We are a dynamic research team based in the Department of Materials at The University of Manchester, working at the cutting edge of polymer science and materials innovation. Our labs are located in the state-of-the-art Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national hub for advanced materials research.
Our research explores how to design and create smart, sustainable polymers and polymer-based materials that can solve real-world problems. We work on a wide range of applications, including:
Waterborne coatings and adhesives
Advanced nanocomposites
3D printing of functional materials
Biomedical diagnostics
Regenerative medicine
Whether it's developing new materials for healthcare or sustainability, our goal is to make a meaningful impact through science.
You can find out more about who we are, our publications, our research activities and latest news from the group by following the links at the top of this page.
We’re always excited to connect with new collaborators, and we welcome interest from PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who are passionate about materials science. When funding is available, open positions are listed on:
If you're interested in joining us—whether you're applying for a funded position, have your own scholarship, or are considering self-funding—please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can find our contact details at the bottom of this page.
Our recent paper on Polymerization-Induced Electrostatic Self-Assembly Enables Noncytotoxic Polyplex Formation for Gene Delivery has been highlighted on the front cover of ACS Materials Letters.
Congratulations to Francesca Patel-Burrows for coming runner-up in the poster competition at the recent RSC Applied symposium on interfaces and polymers for a sustainable future!
Collaborative work conducted by Nastran Zoghi, a PhD student in Prof Alberto Saiani's group and co-supervised by Lee, has been published in Biomacromolecules. This work investigates self-assembling peptide–polyethylene glycol multiblock copolymer thin films.
Mandi successfully defended her PhD thesis on polymeric nanoparticles for gene delivery through in situ polymerisation and electrostatic self-assembly!
Address:
Henry Royce Institute Hub Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.