Dr Alex Setchfield

Alex is Research & Knowledge Exchange Manager at Ceres Research, with a background in biological science, agricultural research and innovation. He holds a PhD in Mechanistic Biology from the University of York, delivered with Fera Science, a Master’s degree in Industrial Biotechnology, and a first-class Bachelor’s degree in Biology.

His PhD involved the development of a patent-pending microbial process to turn crop residues into feed for insect larvae as a sustainable protein-rich feed for pigs, chickens, and fish. He later worked as a Venturing Business Scientist in Strategic and International Growth at Fera Science, developing commercial and grant-funded work across topics including novel food and feed sources, plant health, and soil and water quality.

At Ceres Research, Alex now brings together farmers, industry partners and research organisations to turn promising science and innovative ideas into practical, evidence-led solutions. He leads and supports projects from initial concept and experimental design through to delivery, data analysis and demonstration, helping ensure that new knowledge and technologies can be evaluated, understood and applied in practice.

Away from work, Alex is an avid motorsport fan and classic car enthusiast, and enjoys being in the great outdoors as much as possible in his home county of North Yorkshire.