The Team

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr Gemma Louise Davies

Gemma-Louise joined the group in September 2011 from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, where she carried out a Postdoctoral Fellowship and her PhD on Nanomaterials under the supervision of Prof. Yurii Gun'ko.  Her current work entails the synthesis and characterisation of nanoparticles as multimodal imaging tools and site specific drug delivery vehicles.  Her project involves multi-disciplinary collaborations, with work being carried out in association with Profs. Beer and Faulkner in the Department of Chemistry, Prof. Clarke and Dr. Cochlin in the School of Physiology in the University of Oxford, as well as Dr. Radjenovic in the University of Leeds.

Dr Xiliang Luo

Xiliang joined the group in the winter of 2011 as a senior Marie Curie Fellow. Before joining the group in Oxford, he was a research assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, USA. His research project is associated with the development of electrochemical biosensors for multiplexed protein detection in complex media.

Dr Joshua Lehr

Joshua Lehr joined the group in August 2011 having completed his PhD at University of Canterbury (New Zealand) under the supervision of Prof. Alison Downard. His PhD studies involved the investigation of various aspects of thin film grafting processes. His current work focuses on the assembly and characterisation of surface bound  interlocked structures exhibiting chemically and electrochemically triggered motion. This a collaborative project carried out in conjunction with the groups of Prof. Stephen Faulkner and Prof. Paul Beer.

Graduates

Pt IIs

Joshua Ryall :

Joss is one of the few people in the world that every Chemist is in awe of; his dynamic, enthusiastic and unrelenting drive to get the best possible results should be a lesson to us all. While currently Joss is looking at Capacitance he likes to have his fingers in all the pies and continually ventures over to the dark side to synthesise some nanoparticles, often showing up Dan who is rumoured to be the local expert. Given Joss' latest job application to NASA we can all rest assured that this man will go far further than the moon...... Although may never return.

Joss is studying at Pembroke college and his Part II project focuses on optimising surface confined proteins (the molecular scale analysis of bioelectrochemical characteristics). When not in the lab, Joss enjoys keeping fit at the gym and keeping up to date with current affairs and sports news.

Daneil Nicholls

As well as being an accomplished chemist Dan is also a very talented musician, spending much of his free time playing with his band Red and other colours. Dan mixes in many social groups, with his razor sharp wit and fragrant chat he is a pleasure to spend time with. However, his mastery of the music and social scenes are only outmatched by his zest for research and his unrelenting desire to be a leader in his field.

Dan is studying at Jesus college and his Part II deals with protein based imaging agents and peptide aptamer targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles as imaging agents. When not in the lab he enjoys playing numerous sports for his college and trying to learn Spanish.

Jamie Bennett:

Jamie enjoys playing Call of Duty (MW3 obvs) during normal working hours. Outside of the times he should be in the lab he occasionally plays hockey by himself or tries to throw frisbees and then manage to catch them before they land. All in all Jamie is a good laugh (to laugh at that is).

Jamie is studying at Christ Church college and his Pt II project is concerned with optical studies on redox switches, namely surface assembled hybrid d/f metal complexes. Outside the laboratory he enjoys playing rugby for his college club and back home.  

Thomas Bryan: 

Arriving in a glorious yet little observed blaze sometime in the 12th Century, the infant Tom was come upon by Britain's last remaining wolf pack. Miraculously, showing no aggression or bemusement, the Wolf Mother instantly took the child as her own, an act which has somehow bestowed in the adult Tom the loyalty, honour and humility associated with the proud wolf race. His eternally youthful visage is betrayed only by his eyes, haunted by the memories of centuries of fighting the evil that roams the planet's surface.
When not battling the forces of damnation Tom enjoys making sock puppets and writing limericks to amuse his one true friend, an imaginary three-legged cat named Gregory.

Tom is studying at Chrich Chuch college and his Pt II project is associated with the development of sensitive assays of clinical protein targets using peptide aptamers, characterised by surface plasmon resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy.  Outside of the lab he enjoys representing his college at rugby and playing the odd game of squash against his supervisor (with an unbeaten record).