Biography

I am a Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy at the University of Manchester. My first degree and PhD in Physics both come from Cambridge University, and following postdoctoral work at Cornell University, U.S.A., I was a lecturer at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory. Between 1998 and 2020 I was at the University of Sheffield. I am an experimental polymer physicist who specialises in elucidating the nanoscale structure and properties of polymers and biological macromolecules at interfaces. I also have an interest in public engagement with science and in the wider issues surrounding the relationships between science, innovation and society, especially in connection with nanotechnology. I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2006, and in 2009 I was awarded the Tabor Medal of the Institute of Physics for contributions to nanoscience.