We are broadly interested in the chemistry of matter, and our specific interests can be classified into three areas; the synthesis of new molecules, the structural characterisation of molecules, and the reactivity of new and existing molecules, with the molecules in question being organic, inorganic and biological in nature. The synthesis of new molecules involves careful design to incorporate desirable features into the molecules. The structural characterisation of molecules tells us about the arrangement of atoms in molecules on a nanometre scale, and we can use these data, in addition to kinetic data, to help explain the reactivity of molecules.
We engage in research across a broad spectrum of biomedical and health-related science. This includes understanding the epidemiology of infectious disease, development of novel diagnostic methodologies in biomedical laboratory science, resolving the environmental drivers of human health depreciation, and the discovery and evaluation of novel bioactive compounds.
Staff research interests include:
This group has a broad interest in environmental analysis and remediation. We have a particular focus on the composition of estuarine sediments and the remediation of contaminated soils using reactive ball milling. We are also interested in the composition of foods and the relationships between composition, nutritional value, appearance, taste and texture.
Kay Vopel
We are interested in the preparation of chemical compounds, which contain transition metals. We determine their structure on the atomic scale using techniques such as NMR and X-ray crystallography. We then study the reactivity of these compounds towards a variety of molecules, and relate this reactivity back to particular structural features of the compounds. This allows us to design better catalysts for a variety of biological and industrial processes.
Allan Blackman
This research group has a wide interest in developing various drug/bioactive delivery systems including micro- and nano-encapsulated systems, 3D printed scaffolds and implantable devices. Some of the formulation techniques we use include: 3D printing, nano- and micro-emulsion, spray drying and polymer extrusion.
Ali Seyfoddin