The Group: 2025 - 2026
The Liddle Group basking in the Manchester sunshine. In November. Left to right: Xinglan Deng, Ashley Wooles, Rebecca Sheppard, Adityamani Nagar, Cameron Baker, Karlotta van Rees, John Seed, Eleanor Davies, Heather Partlow, Giacomo Manfroni, Shuhan Zhang, Steve Liddle, Modinat Tijani, Yuliya Yudina, Adrian Foraita, Kailing Han, Xuhang Dan, Yan Gao. Not pictured: Michal Dutkiewicz (away at the EU-JRC Karlsruhe).
Current Group Members
Postdoctoral Fellows and Senior Technical Specialists
Dr Michal Dutkiewicz
Michal completed his PhD in 2016 at the European Commission, DG Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC) for Nuclear Safety and Security, Advanced Nuclear Knowledge in Karlsruhe, Germany, under the joint supervision of Prof. Roberto Caciuffo (Actinide Research, ITU) and Prof. Polly L. Arnold (University of Edinburgh). He joined the group in 2017 as a postdoctoral fellow and in 2018 became a Senior Experimental Officer (now a STS) in the Centre for Radiochemistry work where he supports the research of the Liddle Group. His current research interests lie in the explorative chemistry of transuranic elements.
Dr Giacomo Manfroni
Giacomo was awarded his MSc with specialisation in inorganic chemistry in 2018 from the University of Pisa. His final year project was working on d-f heterobimetallic coordination polymers under Prof. Luca Labella. He completed his PhD on terpyridine based coordination polymers in 2023 at the University of Basel under the joint supervision of Prof. Catherine Housecroft and Prof. Edwin Constable. In 2025, he joined the Liddle group as a PDRA investigating lanthanide and actinide chemistry.
Dr Karlotta van Rees
Lotte was awarded her MSc in 2016 from the University of Amsterdam, after completing a year of research at the University of Edinburgh working on perrhenate catalysis and N-heterocyclic carbene complexes with Professor Jason B. Love and Professor Polly L. Arnold, respectively. In 2017, she was awarded funding by the Critical Resource Catalysis (CRITICAT) CDT and rejoined the Love group as a PhD student working on the coordination chemistry of novel polypyrrolic ligands and the reduction of uranyl complexes. In 2023, she joined the Liddle group as a PDRA investigating actinide-actinide bonding.
Dr John Seed
John was awarded his MChem (Hons) in 2014 from the University of Sheffield. His final year project was working on high energy density materials under the supervision of Dr Peter Portius. In 2015, he joined the Liddle group as a PhD student working on f-block and rare-earth mesoionic carbene chemistry, before transitioning to a PDRA role in 2018. In the summer of 2023, John was promoted to the position of Research Fellow. His main interests lie in actinide-actinide metal-metal bonding as well as investigations into actinide-ligand multiple bond chemistry. John is responsible for the collection and interpretation of SQUID magnetometry and EPR spectroscopy measurements for the group.
Dr Ashley Wooles
Ash was awarded his MChem (Hons) in 2008 from Bath University. His final year project was in the group of Dr Matthew Jones on heterogeneous catalysts for the ring opening polymerisation of lactide. He joined the group in 2008 as a PhD student investigating lanthanide-carbene chemistry. After graduating with a PhD in 2012 he has continued as a PDRA in the group investigating uranium-ligand multiple bonds. In 2018 he became a Senior Experimental Officer (now a STS) in the Centre for Radiochemistry Research where he still works with the Liddle Group.
PhD Students
Cameron Baker
Cameron was awarded his his MChem (Hons) in 2022 from Newcastle University. His final year project was with Dr Lee Higham on the synthesis of fluorescent phosphonium salts for medical imaging. He joined the group in 2022 to investigate actinide-ligand bond covalency.
Xuhang Dan
Xuhang was awarded his MSc in Chemistry in 2022 from University of Sheffield. His research project was heterometallic macrocycles based on ruthenium-multipyridine fragment for PDT and potential biomolecular recognition, which was supervised by Prof. Jim A. Thomas. He joined the Liddle group in 2022 as a PhD student working on uranium complexes with boryloxide ligands.
Xinglan Deng
Xinglan received her MSc in 2019 from Central South University, China, working with Prof. Xiaobo Ji on energy storage materials and device design. In 2022, she joined the Liddle group as a PhD student working on metal-metal bonding in molecular actinide compounds.
