Chemical Synthesis

Page contents

• Programme overview
• Entry requirements
• Staff research interests

Programme overview

This EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) is a well established research centre based in the School of Chemistry. We are training the next generation of synthetic chemists, who will be the leaders of the chemical industry and academe. You will be equipped with enhanced team-working and problem-solving skills that will enable you to successfully address the full range of molecular based problems of the future.

Our alternative to the traditional PhD will:

• enhance your research skills through our unique initial six-month training period;
• enable you to choose your own PhD project;
• encourage you to explore areas outside your comfort zone;
• foster a teamwork ethos through cohort driven research;
• help you build personal confidence;
• increase your employability by building on your transferable skills;
• create links with industry whilst working on real-world problems;
• allow you to interact with international renowned research groups.

Research groups

Researchers of the Centre are active in all areas of modern chemical synthesis. This includes, but is not limited to, areas such as:

• Organic and inorganic methodology
• Natural product and target molecule synthesis
• Organometallics
• Catalysis
• Carbohydrate synthesis
• Asymmetric synthesis
• Supramolecular chemistry
• Polymer and materials chemistry
• Biosynthesis
• Molecular and chemical biology

We currently work closely with several chemical companies, including AstraZeneca, Syngenta, GSK, Novartis, Vertex and Pfizer.

Staff list

For further details of staff research interests please see their entries on the Chemistry entry of this prospectus.

• Professor Varinder K Aggarwal FRS
• Professor Robin Bedford
• Professor Kevin Booker-Milburn
• Dr John Bower
• Dr Craig Butts
• Professor Matt Crump
• Professor Tony Davis
• Dr M Carmen Galan
• Professor Tim Gallagher
• Professor Jeremy Harvey
• Professor Ian Manners FRS
• Professor Paul Pringle
• Dr. Chris Russell
• Professor Tom Simpson FRS FRSE
• Dr Duncan Wass
• Professor Chris Willis
• Professor Dek Woolfson

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Entry requirements

An upper second class honours MSci/MChem degree (or equivalent).

For information on international equivalent qualifications, please see our International Office website.

Admissions statement

Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.

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Key research interests

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