People
Professor Dermot O’Hare
Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry
Director SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence
MPLS Associate Head for Business Engagement & Innovation
Professor Dermot O'Hare is a Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry at Oxford, Director of the industrially funded SCG - Oxford Centre of Excellence, and MPLS Associate Head for Industrial Liaison and Innovation.
Dermot was born in Newry, Co. Down and studied at Balliol College, Oxford for his BSc and D. Phil under the direction of Professor M.L.H Green. He was a visiting research fellow at CR&D E.I. du Pont de Nemours in Delaware, and returned to Oxford with a permanent University position and Tutorial Fellowship at Balliol College, and later a University Professorship. In 2020 he became Senior Research Fellow at Balliol and Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry. He has been honoured by the Institüt de France, Académie des Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry (Ludwig Mond Prize, Corday Morgan Medal, Sir Edward Frankland Prize) and by the Exxon European Chemical and Engineering Prize.
Dermot leads a large, multi-disciplinary research team working across the broad areas of catalysis, nanomaterials, polymers and the green economy, working towards finding solutions to global issues relating to energy, zero carbon and the circular economy. In 2019 he won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Tilden Medal for outstanding research in the chemical sciences.
In 2012, following the establishment of a successful relationship with SCG Chemicals Co. Ltd, Dermot was instrumental in creating the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence for Chemistry (CoE) where he is Director. This is a unique collaboration between SCG and the University of Oxford with dedicated laboratories and committed funds of over £20 million to date and recognition via an Impact Award from the University of Oxford. In 2019 the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence for Chemistry (CoE) was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Academia-Industry Prize. In 2023 the ambition for the CoE is to grow and widen the growth of new innovation across the University.
Professor O’Hare runs a dynamic, friendly and diverse Research Group of about thirty people, with a strong record of publications and patent registrations.
In his role as MPLS Associate Head for Business Engagement & Innovation his role extends throughout the University and he is involved in innovation initiatives and awards, transformative funding proposals and infrastructure planning.
