Meet the team

Philip Aldridge

Chief Executive Officer

North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC)

Before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in April 2018, Philip worked with NEPIC for 6 years helping deliver ERDF projects, and serving its pharmaceutical members. Prior to his time with the Cluster, Philip held roles at the Centre of Excellence in Life Sciences and technical management positions within GSK in the UK and US. With extensive pharmaceutical process development and manufacturing experience in the fields of antibiotics and biopharmaceuticals, Philip holds a first degree in Biochemistry, a masters in Biochemical Engineering and is a member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. [Read more]

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Darren Budd

Commercial Director

UK/Ireland BASF Plc

Darren Budd was born in Taplow, United Kingdom, in 1967. Darren studied Chemistry at Kingston University, United Kingdom, and then went on to do his doctorate on Transition Metal Complexation of Conducting Polymers. Darren has worked for BASF for the last 24 years and has held a number of positions within the company including having worked in Germany for BASF’s Venture Capital Business for 5 years. Since 1st Jan 2016, Darren has been Commercial Director for BASF Plc. This role is responsible for the Chemical Sales activities of BASF in the UK as well as the Commercial activities of BASF… [Read more]

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Adam Herriott

Sector Specialist

WRAP

Sector Specialist at WRAP and technical lead on several projects within the world-leading UK Plastics Pact including creating a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging; non-mechanical recycling and the recyclability of black plastic packaging. Experience in both public and private sector sides of the waste industry. Have a proven track record of successfully delivering projects having gained industry recognition. A member of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management with a strong working knowledge of local authority procedures and practices as well as waste legislation. [Read more]

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Dr Sheena Hindocha

Knowledge Transfer Manager

KTN

I graduated from Imperial College London in 2013 with a PhD in radioactive medical imaging tracers. In 2014 I moved into industry as a research scientist at Johnson Matthey where I worked on metal organic frameworks, developing their research in this areas and growing the team. In 2017 I took on a project management role deploying a project and portfolio management system across the R&D function to enable new product introduction (NPI). Working across JM to develop their NPI and portfolio management processes. In 2019 I joined KTN as a Knowledge Transfer Manager in materials chemistry working in the chemistry… [Read more]

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Prof Peter Hopkinson

Professor of Circular Economy and Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy

University of Exeter

I joined Exeter University Business School in 2018. Together with Professor Fiona Charnley Peter is Co-Director of the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research Hub, part of a £30M investment to accelerate Circular Economy Research and Innovation across the UK. Peter has a background in environmental science and economics and is widely known for his work in the Circular Economy, systems thinking and the implementation challenge. Peter leads a number of interdisciplinary research projects investigating the technical challenge of legacy materials such as construction materials, plastics and critical materials and the requirement for the design, financing and enablers for new… [Read more]

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Dr Ian Howell

HomeCare R&D Director

Unilever

I have worked for Unilever for 28 years, across the full breadth of the Home and Personal Care business. I have delivered new science, new technology, new patented inventions, and provided detailed technical advice and support for late-stage product development projects. I am an experienced R&D leader able to integrate and develop capabilities in devices, product appraisal, consumer science, physical & chemical sciences, measurement science, marketing, safety, regulatory, patents and Open Innovation with academics, business & government, for successful delivery. My focus is on technology delivery from brilliant science. I am passionate about the development of new R&D ways of… [Read more]

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Prof Andrea Ramírez Ramírez

Professor at Delft University of Technology

I hold a bachelor in chemical engineering (Colombia), a master in Human Ecology (Belgium) and a PhD in the field of industrial energy efficiency from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. After my PhD I stayed at Utrecht University, first as assistant professor and then as associate professor at the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development. My research focused on the assessment of carbon capture and storage and biorefineries. Four years ago I joint Delft University of Technology where I was appointed as full professor of Low Carbon Systems and Technologies in the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management. I am one… [Read more]

