Director | Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub
Professor Michael Shaver is the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Sustainable Automotive Plastics and a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
His career has been built on collaboration in his native Canada (Mount Allison University, University of British Columbia, University of Prince Edward Island) and his adopted UK home (Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester).
In Manchester, he is Director of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub and Director of Sustainable Futures, both at the University of Manchester, where he leads initiatives in sustainable polymers and champions strategic, interdisciplinary, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.
Research Fellow
Ciaran Lahive is from Cork in Ireland. He obtained a BSc in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from University College Cork, Ireland, before moving to pursue a PhD in organic chemistry and catalysis at the University of St Andrews, UK. This was followed by Postdoctoral research adventures in biomass valorisation within the Green Chemical Reaction Engineering group of Prof Dr ir. H.J. Heeres at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands and later in the chemical recycling of plastics at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA, working with Dr. Gregg Beckham and Dr. Katrina Knauer. Ciaran is currently a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Department of Materials at the University of Manchester, UK, focusing on chemical and mechanical recycling and exploring how these approaches can contribute to achieving systems-level sustainability for plastics in the automotive, healthcare, and other sectors.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Christina is a postdoctoral research associate working in collaboration with Unilever on the synthesis and testing of bio-based and degradable polymers for liquid formulations. She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Reading which included a year in industry at Johnson Matthey, where she worked in Fuel Cell R&D. She then completed a PhD at University College London exploring polymeric pharmaceutics and later applied this to studying polymeric self-assembly for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes at Somaserve Ltd. She is passionate about building sustainability into research and teaching, achieved the first gold LEAF lab award at UoM and helps lead lab sustainability efforts across the university. She actively supports outreach activities and events which promote equality, diversity and inclusion within STEMM.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Steve is a postdoctoral research associate working on the Sustainable Futures platform. His role includes coordinating, developing ideas and helping to deliver research centred around Sustainable Futures’ 6 main themes. He joined the University of Manchester following a postdoc at Exeter focused on sustainable business, after completing doctoral research on the re-use of contaminated land at the University of Reading and the British Geological Survey. His academic background is in Geography and Environmental Science. He is passionate about the interaction between the human and natural worlds and environmental challenges.
Research Associate
Wanrong earned her BEng in Chemical Engineering and Technology from the University of Forestry and Technology in China. She then moved to the UK to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Manchester, where she later completed her PhD under the supervision of Dr. Jie Li, focusing on low-emission hydrogen production technology. Following her PhD, she joined the ELIAS project under the supervision of Professor Samuel Kaski and Professor Michael Shaver, working on leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance industrial sustainability.
Postgraduate Researcher
Arpan graduated from the University of Manchester with a master’s in Chemistry with Industrial Experience. In his year in industry he focused on low-volatile-organic-compound, environmentally friendly alternatives to antioxidants in polyurethane systems. Following his graduation, Arpan left chemistry and stumbled into a variety of data-focused roles within marketing; as manager, director, analyst and consultant. Looking for a way to produce more impactful work, he returned to Manchester and Chemistry in 2021, joining the Green Materials Lab. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Sustainable Materials, focusing on responsive extrusion and plastic recycling.
Postgraduate Researcher
Ziwei obtained her B.S. in Engineering at Guangdong University of Technology and completed her Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the same institution, focusing on processing-morphology-properties relationship of polymer-based composites filled with graphene nanoplatelets. In September 2021, she joined our group and is working on the catalytic activity of lewis acids for the synthesis of sustainable polymers.
Postgraduate Researcher
Eloise studied at the University of Nottingham from 2017-2021 and graduated with a Master's in Medicinal and Biological Chemistry. In her 3rd year, she undertook an assessed year in industry working in early-stage drug discovery at GlaxoSmithKline. She then completed her Master's project under the supervision of Professor Luisa Ciano, investigating the development of a spin tag to facilitate the study of carbohydrate active enzymes via electron paramagnetic (EPR) spectroscopy. In September 2022, she joined the group and is working the synthesis of sustainable polymer composites.
