EPSRC CDT React Cohort 4
- Aabidah Rana
- Aaron McQuade
- Angelina (Yao) Tong
- Dat Doan
- Friedrich Hastedt
- Haamidah Sana
- Ines Perez-Tabarnero
- Ioan Clark (In memoriam)
- Krzysztof Oliwa
- Piotr Toka
- Rowan Bailey
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I completed my year in industry at STFC in August 2021 as part of my integrated MChem at Southampton. Since then I have taken the year to travel and worked for NHS Admin where I was able to further enhance my soft skills.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Semi-Hydrogenation Catalysis with Zn
I chose this programme as I am interested in the multidisciplinary aspect to combine chemical engineering and chemistry and the research facilities such as ROAR are especially interesting.
I chose this project as I am very interested in catalysis and am passionate about Green chemistry having tailored previous research projects to focus on Green chemistry. I have also missed synthesis since finishing my degree and this project has strong synthesis aspect!
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I am looking forward to undertaking the modules in new areas such as the data analytics. Also meeting new people and getting to know the cohort!
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I enjoy cooking, especially trying new cuisines. If I was an animal I would be a panda because I love to sleep!
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Completing my undergraduate studies.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Generation of Nitrous oxide (N2O, ‘laughing gas’) in a Flow Reactor (funded by BASF)
Because I enjoyed reaction engineering and reactor design. As well, I enjoyed conducting research. Thus this project seemed suitable as I can do both of these and learn new research skills a long the way.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
Squirrel. - I can be quite hyperactive at points - And I am fairly forgetful.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Before joining the CDT, I was doing my MEng Chemical Engineering degree at University College London. My master’s project was working on using Artificial Neural Networks to help clinicians to predict the future status of cirrhosis patients.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Accelerated Development of Cat@MOF catalysts for Industrially Relevant Hydrogenation
The CDT programmes offer an extra master’s year, which gives me more time to look into my project while gaining and developing new skills. The White City Campus also offers a varied range of different tools and facilities that are state of the art. The connections between industry and academia would also help to direct me in my future career. Moreover, the CDT students are in cohorts meaning that I will have opportunities to talk to many PhD students who are not in the same research group. I think it would be a really great experience.
I came across the topic of Metal-Organic Frameworks in one of my master’s module where our team were trying to develop a high-efficiency termite mount-inspired carbon capture system to compete with the current amine-based absorption carbon capture. MOF came in when finding a suitable material as the adsorbent. While reading research papers, I was very interested in this topic, and it shows great potential in solving many of the problems that we now face. For my PhD projects, I will be working on the synthesis and development of Cat@MOF catalyst for Industrially relevant hydrogenation.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I really look forward to working in the labs at the white city campus, as many lab opportunities were cancelled during my undergraduate study due to the pandemic. It would be great to be back in the lab again, working with world-class experts. I also look forward to the coding modules in the first year to advance my skills, particularly in python.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I am an extreme sports lover. My favourite sport is skiing. If I could choose to be an animal, I would choose to be a wolf. They are highly intelligent animals and devoted to their family through sickness and health. And they look awesome!!!!
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Before joining the CDT, I was working in Barclays Wealth Management for two years. Prior to that, I did a MSci degree in Chemistry at Imperial.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: One fibre to rule them all: massively parallel fibre-optic sensors to capture chemical system information
I applied to the CDT programme to get back and involved in innovative research - in particular the interdisciplinary nature of Chemistry, Engineering and Data Science present on the CDT. The structure and support network of the CDT was also a really big pull.
I chose my project because previously in my undergrad, I worked on Digital Chemistry for my Master's thesis, working on implementing automation into a microfluidic platform. This project has also supports the age of Digital Chemistry with the aim of developing an all-optical analytical sensing platform with real-time monitoring.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I am really looking forward to working with top researchers from a range of backgrounds to try and address some of the synthetic challenges that the industry is facing. I also am excited to learn more about data science and implementing it into my research.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I am from Manchester originally and love watching football (United fan). I also love music and binging TV/films. If I could be an animal, I would be a koala because I like their lifestyle of eating (a lot), sleeping and keeping it chill!
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I was finishing my final year of the undergraduate course in Chemical Engineering at Imperial.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: An interpretable AI framework for chemical retrosynthesis
I am intrigued by the interplay between chemical engineering, data science and chemistry. Nowadays, data is available in mass both in chemical industry and the lab but not many people know how to handle and interpret them. The CDT addresses this particular issue and I am excited to learn more about it.
My project ("An interpretable AI framework for chemical retrosynthesis") sits at this intersection of these disciplines and that is why I chose it.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I am really looking forward to meeting the students of the different cohorts as well as the research groups I will be joining. I hope I will be able to collaborate on and exchange ideas for various research problems. I am also looking forward to getting a better insight into the facilities at the Molecular Sciences Research Hub.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I enjoy spending time in an active way such as going for hikes, swimming, bouldering and cycling. Suprisingly, I like bicycle maintenance as much as cycling, sometimes maybe more because it is not as tiring.
