. (2015) Understanding the implications of dissolved organic carbon when assessing antagonism in vitro: An example with an estrogen receptor assay, Chemosphere 135: 341-346

P.A., Stalter, D., Tang, J.Y.M., Escher, B.I. (2015) Bioanalytical evidence that chemicals in tattoo ink can induce adaptive stress responses, J. Hazard. Mater. 296: 192-200

Neale, P.A., Leusch, F.D.L. (2015) Considerations when assessing antagonism in vitro: Why standardizing the agonist concentration matters, Chemosphere 135: 20-23

Neale, P.A., Jämting, Å., O’Malley, E., Herrmann, J., Escher, B.I. (2015) Behaviour of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in the presence of wastewater-derived organic matter and implications for algal toxicity, Sci.: Nano 2: 86-93

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I. (2014) Does co-extracted dissolved organic carbon cause artefacts in cell-based bioassays? Chemosphere 108: 281-288

Neale, P.A., Jämting, Å.K., Escher, B.I., Herrmann, J. (2013) A review of the detection, fate and effects of engineered nanomaterials in wastewater treatment plants, Water Sci. Technol. 68: 1440-1453.

Farré, M.J., Day, S., Neale, P.A., Stalter, D., Tang, J.Y.M., Escher., B.I., (2013) Bioanalytical and chemical assessment of the disinfection by-product formation potential: Role of organic matter, Water Res. 47: 5409-5421

Tang, J.Y.M., McCarty, S., Glenn, E., Neale, P.A., Warne, M.S. and Escher, B.I. (2013). Mixture effects of organic micropollutants present in water: Towards the development of effect-based water quality trigger values for baseline toxicity, Water Res. 47: 3300-3314

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I. (2013) Co-extracted dissolved organic carbon has a suppressive effect on the acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay, Toxicol. Chem. 32: 1526-1534

Neale, P. A., Antony, A., Bartkow, M. E., Farré, M. J., Heitz, A., Kristiana, I., Tang, J. Y. M., Escher, B. I. (2012) Bioanalytical assessment of the formation of disinfection by-products in a drinking water treatment plant, Sci. Technol. 46: 10317-10325

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I., Goss, K.-U., Endo, S. (2012) Evaluating dissolved organic carbon-water partitioning using polyparameter linear free energy relationships: Implications for the fate of disinfection by-products, Water Res. 46: 3637–3645

Neale, P.A., Schäfer, A.I. (2012) Quantification of solute–solute interactions in steroidal hormone removal by ultrafiltration membranes, Purif. Technol. 90: 31-38

Neale, P.A., Antony, A., Gernjak, W., Leslie, G., Escher, B.I, (2011) Natural versus wastewater derived dissolved organic carbon: Implications for the environmental fate of organic micropollutants, Water Res. 45: 4227-4237

Hawker, D.W., Cumming, J.L., Neale, P.A., Bartkow, M.E., Escher, B.I. (2011) A screening level fate model of organic contaminants from advanced water treatment in a potable water supply reservoir, Water Res. 45: 768-780

Neale, P.A., Mastrup, M., Borgman, T., Schäfer, A.I. (2010) Sorption of micropollutant
estrone to a water treatment ion exchange resin, Environ. Monit. 12: 311-317

Schäfer, A.I., Nghiem, L.D., Meier, A., Neale, P.A. (2010) Impact of organic matrix compounds on the retention of the steroid hormones by a ‘loose’ nanofiltration membrane, Purif. Technol. 73: 179-187

Neale, P. A., Escher, B.I., Schäfer, A.I. (2009) pH dependence of steroid hormone-organic matter interactions at environmental concentrations. Tot. Environ. 407, 1164-1173

Neale, P.A., Schäfer, A.I. (2009) Magnetic Ion Exchange (MIEX^®): Is there potential for international development? Desalination 248: 160-165

Neale, P.A., Pronk, W., Schäfer, A.I. (2009) The influence of pH adjustment on losses of estradiol analyte in sample pre-filtration using a 0.45 µm syringe filters. Eng. Sci. 26: 1157-1161

Neale, P.A., Escher, B.I., Schäfer, A.I. (2008) Quantification of solute – solute interactions using negligible – depletion solid-phase microextraction: Measuring the affinity of estradiol to bulk organic matter, Sci. Technol. 42, 2886-2892

2011       UQ Travel Award for International Collaborative Research (Category 2)
2011       Go8 Australia–Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme