Dr Simon Webb

Simon completed BSc and MSc degrees at the University of Auckland in New Zealand (MSc thesis 1994, with Assoc. Prof. L.J. Wright). He was then awarded a Special Prince of Wales Cambridge Bursary, which allowed him to move to the U.K. and undertake PhD studies with Prof. J.K.M. Sanders FRS at the University of Cambridge (thesis 1997). In October 2002, after postdoctoral periods in Nijmegen (with Prof. R.J.M. Nolte) and Sheffield (with Dr N.H. Williams and Prof. C.A. Hunter FRS), he was appointed as Lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Manchester.

Dr Patrick King

Patrick joins the group following completing his PhD at the University of Bristol. He will be developing new types of peptide-based hydrogel for interfacing with LCDs.

Dr Vincent Diemer

Vincent joins the group from a PDRA position at the University of Strasbourg in France. Along with Rob Brown and Dr Sarah Pike, he will be working on a joint project with Dr Webb and Prof. Jonathan Clayden, using conformationally controlled peptide foldamers to produce GPCR mimics.

Dr Sarah Pike

Sarah joins the group following completing her PhD at the University of Edinburgh. Along with Rob Brown and Dr Vincent Diemer, she will be working on a joint project with Dr Webb and Prof. Jonathan Clayden, using conformationally controlled peptide foldamers to produce GPCR mimics.

Gavin Noble

Gavin graduated from the University of Manchester in 2007 with a MChem in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. For his final year project, under supervision from Dr S. J. Webb, he worked on the synthesis and use of porphyrins as synthetic ligand-gated ion channels. Under joint supervision from Dr Webb and Prof S. L. Flitsch, Gavin is now undertaking a PhD synthesising phase-separating glycolipids and investigating the change in membrane phase behaviour upon lectin binding. He is also a keen "badgers" supporter, and likes nothing better than some 80's rock music.

James Brown

James will be using a bioinspired approach to detect the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) heparin and hyaluronic acid; changes in the levels of these GAGs in bodily fluids can indicate certain serious diseases. James' approach will be to create fluorescent sensors for heparin and hyaluronic acid that will copy the way that GAGs selectively interact with certain cell surfaces.

Felicity Leng

Felicity will be developing tissue scaffolds containing patterned arrays of vesicles, which will give spatially controlled release of cellular messengers upon receipt of an alternating magnetic field.

Robert Brown

Rob is investigating conformational communication through phospholipid bilayers in a joint project with Prof. Jonathan Clayden.

Andrew Booth

Andrew aims to use magnetoreponsive biomaterials to control embryonic stem cell differentiation, in a joint project with Dr Julie Gough and Dr Cathy Merry.

Lucy Ballamy

Lucy is working on a collaborative project with ConvaTec UK.

Thomas Coxon

Tom is part of the NowNano DTC, and is working with magnetic nanoparticles and polysaccharides.

Faye Craven

Under joint supervision from Dr Webb and Prof S. L. Flitsch, Faye is undertaking a PhD synthesising phase-separating glycolipids and investigating the reaction of the resulting glycolipid rafts with glycosyltransferases.

Rebecca Booth

Rebecca is developing new synthetic methodology that will allow the creation of synthetic sub-celluar compartments within vesicles and the light-triggered release of lipids within cells.