If I could choose to be an animal I would choose to be a sea turtle becasue I would be able to swim through the nice blue waters of the ocean for just miles and miles.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I had finished my year in industry at Diamond Light Source in September 2021 as the final year of my integrated masters. I took some time to take a break and travel, finishing university during a parade mic called for a reset! After this I went back to NHS Admin in Cancer and Haematology where I was now to work on my soft skills whilst applying for the CDT.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: 3D printed scaffolds for catalytic hydrogenation reactions in flow
The linking of engineering and chemistry interested me to apply to the CDT as I have a purely chemistry background. The modules and group working to learn with others as a cohort was what drew me in further.
I am familiar with support materials having synthesised alumina supports in my year in industry. As this was only a year I didn’t get the chance to work on the catalysts, this project will allow me to use the knowledge I have and develop it further in terms of catalysis. Similarly the 3D printing and flow chemistry are new to me so I’m excited to venture out!
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I’m excited to get back into the lab and also get out of my comfort zone trying new things such as learning Python as well as working with students from different backgrounds.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I enjoy cooking and baking especially making up my own recipes. I’d be a sea otter so I can float around and eat 25% of my body weight in food!
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
I was working as a full time employee in P&G.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Sustainable manufacturing of platform chemicals from biomass
Because it looked like a great programme to do a PhD in, and the projects offered looked really interesting. I chose my project in particular because I liked the topic and the supervisors.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
Learning a lot, developing new skills, meeting new people.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
A dolphin, because they are super intelligent and social and they have the whole sea to swim!
The CDT sadly lost Ioan Clark in the summer of 2024. Ioan was a fun-loving and sociable student, who loved nothing more than spending time with his friends and family. At the time of his death, he was a postgraduate researcher at Imperial College London, where his research focused on developing a new platform for targeted drug delivery.
Ioan had a huge passion for Chemistry and embodied all the values that make us proud of our CDT React community. He was hardworking, kindhearted, driven, intelligent and supportive of all his peers. We are so incredibly proud of his achievements during his time with us.
Ioan was a wonderful and extremely popular student who will be deeply missed by friends and colleagues from across the College.
His family are asking for donations to the charity In2scienceUK, which seeks to improve social mobility and diversity in STEM.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Before joining the CDT I was studying for my undergraduate (MSci) Chemistry degree at Imperial College London.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Porous Liquids for Catalysis
My project focuses on different approaches of applying porous liquids, a novel porous material, to organic synthesis and catalysis. I chose it as I believe it will allow me to develop a modern, fresh perspective on my previous traditional organic chemistry experience.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Before joining the CDT I was studying for a Master's degree in Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh with an industrial placement at Johnson Matthey in my final year.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project Title: Machine-Learning-Driven Synthesis of the Next Generation Carbon Dots with Tunable Fluorescence/Band-Gap
I chose to apply to the CDT programme because its aim to educate researchers with a multidiscplinary set of skills to tackle future research challenges aligned well with my goals. I believe developing competency not only in the field of chemistry but also in topics such as data science is important for impactful research in this field. I applied for my project because it bridges chemistry and data science in the development of new materials which is something I am very interested in and wanted to pursue.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
I am really looking forward to meeting the students of the different cohorts as well as the research groups I will be joining. I hope I will be able to collaborate on and exchange ideas for various research problems. I am also looking forward to getting a better insight into the facilities at the Molecular Sciences Research Hub.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
I enjoy spending time in an active way such as going for hikes, swimming, bouldering and cycling. Suprisingly, I like bicycle maintenance as much as cycling, sometimes maybe more because it is not as tiring. If I could choose to be an animal I would choose to be a sea turtle becasue I would be able to swim through the nice blue waters of the ocean for just miles and miles.
What were you doing before joining the CDT?
Prior to joining the CDT I was working at a world leading pharmaceutical company based in Macclesfield. Working as an analytical specialist meant that I was responsible for the final clearance of drug products for use in late stages of clinical trials.
Why did you choose to apply to the CDT programme and in particular your project?
Project title: Photochemical Carbonylation and Hydroformylation (funded by BASF)
My prior research experience has always been closely related to the field of catalysis. During my industrial placement and my final master's project, I found a great level of depth in this area and it encouraged me to pursue an MRes and PhD qualification. The CDT programme endeavours to push the boundaries of technological advancement through group learning and interdisciplinary training. Both of these factors made the programme stand out as the perfect platform for me to further my learning and complete research on the forefront of science.
What are you looking forward the most within the CDT programme?
The opportunity to engage with all of the disciplines offered and integrate them into my broader project. For my project in particular I will be developing my engineering skills to aid me in building a bespoke flow reactor. In addition I will be utilising my data analytic skills to aid in the understanding of chemical reactivity, especially where there are opportunities to work with the ROAR facility.
A little bit about yourself, if you could choose to be an animal, what would it be and why?
Simple as it may be, I have been told numerous time that I give off so-called 'Labrador Energy'. For me, a domesticated dog's life is one of luxury; regular food with no work; lots of playing and fun. Sign me up!