From 2015-2019, I read Materials Science at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, graduating with a Masters of Engineering in 2019. During my studies, I completed a Royal Society funded summer research placement developing a protocol for creating carbon nanotube ‘buckyfilms’, working with Professor Nicole Grobert (University of Oxford). In my final year research placement, I worked with a company to engineer powder-processed superconducting joints with the aim of removing lead-containing materials from the manufacturing process, supervised by Professor Chris Grovenor (University of Oxford). This formed the basis of my Masters thesis entitled ‘“Perfect” Persistent Mode Joints for NbTi Superconducting Wire’. Shortly after graduating from the University of Oxford, I started on the Wellcome Trust Antimicrobials and Antimicrobial Resistance Doctoral Training Programme, joint between the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham. In my first year, I worked with Dr Rebecca Drummond (University of Birmingham) on the effect of antibiotics on the immune system response to fungal pathogens. This formed the basis of a thesis entitled ‘Reduction of Antimicrobial Resistance Through Antimicrobial Stewardship’ for which I received my Masters of Research. My current work, supervised by Professors Morgan Alexander, Paul Williams, and Derek Irvine (University of Nottingham) focuses on the development of novel polymer coatings to prevent biofilm formation on blood contacting medical devices, such as central venous catheters.

Experience in multiple microscopy techniques including confocal laser microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Experience in polymer synthesis and analysis through multiple techniques

A. W. Xiao, K. Evers, M. Tkaczyk, R. S. Jones, C. Saxby, K. Dragnevski, N. Grobert, ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2019, 2, 5190.