Our people
Meet Generation Do
When we talk about STEM it’s easy to focus on the exciting technologies. But of course, we know all the brilliant world-changing invention and innovation comes from the human beings who dedicate their careers and their lives to it.
We’re extremely proud of our thriving, diverse community at Warwick. We’re a generation of doers and thinkers, inventors and problem solvers on a mission to make a better world. We call this amazing group of people Generation Do. Read on to find out more about them; what they’re working on, what inspires them and why they believe in pointing the way ahead towards a better world with STEM.
Louise Dyson, Associate Professor in Epidemiology
Mathematics Institute and the School of Life Sciences
The work I’m doing right now modelling COVID-19 during the pandemic is inspired by a desire to use the skills I have to make a positive difference in the world.
Soroush Abolfahi, Academic Co-lead Sustainable Cities GRP and Assistant Professor in Water and Environment Engineering
School of Engineering
I joined Generation Do because in the work we’re doing at Warwick we get to take on the world’s most challenging problems.
Munehiro Asally, Associate Professor
School of Life Sciences
I believe STEM can help make a better world because it’s the foundation of almost all new technology development. And most importantly, because critical and evidence-based thinking is so important to our society. At Warwick, I study biology because life is full of inspiration!
Jessica Man, Undergraduate Student
Chemistry
There are 118 'known' elements in the universe, but it’s the concept of the 'unknown' that fuels my passion for chemistry. The sense of discovery is captivating: whether it’s the processes of a test-tube reaction where bondfission occurs on a nano-scale, or the macroscopy of the product being a colour change when transition metals undergo ligand exchange.
The thing that makes studying and working at Warwick so special, is the positive ethos and emphasis on collaborative learning I’ve experienced here. The level of engagement and passion embedded within each department and the academic brilliance coupled with its attention to student satisfaction, is what makes the university so distinguished.
Phil Jemmet, Outreach Project Officer
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)
Technology has made our lives better in so many ways, but there are also times where inventions have damaged our world too. We’re at a point in time where we need to be responsible about the technology we use, now, to secure the future for generations to come. No one person can come up with a solution to make the world better overnight – that’s why we to need bring together lots of different minds and diverse teams, from academia and the public too. We do it because everyone can have a role in STEM’s mission to make a better world.
I’m hopeful for the future because I believe the answers we need are out there – from renewable energy, to food security, to safe transport, to healthcare – but they’ll only be found by people. And people will only succeed if we work together. Sharing STEM, representing Warwick, showcasing our talent to the public – that’s how I’m doing my bit to help make a better world.
Matthew I. Gibson, Professor
Chemistry and Warwick Medical School
The world is getting smaller and we’re ever-more interconnected. The same is true for science. Having more STEM subjects working in more interconnected ways is how we’ll solve big problems facing today’s world and train the next generation of scientific minds. In the work I do I’m inspired by the opportunities for modern, trans-disciplinary science to make more positive impact on all our lives. We ask fundamental science questions as well as solve problems. The two approaches go hand in hand, you never know where the knowledge you develop can be applied.
To solve big problems, you need to get people together. Our single-site campus will facilitate that. And you need the right tools for the job. Warwick has worldclass analytical facilities - if you can point at it, someone here can measure it.
Sara Sangtarash, Assistant Professor
School of Engineering
STEM is a multidisciplinary research environment that brings together expertise from complementary backgrounds to tackle global challenges through cutting-edge research.
I’m engaged in computational modelling of molecular structures to engineer quantum transport through nanoscale devices for applications in nanoelectronics, spintronics and green energy harvesting. Warwick provides the environment and resources I need to establish world-class research activity.
Michael John Chappell, Professor, Leader Systems and Information Engineering Discipline Stream and Co-Lead Warwick GRP for Health
School of Engineering
Warwick has always fostered a strong collaborative ethos in terms of multidisciplinary collaborations across STEM subjects and with colleagues from industry and the Health sector. That’s so important because it can stimulate gamechanging impact from the research we do.
Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation
Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)
Technology underpins all aspects of our society, whether in healthcare, communications or entertainment. In the work I do I always want to make sure it’s easy to use, reliable and safe. Taking a holistic approach to problem solving is important. Collaboration at Warwick is key to everything we do, cross department and faculty working as well as partnerships locally, nationally and internationally.
Heather Cegla, Assistant Professor, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
Physics
STEM can have so much impact on the world, from the development of new technologies that improve lives to influencing the way we think about and tackle the problems we’re all facing. Both are critical, but the latter weaves more quickly into everyday life and can create change across all areas of society, helping us to make more informed and helpful decisions. My research focusses on finding planets outside our solar system that have the potential to host life. That’s why I'm inspired by the age-old question of 'are we alone in the universe'?
