Project: Aerosol-assisted Chemical Vapour deposition (AACVD) of inorganic and hybrid materials

Supervisors: Dr Andrew Johnson, Dr Adam Boies

Having completed a Master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Bath, Ted is conducting doctoral research in materials chemistry for aerosol technologies. Under the supervision of Dr Andrew Johnson, he is using aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition to fabricate thin film, inorganic semiconductor materials, with emphasis on precursor design and synthesis. Given the increasing demand for smaller electronic devices and technologies, Ted aims to provide cheap and scalable means to manufacture intricate semiconductor architectures – such as transistors and photovoltaic cells.

Project: Damage to jet engines by airborne particulates; Detection and mitigation

Supervisors: Dr Matthew Watson, Dr Paul Williams

Before starting the programme Maddie completed a Master’s degree in Volcanology from the University of Bristol and a Geology degree from the University of Edinburgh.

Her PhD project will focus on looking at how volcanic ash affects jet engines; focusing on particle size, distribution and composition. As volcanic eruptions have the potential to close large amounts of airspace, as seen during the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull crisis, this research aims to better understand the limits surrounding ash ingestion into engines.

Project: Extinction Cross Section Measurements for Single Aerosol Particles Confined to a Linear Electrodynamic Quadrupole Trap

Supervisors: Prof. Andrew Orr-Ewing, Dr Adam Squires

Jamie is working at the University of Bristol with Professor Andrew Orr-Ewing using cavity ring-down spectroscopy techniques to determine both real and imaginary refractive index components of absorbing aerosol species. In his spare time he enjoys watching the Bristol Bears rugby team and socialising with friends.

Project: Determining the effects of airborne particulates on immune and barrier epithelial cell function

Supervisors: Prof. Sheena Cruikshank, Dr David Topping

George undertook his undergraduate degree in biological sciences at the University of central Lancashire from 2015-2018 and gained a master’s degree in Infection biology from the University of Manchester from 2018-2019. During the master’s degree, George performed an 8 month research project focusing on Macrophage activation during Helminth infections. It was during this project that he developed a keen interest in immunology and a passion for research and lab work.

His PhD project will be conducted at the University of Manchester, under the supervision of Professor Sheena Cruickshank. His work will be focused on examining biological particulate matter, that makes up the ambient microbiome in the atmosphere and the effects that these pollutants have on the immune response. In particular whether a damage response can be triggered, leading to the activation of the inflammasome within macrophage and epithelial cells.

Project: Particle engineering approaches to control the interaction of medicinal aerosols with the lung environment following inhalation

Supervisors: Prof Darragh Murnane, Prof Jonathan Reid

After graduating with a degree in Chemistry from the University of Bristol, Toria moved to the University of Hertfordshire to undertake her PhD which focuses on drug delivery to the lungs. In particular, her doctoral research considers the chemical and physical particle properties that affect efficiency of aerosol deposition and drug delivery.

Having really enjoyed getting to know the first cohort and learning more about aerosol science during the initial year in Bristol, she is now looking forward to honing her skills and knowledge over the rest of the PhD.