Postgraduate Researcher
Yuyao was born in a northern chinese city, Changchun, known for its snowy winters. He completed his undergraduate studies at Jilin University (JLU), majoring in Polymer Science and Engineering. In his third undergraduate year, he was given the opportunity to continue his studies at the University of Manchester (UoM) for both his bachelor's and master's degrees. During his time at UoM, he worked in Prof. Michael Shaver's group on polymer additives for PET mechanical recycling, successfully completing his master's degree. He chose to remain with Prof. Michael Shaver's group to pursue his Ph.D., where he is currently focused on the synthesis and optimisation of additives for plastic recycling processes.
Postgraduate Researcher
Robbie Clark is a Ph.D. student under the joint supervision of Prof. Michael Shaver and Prof. Michael Greaney as part of the University of Manchester’s Integrated Catalysis (iCAT) CDT. He completed his undergraduate degree in Applied Chemistry at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, and was previously employed as a Technician in the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub. His research interests centre around depolymerizing polymer waste, while taking a broad and inclusive framing of sustainability.
Postgraduate Researcher
Enter Dominic Harris-Jukes; the Sheff(ield) raised, sauerkraut consuming, De La Soul listening, climber climbing extravaganza. A biomedical engineering graduate from the esteemed Newcastle University, Dom brings a sort of engineer vibe to the group that makes chemists shudder (yet secretly appreciate). As a member of the Polestar collaboration, Dom’s work focuses on replacing conventional automotive polymer fillers with carbon negative or low-carbon alternatives, as well as improving the processability of biopolymers. When Dom is not climbing, he spends his time hangboarding (for climbing) or sanding down his skin with 100% Norwegian granite (for pleasure).
Postgraduate Researcher
Saleh grew up in London, completing a master’s in chemistry at University College London. Upon arriving in Manchester, Saleh was shocked to discover that civilisation existed outside of the capital. Saleh’s Hyundai-partnered project explores sustainability in automotive plastics, just to make a change from the rest of the group... Outside of work, Saleh enjoys accidentally drawing phallic shapes at stand-up comedy shows, trawling drinks aisles in search of the finest beverage, badminton, and hanging around at the local Brewdog, quizzing locals on the finer points of what is “ickiness”.
Postgraduate Researcher
Edward Savage was born and raised in the woeful west midlands city of Wolverhampton. He attained his Master's degree in mechanical engineering at the university of Warwick where he first encountered the world of polymers during his third year dissertation and subsequent internship project on TPU/graphene composites. After graduation, Edward joined the Shaver group at the university of Manchester to continue working on mechanical processing of polymers and, discover the wide world of chemical polymer processing to complete his transformation into a material scientist.
Postgraduate Researcher
Dhruve graduated from the University of Warwick with a BEng in Engineering Business Management. He stayed on at the university and earned an MSc in Sustainable Automotive Engineering, working with lorry manufacturer Dennis Eagle for his research project on lightweighting vehicles. Returning to his hometown of Dubai after his time at Warwick, Dhruve worked at a start-up retrofitting vintage vehicles with electric powertrains, followed by a global automative consultancy. Wanting to pivot further into technical research, he completed an MSc in Advanced Materials Science at University College London. After working at UCL for a year, Dhruve joined the SMI Hub to pursue a PhD in mechanical recycling of polymers.
Postgraduate Researcher
Mary earned her integrated master's degree in Chemistry from the University of York. This included a placement year at AkzoNobel where she focussed on polymer synthesis for protective coating technologies as part of her master's project. Mary joined the group in September 2024 and is collaborating with Polestar to improve polymer sustainability in the automotive sector, with a focus on depolymerisation as a recycling strategy.
