Current Group Members
Teesha Kukreja
Research Technician
I am the Technician for the Soft Materials Chemistry Labs, with a strong interest in organic and medicinal chemistry. My current focus is on enhancing lab safety and organisation. I am also undergoing training in the analytical techniques used in our labs, along with their upkeep and maintenance. I graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2025, where my final year project focused on GC-MS analysis. This experience deepened my enthusiasm for the technical aspects of laboratory work.
Bahareh Sadeghzadeh
Research Assistant
I am a PhD researcher working on hybrid acoustic–optical communication for underwater environments. My research focuses on dynamically switching between acoustic and optical approaches based on real-time underwater conditions to improve subsea data transmission. I am particularly interested in developing reliable and energy-efficient solutions for challenging marine environments. I current support the Crucible Seed Fund Project (0.2 FTE) run by Dr Parvizi, Dr Loch, and Dr Nuñez titled: Smart, Biodegradable Hydrogel-Organic Semiconductor Composites for Flexible, Visual Sensing Electronics.
Rachel Alpert
Arcadia International Summer Student
I am an undergraduate student through the University of Glasgow’s International Summer School. My project this summer involves using different LEDs to adjust the rate of isomerization for various organic semiconductors. This research can be applied to enhance the properties of optical storage devices. I will be graduating from my home university, Hamilton College, in May 2027. This experience has strengthened my fascination with materials chemistry, and its interdisciplinary nature, as a field to pursue in graduate school.
Previous Members
Furqon Novryan 2025 — RSC International Research Student
Project: Formulation and Properties of Gel-Based Q-Silsesquioxane Networks
Graham Wilson 2025 — EPSRC Vacation Internship
Project: Improved Sustainability in Column Chromatography Through Cartridge Reuse
Aeneas Lam 2025 — Summer Project Student
Project: Developing Preconcentrators to Improve Vapour Detection
Olivia Howell 2024 — BSc Project Student
Project: Silica-based Polymer Preconcentrators for the Detection of Volatile Nitroaromatic Vapours (joint with Prof. Peter J. Skabara)
Amanda Dunsmore 2024 — BSc Project Student
Project: Formulation and Dynamics of Photosensitive POSS Hydrogels (joint with Prof. Emily Draper)
Awarded the Jon LT Waugh Memorial Prize 2025 for an Outstanding Honours Graduate in Chemistry who subsequently undertook a PhD.
David Sutherland 2023 — EPSRC Vacation Internship
Project: Photoresponsive, Self-assembled Organic Networks (joint with Prof. Dave J. Adams)
Ibram Refat Boshra Mikhail — 2023 Masters of Science in Chemistry
Project: Exploring Self-Assembling Dipeptides Functionalised with Benzophenone (PI: Prof. Dave J. Adams; Co-I: Dr Alex S. Loch)
Loch Group 