Post-docs - O'HARE GROUP

	Phil Kenyon joined the group in May 2018. He graduated from the University of York in 2012, with an MChem which included a year in industry, which he spent as part of the Catalysis & Explorative Research Group at Lanxess Elastomers B.V. (now Arlanxeo) working on catalysts for polymerization of EPM and EPDM rubbers. Following this he joined the group of Prof. Stefan Mecking at the University of Konstanz and he completed his PhD on nickel catalysts for the production of UHMWPE in alternative solvents, in cooperation with SABIC and post-doctoral research on functionalised polybutadiene with Goodyear. Philip left Oxford in 2022 for a position at St Andrews University.
	Jingfang Yu joined the group in May 2016. In 2015, she obtained her Ph.D. from University of Connecticut where she studied functionalization of inorganic layered compounds under the supervision of Prof. Luyi Sun In Oxford, she works on layered double hydroxides based barrier materials in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. Jingfang left Oxford in 2022 to return to China. Away from the lab, Jingfang enjoys sports of many kinds, especially badminton and running, and watching movies and TV shows.
	Junxin Wang joined the group in September 2020. He received his PhD degree in Uppsala University, under the supervision of Professor Gunnar Niklasson. His doctoral works focuses on light scattering nanoparticle composites. His MPhil project was the light upconverting materials guided by Professor Jianfang Wang. In Oxford, he is working in collaboration with SCG Chemicals to investigate optical properties of advanced LDHs materials. Junxin left the group in Dec. 2021 to pursue a Marie Curie Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. Outside the lab, he enjoys photography, travelling and swimming.
	Nichabhat Blake (née Diteepeng) joined the group in October 2018. She obtained her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford in 2018, working on group 2 hydroborate complexes for ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic esters under the supervision of Professor Philip Mountford. In the O'Hare group, she worked on Group 3 and 13 permethylindenyl complexes and their reactivity for polymerisation of lactide. She is working on the development of functionalised polyolefins for commercial applications. Her research is sponsored by SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd.
	Jean-Charles “JC” Buffet joined the group in June 2011 studying olefin polymerisation in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. In 2005, he obtained an MSc from UPMC (Paris) working with Prof. Bernadette Charleux on polymers synthesis via RAFT agents. In 2009, he graduated for Edinburgh University with a PhD on biodegradable polymers synthesis via homochiral complexes under the supervision of Prof. Polly Arnold. Following this, he moved to Aachen (Germany) to work for Prof. Jun Okuda on meso-lactide polymerisation. In September 2014, JC became SCG Programme Manager overseeing SCG Chemicals research projects and team members. Since June 2017, JC was the Deputy Director of the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence in Chemistry (CoE). He is the co-author of 70 publications and co-inventor on 54 patent applications. In his spare time, he likes pretending to go for a run and enjoys drinking beers and watching sport.
	Jess Lamb joined the group in 2015 doing a DPhil working on the synthesis of supported zirconocene catalysts and their use in ethylene polymerisation. She completed her MChem degree at the University of Leeds in 2015 where she worked with Dr Jamie A Gouldon the development of pyrazole ligands and their application in the synthesis of pyrazolate MOFs. Since June 2019, she worked as a Post-Doc working on permethylpentalene complexes for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers. When not doing chemistry, she liked to pretend she knew how to kayak.
	Jindui Hong joined the group in Aug 2017. He graduated with BEng from Xiamen University (China) in 2008 and PhD from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) in 2014, with Prof Rong Xu. After postdoc training in Imperial College London with Dr Camille Petit, he joined Oxford Materials as a Marie Curie Fellow in 2015, with Prof Nicole Grobert. He has been developing photocatalyst materials for energy conversion. Now, he is working on LDH composites for energy storage in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. In his spare time, he enjoyed exploring different countries, learning new languages, and adventuring (snorkeling, skydiving, bungee jumping, etc.).
	Dana-Georgiana Crivoi joined the group in September 2016. She completed her undergraduate in Chemical Engineering at UPB, Romania, in 2009. In 2011, she obtained an MSc from UPB in Pharmaceutical Products and Cosmetics, with Prof. Dr. Anca Marton. She then moved to Tarragona, Spain, to do her PhD in Chemical, Environmental and Process Engineering in the group of Prof. Dr. Francisco Medina. Here, she developed hybrid materials based on LDH and studied their activity in asymmetric reactions. In Oxford, she will work on core-shell LDH catalysts in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. When not in the lab, she enjoyed creating jewelry, nail-art designs and listening to music.
	Dipa Mandal joined the group in March 2018. She completed her Ph.D. from IIT Madras, India in 2016 on ‘The synthesis of active homogeneous catalysts for polymerizations’. After completing her Ph.D., she worked as a research associate (from Nov 2016 to Feb 2018) with Dr. Samir H. Chikkali in CSIR-NCL Pune, India on ‘The development of novel and cost-effective drag reducing polymers’. She then moved to the University of Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the O'Hare group to work on ‘The synthesis of high value polymers using permethylpentalene complexes’ in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. In her spare time she enjoyed listening to music, shopping and travelling to new places.
	Alexander 'Sandy' Kilpatrick joined the O'Hare group in October 2012. From Wadham College.
	Chris Wright joined the O'Hare group in October 2012. He became a SCG funded post-doc in July 2017 working on AMO-LDH for catalysis. From Wadham College, when he first joined the group as a Part II student he worked on synthesising indium indenyl complexes for ethylene and lactide polymerisation under the supervision of Tom Arnold. He started his D.Phil. in October 2013 working on supported olefin methathesis catalysts. He enjoyed playing football and watching sport and films on TV.
	Haohong Duan joined the group in January, 2015. He received his BS degree from Peking University in 2009, and his PhD degree from Tsinghua University in 2014, with Acad. Yadong Li, where he worked on the synthesis and catalytic studies of rhodium-based nanomaterials. Currently he is working on the fabrication of novel heterogeneous catalysts for the hydrodeoxygenation of bio-oil in collaboration with Prof. S. C. Edman Tsang and SCG Chemicals and Papers. Haohong enjoyed watching musical and drama. You might still find him at the theater in West End of London every weekend.
	Hongri (Clara) Suo joined the group in September 2015. She received her PhD degree from Jilin University in 2015, with Assoc Prof Runwei Wang, where she worked on the synthesis and application of inorganic nano-porous materials. In Oxford she wass working on the discovery of LDHs with novel morphologies with Prof O'Hare. Clara enjoyed traveling, music and cooking!
	Tom Robinson joined the group in October 2016. He received his PhD degree at the University of Bath in 2014, designing heterometallic polyyne complexes under the supervision of Prof. Paul Raithby and Dr Andrew Johnson. He then moved to the University of Oxford to take up a postdoctoral position in the group of Dr Jose Goicoechea, studying phosphorus chemistry. His research focuses on the application of group(IV) permethylpentalene complexes in the synthesis of polycarbonates. Out of the lab he could usually be found playing football.

	Yue Wu was raised in a range of countries, including England and New Zealand. Despite having committed no crimes, Yue was moved to Australia where he obtained a PhD at the University of Sydney in 2013, working on negative thermal expansion in metal-organic framework materials with Prof. Cameron Kepert. Yue joined the group in January 2014. He has inherited an in-situ diffraction cell, and is supported by an EU project to study the formation of nanoparticles (and other things). In his spare time, you might find him at the nearest archery range or dojo.
	Michelle Miaosen Yang obtained her PhD degree from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 2012. After working for six months at Tsinghua University, she joined the O‘Hare Group in April 2013 as a postdoc. Her study is mainly focused on the synthesis and properties of layered double hydroxides.
