We have a diverse team of materials scientists, technical specialists and operational staff to ensure businesses have all the relevant expertise to help create the trusted sustainability solutions they require.
Director | Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub
As Director of the Sustainable Materials innovation Hub, Mike has oversight of the organisation’s leadership and strategy, and provides a wealth of materials science knowledge to help identify truly sustainable solutions for plastics. Michael is passionate about giving accurate, trustworthy advice to those seeking to make sustainable change and has been an impartial advisor to both local and national government on research and innovation strategy for plastics. His background is in Polymer Chemistry, having graduated from Mt. Allison University in Canada and going on to pursue a PhD from the University of British Columbia. In 2018, Michael moved to Manchester, having previously relocated to Edinburgh from Canada. He took up a role as Professor of Polymer Chemistry at The University of Manchester and became The Henry Royce Institute’s sustainable materials champion. This new position is a departure from the chemical traditions of his training, but recognises the increasingly important real-world applications of this science. Mike’s initial career aspirations were to become an artist and this creative expression can be seen within his research when developing novel polymers for real-world applications.
Research and Business Engagement Officer
Postdoctoral Researcher
Jair Esquivel was born in Mexico City. He obtained his BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Chemical Sciences at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Then, Jair moved to the UK to pursue his PhD at the University of Manchester under supervision of Prof. Michael Turner, working on conjugated polymer nanoparticles. After obtaining his PhD, Jair worked for nearly a year for a nanotechnology spin-out based in Manchester. Looking for new experiences, Jair went to Canada to work as a postdoc at Université de Montréal, focusing on porphyrin-based polymers. Missing the Mancunian spirit, Jair came back to Manchester in August 2021 to join Shaver group as KTP Associate, aiming to improve the sustainability of glass fibre composites for insulation products.
Senior Experimental Officer
As our Senior Experimental Officer, Chloe is responsible for experimental techniques associated with the synthesis, processing, characterisation, and testing of polymer-based materials. Since completing her PhD, Chloe has been facilitating materials research at The University of Manchester. Chloe started her career working in the cleanrooms of the National Graphene Institute before moving to work in the thermal analysis and polymer chemistry laboratories in the Department of Materials. Chloe is excited to use her experience and knowledge to deliver projects that help industrial partners make more sustainable processes and products.
Experimental Officer
Technician
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. Research experience and interests Alejandro's research experience, both in industry and academia, has been focus on:
Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing Management
Dr Claudia E Henninger is a Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing Management, with a research interest and passion in sustainability, the circular economy, and more specifically collaborative consumption, in the context of the fashion industry. Claudia’s background is within the social science, more specially, business, management, and European Studies. She completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield and since joining The University of Manchester in 2015 has also taken up a position as Chair of the Academy of Marketing’s SIG Sustainability and Executive Board Member of the Sustainable Fashion Consumption Network. Claudia is passionate about sustainability within the fashion and textile industry and very interested in developing interdisciplinary research opportunities that tackle the issues of our time.
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.
Senior Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry
Dr Lee A. Fielding is a Senior Lecturer in Polymer Chemistry in the Department of Materials at The University of Manchester, where he is currently the Head of Education for Materials Science and Engineering. The main focus of his research involves the design, synthesis and applications of polymers and polymer colloids for use in various applications. His group’s expertise centres on the preparation and characterisation of colloidal nanoparticles, colloidal nanocomposites, polymer latexes and hydrogels using primarily (controlled) radical polymerisation techniques. The research in his group is collaborative in nature, with currently ongoing projects in the areas of e.g. Sustainable waterborne protective coatings; Nanocomposite, multifunctional hydrogels; Polymer additives for 3D printing; Graphene and related 2D material composites; and Biomedical diagnostics based on polymeric nano/micro-particles. More information on Dr Fielding’s research and track record can be found on his University Research profile and the Fielding Lab group website.
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
Hallsworth Research Fellow
Dr Torik Holmes is a Hallsworth Research Fellow with a Focus on External Engagement and Impact. Torik’s current research concerns post-consumer plastic packaging recycling in the UK. He’s interested in the configuration of persistent challenges and opportunities to address these, with the acceleration of sustainable transitions a core focus of his work. Having completed his BA in Journalism, Media and Sociology at Cardiff University, he undertook an MA in Sociology at the University of Manchester (UoM). Torik conducted his PhD in Sociology as part of the DEMAND Research Centre at Lancaster University. He was subsequently an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Cardiff University, following which he returned to UoM to join the ‘One Bin to Rule Them All’ team as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Though Torik’s disciplinary roots and training lie in sociology, he enjoys working in an interdisciplinary setting within which he’s able to complement critical thinking on shared social and environmental challenges. Torik has a base in Sociology and is a member of the Sustainable Consumption Institute, sitting on the latter’s management team. He’s published across a range of academic and public outlets. Torik enjoys writing, reading, listening and (most of all) talking.
Senior Lecturer in Biomaterials
Dr. Jonny Blaker is Senior Lecturer in Biomaterials at The University of Manchester (promoted 2018) and Adjunct Professor (Professor II) at The University of Oslo, Department of Biomaterials (since 2019). Prior to joining The University of Manchester as Lecturer in 2014 he was Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, in the Polymer Composites and Engineering (PaCE) group working with Alexander Bismarck developing bioinspired hierarchical composites, sustainable biobased composites, and bioactive composites for medical use. Before joining PaCE he completed a one-year Medical Research Council funded ‘discipline-hopping’ PDRA position in Kings College London and then University College London. He obtained his PhD in 2007 from the Department of Materials, Imperial College London under the supervision of Aldo Boccaccini. He completed his MSc in Composite Materials, Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London in 2002. He has a professional background as a Design Engineer, Dyson Ltd (1999-2001), and a BEng from Brunel University. He established his Bioactive Materials Group in 2014. Principal research areas are i) hierarchical composite materials and fibres as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, and ii) advanced materials derived from synthetic biology/2D nanocomposite materials. He has a background in the development of bio-based materials, including (nano)cellulose, silk, gelatin, alginate and chitosan - their derivatisation and processing into composites and fibres via disruptive fibre spinning technologies.
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