Research and Business Engagement Manager
Research and Business Engagement Officer
Jair is a Research and Business Engagement Officer. With a background in Polymer Chemistry and experience in materials circularity and sustainability, Jair has worked with businesses of diverse sectors by providing support at different levels from offering expert advice to assessment of the physical and/or environmental performance of their innovations, helping them in their journey of bringing low or zero carbon technologies to market. In his current role, Jair faciliates collaboration between industry and academia.
Experimental Officer
Project Administrator
Katrina is the Project Administrator for the SMI Hub having previously worked at the Sustainable Consumption Institute at The University of Manchester. Katrina has over 30 years’ experience of working in administration in various fields and joined The University of Manchester in 2012.
Postgraduate Researcher
I grew up in rural Shropshire before moving to Nottingham to study for my Masters in Chemistry, completing my final year project with Michael George and Sir Martyn Poliakoff in the field of asymmetric photocatalysis. I then joined the University of Manchester as part of the iCAT CDT; in July 2022 I started my PhD project under the supervision of Micheal Shaver and Anthony Green, working on re-engineering PET depolymerase enzymes for the selective depolymerisation of alternate plastic substrates.
Application Scientist
Dr Peng Huang is an Application Scientist at the Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester. After earning his PhD from the University of Leeds, he worked as a KTP associate at Heriot-Watt University on microbial devulcanisation of waste rubber tyres, followed by a postdoctoral role in Manchester focusing on the chemical recycling of Mastercards. He operates at the intersection of academia and industry, driving innovation in materials science with a focus on plastic recycling, polymer-inorganic composites, and nanocarbon/nanoparticle hybrids. His expertise spans soft matter applications—including chemical recycling, rubber devulcanisation, adsorption, and solid-liquid separation—as well as material characterisation, covering thermal, mechanical, spectroscopic, processing, and life cycle assessment techniques. By leveraging his diverse background, he supports SMEs and multinational companies in developing sustainable solutions for plastics and multi-materials, ensuring a more circular and responsible approach to their use and end-of-life.
Senior Research Scientist
Keith Paton is a senior research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory, the UK’s National Measurement Laboratory. As part of the Surface Technology team, Keith develops measurement solutions to characterise the chemical and structural properties of innovative materials for sustainability. He has contributed to the development of several international standards for the characterisation of graphene and related 2D materials, and is based in Manchester. The collaboration with the Green Materials Group and the SMI Hub is intended to understand the measurement challenges for sustainable polymer materials, and ensure that through rigorous application of metrology adoption of these novel materials and processes can be accelerated.
Research Associate
Nicolás is a Research Associate at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester. His work focuses on the environmental evaluation of policies, materials, and technologies through a life cycle thinking approach. His recent publications explore waste management configurations as pathways to promote a just transition toward sustainability in developing countries. He holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the University of Manchester, an MSc in Sustainable Development (specializing in Energy and Materials) from Utrecht University (Netherlands), and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Before his PhD, Nicolás gained experience in both the private and public sectors as a waste management engineer and sustainability consultant. He has also worked as an associate lecturer in sustainability at several Chilean universities.
KTP Associate
Sebastián is a Researcher in the Circularising Plastics in Healthcare project, a collaborative Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Manchester and Vernacare. His work focuses on developing strategies to improve the recycling and reuse of polymer materials in healthcare applications, combining industrial innovation with academic research. His expertise includes polymer characterization, studying crystallization behaviour, mechanical properties, morphology, and rheology. He completed his PhD in Applied Chemistry and Polymeric Materials at the University of the Basque Country in collaboration with Borealis as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), focusing on advanced recycling approaches for polymer waste. He holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano (2017) and an MSc in Nanostructured Materials for Nanotechnology Applications from the University of Zaragoza (2019). Passionate about sustainability and circular economy principles, he aims to develop practical solutions for plastic waste management within industrial settings.