	Zhenyu Sun obtained his PhD degree in Physical Chemistry at Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2006. Following this, he did two-year postdoctoral research at Trinity college, Univ. of Dublin Ireland. He completed an Alexander Humboldt research fellowship at Ruhr Univ. Bochum, Germany in 2013 working on "fancy carbon-materials". In Oxford, he is currently exploring the metathesis reaction using heterogeneous catalysts. He is fond of playing volleyball, badminton, squash and table-tennis.
	Andrew Jupe joined the group in August 2011, and works on the rheology of cement. He enjoys playing classical guitar and maintaining an air of mystery.
	Robert Cooper joined the group in October 2006 under the supervision of Andrew Ashley as a Part II student. He is from Lincoln College and researched organometallic compounds of pentalene. He stayed on in October 2007 to study for a Dphil which was awarded in 2012. He likes eating and playing football. He left the group in November 2014.
	Qiang Wang joined the group as a post-doc in June 2011. He received his BSc (2003) and MSc (2005) from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) in China, and his PhD (2009) from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea. Before joining Oxford, he had worked in the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) under A*STAR, Singapore for two years. He worked on the synthesis of polymer/LDHs nanocomposites. He left the group in August 2012 for Beijing Forestry University.
	Ian Casely graduated from Imperial College London in 2005 after completing an MSci with a Year in Industry, which he spent working for Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany. For his PhD he worked on metal N-heterocyclic carbene chemistry with Prof. Polly Arnold, initially at Nottingham, and finishing in 2009 at Edinburgh. Following this, he got married and moved with his wife to Irvine, California, where he was a postdoc with Prof. Bill Evans working on f-element and bismuth chemistry. He joined the group in June 2011 and worked on the synthesis of organometallic early metal complexes for olefin polymerization in collaboration with SCG Chemicals. He left the group in July 2012.
	Andy Ashley, a graduate of Christ Church, joined the group in 2001 for his Part II on the study of the dechlorination of PCBs. After a brief period with the Green Group, he rejoined the group in 2003 as a second year D. Phil. Initally working on PCBs, he moved on to the synthesis of permethylpentalene, a synthesis eventually being devised 18 months later. Many aspects of the chemistry of permethylpentalene have since been examined, either by him or those he has supervised. Following on from this he moved onto the synthesis and reactivity of frustrated lewis pairs. He now holds a post and Imperial College London.
	Gareth Williams was Part II, D. Phil and Postdoc. in this group before leaving in 2006. He was a student at St. Hugh's College. During his time with the group he investigated practical uses of Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH's). He now holds a post at London Metropolitan University, pharmacology dept.
	Dr. Deborah L. Kays obtained her MChem (2000) and Ph. D (2003) degrees from Cardiff University, working with Dr Simon Aldridge on the synthesis of low-coordinate transition metal complexes of boron. This was followed by two years of postdoctoral study at Cardiff University. She took the post as Junior Research Fellow at Merton College in October 2005 and left in August 2007. Her main research was with synthetic organometallic and coordination chemistry; in particular the stabilization of low-coordinate main group and transition metal complexes. This work focussed on the development of new synthetic methodologies and the use of sterically demanding ligand systems to support novel unsaturated and/or highly reactive compounds.
	Dr. Kang Min Ok joined the group in April, 2006 and left in August 2007. He worked on the kinetics of solid-state reactions with in situ diffraction and synthesis of new actinide materials. Kang Min received his BS and MS in chemistry in 1996 and 1998, respectively, from Sogang University, Seoul, Korea, where he worked on the synthesis of iridium-alkynyl organometallic compounds. In 2003, he received his Ph. D degree from the University of Houston. His thesis was focused on the new second-harmonic generating (SHG) mixed metal oxide materials. He then worked on the synthesis and characterization of new non-centrosymmetric materials with Professor P. Shiv Halasyamani as a postdoctoral research associate at Houston. His personal website can be found here .
	Peter Heines joined the group in 2004 and left in 2006.