Adrian Foraita
Adrian completed his BSc and MSc at the Technical University of Braunschweig (with the MSc externally at the University of Freiburg) with Prof. Dr. Daniel B. Werz in organic method development investigating palladium-catalysed cascade reactions. He then joined Prof. Dr. Marc Walter’s group as a scientific assistant to elucidate the coordination chemistry of 3d- and 4f-metals with sterically encumbered scorpionate and pincer ligands. In 2025, he started his PhD in the Liddle group to explore uranium-carbon multiple bond chemistry.
Yan Gao
Yan Gao was awarded her MSc from Soochow University in 2021. After that she joined Huang’s group at Peking University as a research assistant in 2022, where she focused on the novel d-f transition rare earth luminescent materials. She joined the Liddle group as a PhD student in 2023 working on uranium-carbon multiple bonds. She is now investigating uranium carbene chemistry.
Kailing Han
Kailing received his MSc in 2024 from Beijing Normal University, working on the synthesis, structure, and reactivities of Zr alkylidene complexes under the supervision of Prof. Shaowei Hu. He joined the Liddle group in 2025 to explore new pnictide transfer reagents for f-element chemistry.
Adityamani Nagar
Adityamani completed his Int. MSc in Chemistry at UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, India in 2025. During his master’s research project at BARC, he worked with Dr. Arijit Senguptaon on the complexation behaviour of lanthanides with various ligands and task specific ionic liquids. He joined the Liddle group in 2025 as a PhD student and will be investigating lanthanide and actinide complexes in collaboration with Peking University.
Heather Partlow
Heather was awarded her MSci (Hons) in 2022 from the University of Nottingham. Her final year project was under the supervision of Prof. Peter Licence, investigating the thermal properties and decomposition pathways of chloroindate ionic liquids. Following this, she started at the University of Manchester through the CDT in Integrated Catalysis (iCAT) programme. Heather joined the Liddle group in 2023 and is currently working on N2 activation using early transition metals and actinides.
Rebecca Sheppard
Becky was awarded her MChem (Hons) degree in 2023 from the University of Leicester. Her final year project was working towards the synthesis of low-valent group 2 complexes under the supervision of a group alumni, Dr Fabrizio Ortu. Becky joined the Liddle group in 2023 as a PhD student, working on actinide-heavy pnictogen multiple bonding.
Modinat Tijani
Modinat completed her integrated MChem (Hons) degree at the University of Manchester, with a year of international study at Queen’s University, Ontario. She joined the Liddle group in 2023, where her final year Master’s project explored the reactivity of low valent uranium with isocyanides. She has continued her research in the Liddle group investigating uranium cyanide and isocyanide complexes.
Yuliya Yudina
Yuliya joined the group after completing her undergraduate studies in Inorganic Chemistry working on MOFs with thiophene-based ligands at Novosibirsk State University, Russia. Yuliya's research interests include f-element chemistry with a focus on molecular actinide chemistry. She is excited to contribute to the group's efforts in advancing knowledge in metal-metal bonding in actinide chemistry.
Shuhan Zhang
Shuhan completed her BSc at Shanghai Institute of Technology in 2021. Her final year project was on phosphorus oxide quantum dots under the supervision of Dr Hu Xu. She then moved to Manchester and joined the group in the same year for her PGT project on uranium carbene chemistry. After she was awarded her MSc, she returned as a PhD student and continued her research on uranium carbon/nitrogen multiple bonds.
MChem Project Students
Eleanor Davies
Ellie joined the Liddle group in 2025 for her MChem (Hons) degree at The University of Manchester. In her final year Master’s project, she is working on actinide metallacyclic complexes.
Group Alumni
Asma Al-Yafei - PGT student.
Alexander Ayres - PhD, now at Imaging Equipment Ltd.
Robert Bannister - MSci, PhD at the University of Southampton.
Francesca Barton - MChem, then a PhD in Earth Sciences at the University of Manchester.
Josef Boronski - PhD, now JRF at St John's College University of Oxford.
Kerry Burnett - MSci, now at Innospec Inc.
Filipa Carvalho - MSci, now in hospitality industry, London.
Joseph Caudwell - MChem.
Lucile Chatelain - PDRA, now a Maître de conférences at the University of Bretagne Occidentale (CNRS Lectureship).
Peter Cleaves - PhD, now at Mars.
Philip Cobb - PhD, now in the nuclear sector.
Oliver Cooper - PhD, now at Johnson Matthey.
