Program Overview

MPhil, PhD Chemistry

The MPhil and PhD in Chemistry are available for study within any of the research groups in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry. These degrees are available for study over one year for the MPhil or three to four years for the PhD.

Research Opportunities

Research opportunities are available in the following areas:

• Bionanotechnology & analytical chemistry
• Catalysis & synthesis
• Chemical biology & medicinal chemistry
• Materials & computational
• Forensic science

Fees & Funding

The fees for the MPhil and PhD programs are as follows:

• Scotland: £4,786 (2024/25), £5,006 (2025/26)
• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: £4,786 (2024/25), £5,006 (2025/26)
• Republic of Ireland: same as England, Wales & Northern Ireland
• International: £25,250 (2024/25), £27,800 (2025/26)

Supervisors

The following supervisors are available for the MPhil and PhD programs:

• Dr Christine Davidson: experimental research, quantitative analysis, method development, environmental studies
• Professor Damion Corrigan: electrochemical biosensors, bioelectrochemistry, DNA origami, surface attachment and bioconjugation
• Dr Gavin Craig: porous molecules and composite materials, structural chemistry, crystallisation, supramolecular chemistry
• Dr Lynn Dennany: electrochemical analysis, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemiluminescence, chromatography, spectroscopic analysis
• Dr Robert Edkins: synthesis of organic and inorganic conjugated molecules, (time-resolved) fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence microscopy
• Professor Karen Faulds: Raman, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), bionanotechnology
• Dr Ying Fu: Organic bioelectronics, Organic electrochemical transistors, Biomarker detection
• Professor Duncan Graham: nanoparticle synthesis and modification, Raman spectroscopy, Raman microscopy and cellular imaging
• Dr Penelope Haddrill: molecular biology, DNA profiling, RNA quantification, population genetics and genomics
• Professor Clare Hoskins: nanomedicine, cancer nanomedicine, therapeutics, diagnostics, theranostics, polymer synthesis, inorganic synthesis
• Dr Craig Jamieson: medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, peptide chemistry, chemical biology
• Dr Alan Kennedy: X-ray diffraction, crystallography, structural analysis, solid-state analysis
• Professor William Kerr: metal-mediated synthetic organic chemistry
• Dr K H Aaron Lau: control of peptide and peptide-mimetic material properties, solid phase synthesis, Nanostructure self-assembly
• Dr John Liggat: polymer physical chemistry, physics and technology, including adhesion, crystallisation behaviour, physical ageing
• Dr David Lindsay: synthetic organic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, computational chemistry
• Dr Lewis MacKenzie: inorganic synthesis, solvothermal nanoparticle synthesis, powder X-ray diffraction, upconversion luminescence spectroscopy
• Professor Robert Mulvey: main group chemistry, organometallic chemistry, structure and bonding, synthesis, catalysis
• Professor John Murphy: synthetic organic chemistry, chemical mechanism, physical organic chemistry
• Dr David Nelson: physical (in)organic chemistry, catalysis, organometallic chemistry, organic synthesis
• Dr Alison Nordon: process analysis, chemometrics, in situ measurements, optical spectroscopy, acoustics, NMR spectroscopy
• Dr Charles O'Hara: synthesis, catalysis, structural elucidation
• Dr David Palmer: theoretical and computational chemistry, molecular informatics, molecular simulation, quantum mechanics
• Dr John Parkinson: applications using and developments of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy methods
• Dr Binoy Paulose: single molecule detection, single cell biopsy, dielectrophoresis, micro
  anofabrication
• Dr Marc Reid: computer vision, reaction monitoring, kinetic analysis, machine learning, high throughput experimentation
• Dr Stuart Robertson: inert atmosphere synthesis, Solid state and solution structure elucidation, organometallic complex design
• Dr Fraser Scott: medicinal chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, biophysical measurements, antimicrobial susceptibility testing
• Dr Sebastian Sprick: porous polymers, conjugated polymers, light-driven reactions, photocatalysis
• Dr Juliane Simmchen: colloidal synthesis and characterization, microscopy, biohybrids
• Professor Nicholas Tomkinson: synthesis, isolation, purification and analysis of small organic molecules
• Professor Christopher Tuttle: development and application of computational methods, density functional theory, atomistic MD simulations
• Dr Alastair Wark: bioanalytical chemistry, nanotechnology, optical and electrochemical sensors, confocal multiphoton microscopy
• Dr Catherine Weetman: Inert atmosphere synthesis, Organometallics, NMR studies, DFT bonding analysis

Support & Development

The University offers a range of support and development opportunities for postgraduate research students, including:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD)
• Careers Service
• Student support services

Postgraduate Research at the Strathclyde Doctoral School

The Strathclyde Doctoral School offers a vibrant, student-centred research and training environment, dedicated to supporting both current and future research talent. The Doctoral School brings together all four faculties, committed to enhancing the student experience, increasing research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring that training is delivered at the highest standard. As a postgraduate researcher, you will automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.