Do you want to stretch, bend, and distort molecules at your will?
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Then why not join us?
Just click here
PostDoc
Robert Nixon
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Robert graduated from the University of Manchester in 2016 (MChem). Robert joined us for a PhD in September 2016 to work on the development of mechanocatalysts. After successfully defending his thesis in June 2020, Dr Nixon decided to stay with us for a postdoc.
Publications Nat. Chem. 2020, 12, 826-831. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 3033-3036. Nature 2024, 628, 320-325. Nat. Chem. 2024, 16, 1366–1372. Awards Talk Prize at CheM62 meeting 2018 in Liverpool Department of Chemistry Outstanding Achievement Award 2020 Faculty of Science and Engineering Best Outstanding Output 2024 Supramolecular Chemistry Poster Prize at MASC 2024 |
Mengjiao Wu
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Mengjiao graduated from the Jiangxi Normal University (BSc) and Tianjin University (MSc). She obtained her PhD in 2021 under the direction of Prof. Yulan Chen at Tianjin University, where she developed new mechanochromic polymers. She joined us in March 2023 as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow (UKRI guarantee).
Publication Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202501499. |
James Ormson
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James graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2021 (MSci) and joined us in September of the same year. James works on the mechanochemistry of catenanes. After completing his PhD, James decided to stay with us for a postdoc.
Publications Chapter 1 in Mechanically Interlocked Materials; Wiley 2024, 1–28. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, 65, e21995. Award Best Organic Talk, UoM Chemistry Postgraduate Conference 2024 |
PhD students
Qianqian Cheng
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Qianqian graduated from the University of Manchester in 2022 (MChem) and after a successful final year project in the group, she decided to stay with us for a PhD. Qianqian works on new retrocycloaddition mechanophores.
Publication Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 13181–13184 Award Best Organic Talk, UoM Chemistry Postgraduate Conference 2025 |
Oswald Philipsen
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Oswald graduated from the University of Amsterdam in 2021 (MChem). He then worked in the pharmaceutical industry before joining us in September 2024 on a Dean’s Doctoral Scholarship. Oswald works on force-controlled release systems.
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Ronak Singha
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Ronak graduated from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal in 2024 (BSc and MSc). He joined us in September 2024 to work on force-controlled release systems.
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Rusalim Petris
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Rusalim graduated from Newcastle University in 2022 (MChem). He then worked as a process chemist before joining us in September 2025 . Rusalim works on the elucidation of mechanochemical reaction mechanisms in co-supervision with Dr Igor Roncevic.
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Owen Veck
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Owen graduated from the University of Manchester in 2025 (MChem). After a summer internship in the group in the summer of 2024, he decided to come back and join us for his PhD in September 2025. He works on using mechanical bond in mechanochemisty.
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Benedict Godsiff
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Benedict graduated from the University of Durham in 2025 (MChem). He joined us in January 2026 to work on mechanocatalysis.
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Ross Clark |
Ross graduated from the University of Oxford in 2025 (MSc Chemistry). He joined us in Aoril 2026 to work on the mechanochemistry of mechanical bonds.
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MChem/Visiting Students
Will Kynman
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Will joined the group in October 2025 for his MChem project.
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Freya Saunby |
Freya joined the group in October 2025 for her MChem project.
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Tristan Laurent |
Tristan joined us in February 2026 from UCLouvain (Belgium) for a 4-month research visit.
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