I’ve made Warwick my academic home, not only because the research is world-leading, but because the environment is so positive and welcoming. I can be myself here, push my research forward, and help create a scientific community that’s more diverse and inclusive. I'm constantly inspired by the people around me and I know my work is richer for their different points of view.
Tom Gur, Associate Professor
Computer Science
To make a better world I believe we must not only pursue answers, but also learn to ask the right questions. I’m driven by intellectual curiosity and a strong desire to make a difference. A huge part of my work deals with exploring the power and limitations of quantum computing. There’s nothing more exciting to me than attempting to harness the power of quantum mechanics to create new computational paradigms that could change the world.
Warwick is a fantastic place that nurtures curiosity, creativity, and imagination. By pushing the boundaries of our imagination, we can find new ways to use STEM to contribute to industry, society, and beyond.
Modupe Olufunmilayo Jimoh, Assistant Professor of Civil and Humanitarian Engineering
School of Engineering
STEM can help make our world better. Through collaborative and interdisciplinary learning, teaching and research, members of our community gain holistic perspectives of global challenges and solutions. I like to impact knowledge and to use education as an advocacy tool for change. I am particularly excited to be a contributor to capacity building in the field of water and environmental engineering.
It’s Warwick’s quest for distinction that draws me here, it’s always been a centre of excellence that embraces staff and student innovation and growth.
Sandra Chapman, Professor and Director of the Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics
Physics
Physics is beautiful, and also useful! We’re working on the challenges humanity faces. At Warwick we have the flexibility to make new interdisciplinary connections. Our Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics is one of the first of its kind - bringing fundamental ideas developed to understand the universe, to the real-world challenge of harnessing fusion as a clean energy source, and training the next generation of scientists in this field.
Katharina Brinkert, Assistant Professor in Catalysis
Chemistry
The complex challenges of the future don’t know disciplinary boundaries. To tackle them we’ll need global and interdisciplinary efforts. I believe we have what it takes at Warwick, together with our different areas of expertise, we can take on the future.
I’m driven to make the world a little bit better with my work; to contribute to solving the energy problem by finding new ways of using sunlight to make valuable chemicals such as fertilisers. I also have a deep passion for space. We’re developing equivalent systems for space applications to enable human space exploration.
Jack Watson, Undergraduate Student
Physics
STEM can help solve many of the world’s biggest problems. One example is the breakthroughs we’re making towards clean, sustainable and safe energy production with fusion power. One day this will help developing nations produce affordable power as well as reducing the effect on the climate.
There are things I have learned in physics that are so amazing, I would never want to miss out on that. STEM subjects are so versatile and can lead to careers you’d never expect. Warwick’s world leading researchers and its many opportunities; such as summer research projects and years abroad, have supercharged my education and helped build my network.
Deanne Coppejans, Assistant Professor
Physics
I use telescopes across the globe to study stars and stellar explosions. The joy of being able to spend my time observing objects in distant galaxies and investigating their extreme physics drives me in my work. I joined Warwick because of its worldleading research and facilities, and its supportive and welcoming faculty.
Andrew Nelson, Associate Professor
School of Life Sciences
Warwick is such a rich community full of diversity - I’m surrounded by inspiration and people working on things that excite me. I’m never short of a challenging point of view or a powerful perspective, that really takes my work to the next level. I’m compelled to find new and interesting ways of working together more and more, to tackle the biggest research questions we face. This vibrant, creative environment is essential for training the next generation of research scientists who’ll be equipped with key modern experimental and computational skills essential to both academia and industry.
David Haddleton, Professor of Polymer Synthesis and Catalysis
Chemistry
The world progresses at a fantastic rate, with a lot of improvements reliant on scientific advancement. Warwick has a community of outstanding scientists with a real ethos of solving global issues and advancing society in a caring and sustainable way, that really matters to me. Since its inception, Warwick has been a place that embraces change and encourages bold new research. I've been here for 30 years and we’ve never stopped pushing boundaries, that's what's kept me here.
Susana Gomes, Assistant Professor
Mathematics
Interdisciplinarity can be such a source of inspiration and creativity. At Warwick it’s so easy to achieve, and it’s encouraged! The opportunity to apply otherwise abstract mathematical concepts to help understand and explain real world problems and common scenarios is so powerful.
Seeking out difference
We’ve always opened our doors wide here at Warwick, and now we’re looking to the world to bring together the most diverse, inclusive and representative group of people ever, to join our STEM community.