Andrew Cornish - PhD, now at Johnson Matthey.
Jonathan Cryer - PhD, now at Quotient Sciences.
Matthew Davis - MChem.
Sophie Dewick - MChem, now in industry.
Laurence Doyle - PDRA, now civil service.
Jingzhen Du - PhD, PDRA, now an academic at Zhengzhou University.
Adam Eason - summer student.
Shannon Farley - MChem, now PhD at Imperial College London.
Harry Futcher - MChem, then PhD, then PDRA in Liddle group, now at EDF.
Aimee Garces - summer student.
Benedict Gardner - PhD, PDRA, now at Cambridge Display Technology Ltd.
William Golding - summer student.
James Grayson - summer student.
Matthew Gregson - PhD, PDRA, now at Wood PLC.
Aimee Haggarty - MChem, now PhD at The University of Manchester.
Georgina Hatton - PhD, now at Mars.
Peter Haldane-Robbs - MSci, then a PhD at University of Bristol.
James Hickson - MSci, PhD at University of Glasgow.
Shu-Xian Hu - visiting researcher, now academic at UST Beijing.
Mark Jackson - PhD, now at Infineum.
Lucy Jenkins - MSci, now Chavereys Accounting Trainee.
Robert Jones - MChem, then PhD at Huddersfield University.
Jacob Kenyon - MChem, now PhD at The University of Manchester.
Adam Kewley - summer student, then PhD at University of Liverpool.
Saif Khan-Madni - MChem, now medicine degree.
David King - PhD then PDRA, now at Rolls Royce.
Erli Lu - Marie Curie PDRA, now an academic at Birmingham.
Pamela MacDuff - MSci, then PhD at University of Cambridge.
Rose Magnall - PhD, now in industry.
George Marshall - MSci, now a Business Science fellow at University of Nottingham.
Ana Maria Rubio Gaspar - Erasmus student.
Amy Middleton-Gear - MSci, now in RSC publishing.
David Mills - PDRA, now an academic at The University of Manchester.
Charlie Moir - summer student, now doing a PhD at The University of Manchester.
Adi Nako - PDRA, now a teacher.
Felix O'Donnell - MChem, then PhD at UBC.
Fabrizio Ortu - PDRA, now an academic at the University of Leicester.
Joseph Ostrowski - PhD, now in publishing.
Leon Paschai-Darian - visiting MSc student, now PhD at Heidelberg.
Dipti Patel - PDRA, now a School Administrator in Nottingham.
Thomas Pell - summer student, Teacher in Greater Manchester area.
Laura Pitchford - summer student, PhD at the University of Nottingham.
Kamila Polujanska - summer student.
Ben Reant - PhD, now PDRA at The University of Manchester.
Ana Maria Rubio Gaspar - Erasmus student.
Thomas Rookes - PhD, academic at NTU then Nuclear Directorate.
Daniel Russell - MSci, now in the drinks industry.
Sarah Robinson - PhD, now at Astra Zeneca.
Helen Sharp - PDRA, now an accountant.
Lyndsay Soutar - PhD, now at Mars.
Hanna Stafford - MChem.
Lindsay Steven - MSci, now Audit Assistant Manager at RSM Australia.
John Stewart - PDRA, now in Chemical Regulatory Office.
Craig Stoppiello - MSci, PhD at the University of Nottingham.
Lewis Thomas-Hargreaves - PhD, now Junior Group Leader Martin Luther Halle-Wittenberg.
Modinat Tijani - MChem, now PhD student in the Liddle group.
Tom Timmis - MChem.
Richard Turnbull - PhD, now PDRA at Glasgow.
Lisa Vondung - Leopoldina Fellow, now an academic at University of Hamburg.
Bridget Wallace - MSci, now in logistics sector.
Henry Walsgrove - summer student, PhD University of British Columbia.
Leah Webster - MChem, then PhD at Imperial College London, now PDRA at Cambridge.
Karsten Wenzel - MSci.
Niclas Werthmann - visiting MSc, then PhD at Göttingen University.
Elizabeth Wildman - PhD, PDRA, now at Mars.
Benedict Wilkinson - MChem project student, MSc in chemical engineering, University of Leeds.
Emanuele Zanda - Erasmus student.
Markus Zegke - PDRA, now PDRA at University of Cologne.
Yujie Zhao - PGT.
Linghui Zhu - MChem, now PhD at Peking.
Xinyi Zou - PGT.