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Prof Jason Ren

Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Princeton University

Prof. Ren and the WET (Water & Energy Technologies) lab members work on Water-Energy Nexus especially in areas of energy and resource recovery during environmental processes such as wastewater treatment and reuse, water desalination, remediation, and carbon capture and utilization. They use electrochemistry, microbiology, and system engineering tools to understand the fundamental determinant factors of the systems so as to enhance design, operation, and monitoring in concert with traditional approaches. Prof. Ren collaborates with colleagues from different disciplines. The group has been funded by federal and state agencies as well as private sponsors and published papers in Nature Sustainability, Nature… [Read more]

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Louise Kjellerup Roper

CEO

Volans

I have spent most of my career at the ‘bleeding edge’ of innovation in market-making companies; starting in tech (Cisco, Check Point) and then launching and scaling purposeful consumer brands and pioneering B Corps (method, gDiapers), and have been at the forefront of building circular economy business models. Since taking on the role of CEO at Volans, the renowned think-tank and strategic advisory firm, I have reshaped Volans, launching thought leadership Initiatives such as Tomorrow’s Capitalism Inquiry, the Green Swans Observatory, Regenerative Transformation Architecture and the Bankers For NetZero Initiative, whilst continuing to advise a select group of leading… [Read more]

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Prof Jeremy Shears

Chief Scientist

Shell

Jeremy leads Shell’s strategic thinking and innovation agenda to enable the company to thrive through the energy transition. He is a member of the Shell Science Council, which comes together with leading external technology experts from top universities around the world to help Shell stay at the forefront of energy technology innovation. Prior to this, Jeremy was General Manager in Shell’s Projects & Technology division where he was responsible for R&D on advanced biofuels and hydrogen at Shell’s technology centres in Netherlands, USA, UK and India. Jeremy joined Shell in 1986 and has held various commercial and technology leadership positions… [Read more]

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Ryan Siddall

Head of Technical

NEPIC

My role as Head of Technical at NEPIC is to help drive forward innovation in decarbonisation, fuel switching, industrial symbiosis and circular economy within the North East. I have a masters in Chemistry from Newcastle University and have worked with NEPIC since January 2020, supporting the region with innovation and the journey to Net Zero. NEPIC are a cluster organisation with over 340 members, and I work to encourage collaboration and best practice sharing within the network. [Read more]

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Dr Zina Skoufa

Business Development Manager

Johnson Matthey

I am a Chemical Engineer, with a PhD in heterogeneous catalysis from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. I stayed in the academia for a little while after my PhD, in a Post-Doc position on CO2 capture. In 2015 I moved to Industrial R&D, working in Johnson Matthey’s Technology Centre on several step-out catalysis programmes. Since 2019, I have been working in the Business Development and Innovation team in Johnson Matthey’s Efficient Natural Resources sector, and I am now a Business Development Manager. In my current position, I am responsible for identifying new opportunities for JM in the area of… [Read more]

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Prof Jin Xuan

PI and Director of the Centre

University of Surrey

I graduated with a PhD degree from The University of Hong Kong in 2012, with the research topic in electrochemical engineering. My academic career in the UK started in 2014, when I took up a Lectureship in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University. I was appointed as the Associate Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt in 2017. I joined Loughborough University in 2018 as a Senior Lecturer, was promoted to Professor/Personal Chair in Low Carbon Processes in 2019 and became the Head of Department of Chemical Engineering in 2020. In 2022,… [Read more]

Contact

Email: j.xuan@surrey.ac.uk

Telephone: 01483 686582

Website: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/jin-xuan

Prof Benoit Chachuat

Theme 2 Lead and Project Co-I

Imperial College London

The overall goal of our research is to develop safe, economically and environmentally sustainable chemical and biological processes through the synergistic use of advanced computational modelling and optimisation methods and process data. Our vision of process systems engineering has a strong focus on rigorous computation to predict the performance at scale of both existing and novel technology and empower decision-making, and we work in close collaboration with experimentalists. We furthermore develop software tools that implement these methods to ensure their dissemination (https://github.com/omega-icl). [Read more]