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Helen Holmes is an interdisciplinary social scientist with expertise in the sociology of consumption, materiality and diverse economies, particularly circular economy. Having completed a Geography BA at Durham University in 2002, she went on to carve out a career in marketing working for Yell PLC and The Co-operative Bank. In 2005 Helen gained an MA in Human Geography Research at Sheffield University, and remained at Sheffield for the next nine years, undertaking an ESRC funded PhD. Dr Holmes joined Manchester in 2015 as a Hallsworth Fellow based at the Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI). Following this she became a research fellow of the SCI in 2018, followed by appointment as Lecturer of Sociology in 2020 and Senior Lecturer in 2023. Helen is Deputy Director of Sustainable Futures, the University's dedicated sustainability research platform. She is also a member of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives. Helen is a member of the UKRI Interdisciplinary Assessment College and former Co-editor-in-Chief of the Sage journal Sociology
Reader in Sustainable Materials
Dr. Tom McDonald is a Reader in Sustainable Materials within the Departments of Materials and Chemistry at the University of Manchester. He also holds the positions of Research Area Lead for Chemical Materials Design at the Henry Royce Institute and Head of Sustainability at the School of Natural Sciences. With a PhD from the University of Manchester, Tom began his academic career as a lecturer at the University of Liverpool, before returning to Manchester. His research focuses on the development of sustainable colloids, polymers, and plastics, employing innovative approaches in materials design and characterisation. Tom’s research group is particularly engaged in the study of polymer colloids, concentrating on the encapsulation and delivery of actives via organic nanoparticles and the impact of environmental nanoplastics. Their work on plastics recycling aims to understand and improve the mechanical recycling processes to enhance the quality of recycled plastics and encourage their broader use. To date, Tom has authored over 70 papers and has been an investigator on grants totalling more than £8.5 million from various funding bodies, including the EPSRC and Innovate UK. This substantial funding underscores his dedication to advancing sustainability in materials science.
Lecturer in Polymer Science
Niamh is a Lecturer in Polymer Science in the Department of Materials at the University of Manchester. Niamh’s research group focuses on examining the effect of processing on the properties of polymer materials. In many cases this involves exploring how the concepts from polymer mechanochemistry can be adapted to real world processes. The drive behind this work is to ensure that world-changing materials discovered by polymer science research will survive the challenges posed by the transition from discovery in the lab through real-world application. This is an interdisciplinary challenge with real-world implications that examines the fundamentals of polymer physics and chemistry through the lens of engineering requirements.
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment
Dr Alejandro Gallego Schmid works as a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Circular Economy and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment at the Department of Engineering for Sustainability at the University of Manchester. Alejandro is part of Tyndall Manchester - an interdisciplinary team working on relevant research on climate change sustainability, where he works identifying sustainable solutions for industrial, agricultural, textile, construction, water and energy systems on a life cycle and circular economy basis, taking into account economic, environmental and social aspects.
Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
Dr Rosa M. Cuéllar-Franca is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester. She received her PhD in Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science in 2013 and her MSc in Environmental Technology in 2008 from The University of Manchester, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the Technological Institute of Tijuana, Mexico in 2007. Her research focuses on the sustainability assessment of novel technologies for climate change mitigation on a life cycle basis, providing quantitative evidence that enables targeted improvements at various system levels, such as molecular and process design, process operation, and policy making. Rosa’s research group specializes in applying life cycle assessment to novel chemicals and materials such as ionic liquids, catalysts, bio-based chemicals, and graphene-based materials to drive the development of cleaner technologies. She is author of over 30 peer-reviewed papers and in 2021 she won the Reaction Chemistry & Engineering Outstanding Early Career Paper Award in recognition of her potential to influence future directions in the field.
Chair of Sustainable Biomaterials
Matt’s multidisciplinary team is based in both the Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology. They explore the use of biomaterials for health, biotechnology and sustainability. The teams work has been recognised by many prizes, including the 2024 Corday Morgan Medal from the RSC.
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