Cohort 6 Students

Alexander Watkins

My academic journey began when I completed 4 years of MChem in Chemistry at Northumbria University where I received a 2:1 for my Masters. I undertook multiple Chemistry focused modules there including topics such as Green Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry. As part of my third year for my Bachelors, I undertook a yearlong research project all about the synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline novel ligands for improved lanthanide separation. During my 4th year for my masters, my research project focused on the synthesis and characterised a novel self-healing oxazolidine covalent adaptable network (CAN) polymer for applications such as wind turbine blades and investigated the conditions of the bond exchange.

My current PhD with ReNU+ will be the synthesis of a self-healing coating which will be applied to hydrogen storage systems. This is to stop a process known as hydrogen embrittlement which compromises their structural integrity.

I am looking forward to working with the different students and academics at the CDT as well as all the training and development opportunities it has to offer.

Connor Slater

I graduated from Newcastle University in 2025 with a Beng in Mechanical Engineering with first-class honours. My final year project involved designing and manufacturing an automated electric trolley, utilising AI-based image processing for autonomous navigation and a custom mobile app for remote control. This education in engineering combined with my interest in economics and the environment, led me to do a PhD with a focus on cost-effective scalable manufacturing for emerging sustainable energy technologies. 

Within my project, I am working on next-generation Lithium-Sulphur all-solid-state batteries, exploring the use of graphene with the aim of developing a more sustainable, economical battery technology for high energy-density applications. Through the ReNU+ CDT, I have developed a wider understanding of both industrial and environmental demands for electrification, by providing an in-depth view into the renewable energy sector.  

Ellie Gibson

Prior to my PhD studies, I studied a degree-level laboratory scientist apprenticeship at a research and development organisation. During those four years, I was based within the process chemistry and scale-up group within the wider Materials team. It was there I got to work on numerous formulation-based projects from batteries through to pharmaceuticals. During those four years I was able to develop my laboratory, innovation and professional skills exponentially, but this is also where my passion for sustainable materials began. 

Aside from the work being within the material science discipline, I was initially drawn to my PhD research project as it was interdisciplinary in nature (a mixture between chemistry and civil engineering), and it has a direct link and benefit to industry. 

I applied to the ReNU+ programme as the CDT values align with my personal and professional goals surrounding sustainability. Over the next four years, I am looking forward to engaging with the program training and gaining a more comprehensive view of the renewable energy sector as a whole.  

Ellie Newton

In 2023, I graduated from the University of Lincoln with an Integrated Master’s degree in Chemistry with Education. Throughout my studies, I developed two key areas of interest that ultimately inspired me to pursue a ReNU+ PhD opportunity. The first was green chemistry, with a particular focus on the development and synthesis of sustainable solvents—a topic I explored in depth during my third-year dissertation. The second area stemmed from my Education training, where I became passionate about evaluating the impact and effectiveness of science outreach initiatives. 

Following my master’s degree, I worked as a Freelance Research Consultant with the Eleanor Glanville Institute at the University of Lincoln. In this role, I contributed to research projects examining equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within Higher Education and across the Chemistry sector. This experience strengthened my commitment to advancing both sustainability and inclusivity within scientific research and education. 

My ReNU+ project is on optimising the extraction of rare earth elements from coal mine waste using plants and microbes. This project is a great opportunity for me to use the practical skills I developed during my integrated master’s as well as the research skills I gained through my work with the Eleanor Glanville Institute. 

Frank Wigglesworth

Before beginning my PGR journey, I completed a master’s degree in automotive engineering at Northumbria University in 2025. During the duration of my studies, I developed a strong interest in fluid mechanics and aerodynamic analysis, which was only solidified when given the opportunity to utilise the state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility during a study on the aerodynamic around an Ahmed body. My investigative project as part of my undergraduate course focused on the influence of cooling holes on hydrogen distribution near the surface of gas turbine blades. This involved the design and analysis of various cooling hole dimensions and arrangements along the leading edge of the blades and the impact the air flow had on hydrogen distribution. With the inclusion of hydrogen fuel as the basis for the investigation, it led me to beginning thinking about the impact of Carbon emissions on the environment and how I could make an impact on the industry to combat this. 

This passion continues with the opportunity that ReNU+ has provided, looking into next generation wind turbulence modelling for modern offshore wind turbines with AI integration. Alongside the research project, ReNU+ allows me to deepen my understanding of the wider problem with Carbon emissions and where my role fits as part of the whole through the additional modules and training sessions. 

Kyle Affleck

From a very young age and partaking in University open days, I wished to unlock the secrets of the Universe (a similar notion to my childhood hero Fox Mulder from the X-Files!). From this I completed an Integrated Master’s degree in Physics w/ Astrophysics with a First Class Honours from Northumbria University in 2025 specialising in Cometary Physics, data analytics with dissection and statistical modelling of both terrestrial and non-terrestrial scenarios. It was during my time studying that I became increasingly conscious of how my own and other’s ways of life impacted our environment and although massively captivated by space exploration I was also made aware that a job in the space industry would not allow me to engage in aiding the healing of our own planet before humankind ventures to other planets and alter their compositions.  