Contact

Email: b.chachuat@imperial.ac.uk

Website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/b.chachuat

Prof Alex Cowan

Theme 1 Lead and Project Co-I

University of Liverpool

I lead a research team that develops and studies catalysts for the sustainable production of fuels. Recent work has focused on the chemistry of carbon dioxide utilisation with programmes exploring how solar energy can be used to drive the production of useful fuels from only carbon dioxide and water. I completed my PhD in Chemistry at the University of Nottingham (2007) on the study of inorganic reaction mechanisms with transient spectroscopy and postdoctoral positions at Nottingham developing catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide and Imperial College London to study photoelectrochemical water splitting. I was appointed to a Lectureship in… [Read more]

Contact

Email: a.j.cowan@liverpool.ac.uk

Website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/chemistry/staff/alexander-cowan/

Shadine Duquemin

Centre Administrator

Loughborough University

I joined the Centre in 2021 as Centre Administrator. I have worked within a Higher Education setting since 2017 and had previously worked as a Student Support Administrator at Loughborough University. I assist in the day-to-day operational aspects of the Centre, liaising with the project team to co-ordinate research and outreach events. [Read more]

Contact

Email: s.duquemin@lboro.ac.uk

Telephone: 01509 227337

Prof Elizabeth (Libby) Gibson

Engagement Lead and Project Co-I

Newcastle University

I joined Newcastle University as a Lecturer in Physical Chemistry in 2014 and was promoted to Reader in Energy Materials in 2018. Prior to this I held a University of Nottingham Anne McLaren Research Fellowship and a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship. Research in my group focuses on solar cell and solar fuel devices that function at a molecular level and challenge the conventional solid-state photovoltaic technologies. My current ERC-funded project focuses on developing transparent p-type semiconductors for tandem solar cells and artificial photosynthesis. Molecular and semiconductor synthesis, device assembly and characterization are combined with fundamental studies on the… [Read more]

Contact

Email: elizabeth.gibson@newcastle.ac.uk

Website: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/p-type/people/staffprofilelibbygibson.html

Smita Jenna

Centre Manager

Loughborough University

I joined the Centre in 2021 as Manager. I have been part of the Higher Education Environment since 2012 and until recently was Operations Manager for the School of Business at University of Leicester. I am responsible for the day-to-day operational aspects of the Centre and work closely with the project team to co-ordinate, monitor and facilitate the research and outreach activities. I am supporting the team to establish a project framework, reporting and communication strategy in this national multi-partner project. I also work with the Centre’s wider academic team to identify and develop new opportunities and provide support for… [Read more]

Contact

Email: S.Jenna@lboro.ac.uk

Telephone: 01509 223342

Website: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/chemical/staff/smita-jenna/

Dr Alberto Roldan

Early Career Research Lead and Project Co-I

Cardiff University

In 2010 the physical-chemistry department at the University Rovira i Virgili awarded me with a PhD which received the recognition of the Best Thesis in Computational Chemistry in 2011. I moved to University College London as the computational lead in EPSRC funded programmes investigating carbon dioxide reduction catalysed by iron sulfides and oxide surfaces in direct collaboration with experimental groups. This successful research activity was recognised in 2012 when I was awarded the Ramsay Memorial Fellowship Trust allowing me to develop further in the field of materials and catalytic chemistry. I was appointed a University Research Fellow (URF) in 2015,… [Read more]

Contact

Email: roldanmartineza@cardiff.ac.uk

Website: www.roldan-group.com

Prof Peter Styring

Policy Lead and Project Co-I

University of Sheffield

Peter is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Chartered Engineer. He is also a former Head of Department of Chemistry at Sheffield. Peter’s research considers a wholistic approach to the circular economy, drawing on catalysis, synthesis, reactor and process design as well as life cycle analysis (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) together with policy development and social justice. This covers waste management, carbon dioxide utilisation and air quality improvement. Peter is involved in a number of All Party Parliamentary Groups in Westminster and was a recipient of a Royal… [Read more]

Contact

Email: p.styring@sheffield.ac.uk

Website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cbe/people/academic-staff/peter-styring

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