Programme leaders:
Professor PHIL COATES FREng Professor of Polymer Engineering, FoE; Director of the Polymer IRC (Leeds, Bradford, Durham & Sheffield), leading ~50 researchers at Bradford, internationally known for in-process measurements in polymer process monitoring, analysis & control, advanced processing of polymers & biomaterials. PI for the current top-ranked EP/R024324 (HIP) and its predecessor, EP/L020572/1, the £3.42m Capital Grant EP/L027011/1, co-I for the £5.7m EPSRC CIM in Medical Devices (EP/K029592/1). PI on RCUK/EPSRC collaborative research with China, EP/K004204/1 (Science Bridges China) and EP/G042365/1 (Global) (www.polyeng.com; www.ukchina-amri.com). He has won > £47 million total EPSRC grants, >£57m inc. UK research funders & industry; >100 collaborating companies worldwide. Published >300 journal papers; 12 patents. PVC/ VP RKT Bradford (2004-11). Chief Editor of Plast. Rubb. Comp. Elected FREng 1995.
Professor AMIR SHARIF Professor of Circular Economy, Associate Dean (International), FoMLSS, previously worked with JPMorgan, UBS Investment Bank and KPMG and was Head of Brunel University Business School; currently a member of the Higher Education Advisory Board to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation; research focus in Circular Economy, Operations & Supply Chain Management, Leadership, Decision-Making and Operations Research.
Professor STEPHEN RIMMER Professor of Chemistry, Head of Chemistry & Bioscience, FoLS; previously 6 yr industrial research and development (Macpherson Polymers Ltd. and Biocompatibles Ltd), and personal chair at Sheffield; Research in synthesis/modification and biological applications of functional polymers; strong expertise in chromatography, polymer mass spectrometry & NMR spectroscopy, for polymer degradation studies; >£10 million funding - research councils (EPSRC, BBSRC and MRC), charities (Wellcome, Nuffield) & industry; founding chair RSC’s SIG in Biomaterials Chemistry; published 127 high level papers; 12 book chapters;14 patents.
Academic staff leading research topics:
Professor ADRIAN KELLY Professor of Process Engineering, FoE Extrusion Manager, Polymer IRC; co-leader Pharmaceutical Engineering Science RKT Centre; research in in-process monitoring, rheology, recycling, materials formulation, including pharmaceuticals. PI EPSRC EP/P510178/1 GraNet: Graphene /PP Composite Nets for Filtration; recent PI EPSRC Thermal Management in Polymer Processing with QUB; collaboration with National Chemical Laboratory, India; Innovate UK KTPs with AstraZeneca, Corrosion Resistant Polymers and Kestrel; >60 journal papers, 5 patents.
Professor HADJ BENKREIRA Professor of Coating and Polymer Processing, FoE; Fellow IChemE, former VP International Society of Coating Science and Technology. PI of >20 EPSRC grants since 1980; DTI/BIS-funded acoustic insulation materials from waste elastomer residues, automotive & industrial carpet waste, recycled polymer PhD project; >100 papers in applied rheology, coating flows, viscous mixing, polymer processing & recycling’. Fellow IChemE.
Professor BEN WHITESIDE Professor of ultraprecision processing, FoE, Director, Polymer Micro and Nano Technology RKT Centre, Polymer IRC. Researches micro-injection moulding process, material and product characterisation, modelling/simulation, process metrology; leads a team of 14 staff; funding ~£5m over the last 3 years inc. EPSRC EP/P005403/1; EP/I014551/1, EP/G06573X/1, EU FP7, H2020, ERDF, KTP (www.polymer-mnt.brad.ac.uk). Co-director Joint Laboratory for Polymer Microprocessing with Sichuan University.
Professor ZAHIR IRANI Dean of FoMLSS; previously worked for UK Government as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Cabinet Office; published extensively in Information Systems & Operations Management; research funding from EU (FP7, H2020), EPSRC, ESRC, QNRF and industry sources.
Dr UTHAYASANKAR SIVARAJAH Reader, Technology Management & Circular Economy, FoMLSS; research focus - the emergent role of digital technologies in the circular economy, information systems evaluation, social innovation e-Government; research funded via large scale European Commission (FP7, H2020, Marie Curie) programmes, addressing societal challenges associated with Energy Efficient Smart Cities, Green Data Centres, Social Innovation & Participatory Budgeting.
Dr REFAAT HAMED Lecturer of Chemical Biology, FoLS, research in microbial biosynthetic pathway manipulation, biotransformation, biocatalysis, enzyme discovery; novel metabolic route for bioproduction of alkyl methacrylates from biomass and discovery of new enzymes; collaboration with Lucite, Ingenza, Astra-Zeneca. 23 journal papers, one patent.