My PhD with ReNU+ centres around looking at pre-existing and future existing photovoltaic (PV) technologies through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis to compare the environmental impacts these technologies produce and negate from the extraction of resource material to the decommissioning of the technologies where that may include the landfilling, repowering, repair, reuse and recycling of the modules. This will be in combination with stochastic and deterministic statistical modelling of present and future and through this I aim to predict present and future PV waste streams to help identify the most sustainable methods for managing PV end-of-life scenarios to help inform those that need to hear it of the most sustainable method of dealing with the end-of-life of each technology while comparing each technology from silicon modules to thin-film to see which technology is balanced in efficiency and ease of decommissioning sustainability.  

This will aid in readying the UK for a large amount of PV modules that will be starting to be decommissioning processes as they reach their end-of-life in 2030.  

Marjorie Chamberlain

I began my engineering career after earning a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering in 2003. I spent over 15 years in the Oil and Gas industry, specializing in maintenance and reliability across both onshore and offshore operations. In 2012, I completed an MSc in Forensic Engineering and Science part-time, further deepening my technical expertise. 

In 2020, I transitioned into the manufacturing sector, continuing my focus on engineering and maintenance. My commitment to sustainable innovation led me back to academia in 2023, where I pursued an MSc in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technology with Advanced Practice, graduating in 2025. 

Currently, I am undertaking PhD research focused on the integration and scalability of sand thermal storage within renewable energy systems. My work aims to contribute to the development of efficient, sustainable energy solutions for future infrastructure. 

Morgan Rowlands

In the Summer of 2025, I graduated from Durham University with a Master's degree in chemistry & physics within the Natural Sciences programme. In my final year I completed a research project within condensed matter physics using X-ray dichroism techniques to investigate perovskite type materials. During this I was fortunate enough to spend some time at the Diamond synchrotron to carry out my experiments which was a fascinating experience. My results allowed me to investigate the electronic structure of these materials with the later goal of using this research to develop two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) at the interfaces between these materials for the development of new electronic components.

For my PhD I'll be looking at ferroelectric systems for use in photovoltaic devices. These are of interest because their asymmetry lets them realise the bulk photovoltaic effect, allowing for the possibility to realise greater efficiencies than from typical silicon architecture. I'll be using a mixture of computation and experiment to simulate possible structures using density functional theory (DFT) followed by the synthesis of target systems and using characterisation techniques.

For me, a lot of interesting science happens on the interface between traditional subject areas and balancing the two disciplines in my undergraduate degree helped teach me the benefit of considering different perspectives with the insight from the fields often complementing each other. From this I feel the interdisciplinary collaboration offered by ReNU+ will be an invaluable tool for sharing our individual areas of expertise to help in solving the world's biggest environmental issues. I hope the training will also broaden my understanding on the prescient climate crisis giving me opportunities to work with people in both academia and industry.

Peter Brown

Starting from my master's degree in physics from Durham University, I discovered an interest in programming and enjoyed creating programs to solve complex problems. A third-year project to introduce scientific computing let me create a simulation of an n-body gravitational system from scratch, which I took further to create basic simulations of galaxy collisions. It sparked my interest, despite being written in Fortran which I have never used since! In my master's project I created a simulation of Orthogonal Transfer CCD performance for astronomical image sharpening for ground-based telescopes and analysed the trade-offs with the simulated physical characteristics of the device.

My professional career led me to create and use data-focused software for a variety of uses across insurance, tax, banking and healthcare industries, mainly in a data engineering role. I enjoyed the challenges of transforming data to produce useful results and this is still present as I return to academia.

I'm excited to join the ReNU+ CDT and make a contribution to the renewable energy industry!

Scott Evans

I graduated from Durham University from an MENG degree in Electronic Engineering. Throughout the degree I partook in projects relating to renewable energy and the grid, including a gravity energy storage project and a grid protection scheme.

Between third and fourth year, I completed an internship at Siemens Energy where I continued to learn about grid control and protection, and build my understanding of the challenges the grid faces with renewable energy.

In my final year of my degree I completed a project on flexible OLEDs, which gave me a taste for what research and device manufacturing is like, and drove me to continue my studies at Durham in the form of a PhD.

Sophie Bull

I graduated from the University of Durham in 2025 with a First Class Integrated Master’s Degree in Chemistry, with a year in industry at AkzoNobel. My master’s thesis, titled “Alternative Epoxies to Bisphenols of Concern”, investigated alternative epoxy resins to common BPA-based epoxies for application in chemically resistant tank linings.                 

Through this industrial experience I developed a passion for research and innovation which I am excited to pursue further in my PhD at Durham University with ReNU+.  

Zahra Liravi

In 2021, I earned my Master’s degree in Chemical-Environmental Engineering from Shiraz University, graduating with first-class rank. During this period, I developed a strong interest in environmental studies and sustainability. My master’s thesis focused on wastewater treatment using filtration processes.

After graduation, I continued my research and gained expertise in synthesizing nanocomposites for environmental applications, particularly in the removal of antibiotics from wastewater. I later joined a consulting company as a wastewater treatment specialist, where I worked for a year in the industry.

Driven by my passion for research and sustainable technologies, I decided to pursue a PhD and was fortunate to secure a place in the ReNU CDT doctoral research program in Renewable Energy. My current PhD project focuses on synthesizing photocatalysts from iron-based waste minerals for the degradation of organic pollutants—such as pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater treatment plants—while simultaneously producing hydrogen for clean energy applications like fuel cells. This work contributes to the concept of a circular economy and net-zero waste, transforming waste materials into valuable resources for environmental and energy solutions.