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Talks, posters, and awards marked this year’s Postdoc and Fellows Symposium, celebrating research across the Department of Materials.

The Department of Materials at 911½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ hosted its 14th Postdoc and Fellows Symposium on 17 October at the Sir Michael Uren Building, White City Campus. The annual event brought together 45 attendees from across the department, including postdoctoral researchers, PhD and MSc students, academics, and technical staff.

Professor , Head of Department, opened the day with a welcome, introducing a programme of talks and posters highlighting the work of the department's early career researchers. The symposium featured three sessions of scientific presentations. The first, chaired by Dr Aigerim Omirkhan, covered biosensing platforms, targeted tuberculosis therapies, atomic-scale modelling, and quantum materials. The second session, chaired by Dr , explored electrocatalysis, battery material degradation, CO2 reduction mechanisms, and sustainability in steel production. The final session, chaired by Dr Ryan Stroud, included research talks, career presentations, and a Q&A with Professor , Vice Head of Department for Research.

The day concluded with career talks from Dr Megan Owen of EDF and Dr , an optional tour of the Royce facilities, an introduction to CoreStream, and a networking reception where attendees could connect and share ideas.

Awards and Prizes

The symposium also celebrated excellence with awards for outstanding research presentations.

Best Talk

• 1st Prize: Dr – Aerosolized spray-dried microparticles for targeted pulmonary tuberculosis therapy
• 2nd Prize:Dr Noah Schnitzer – Tracking phase transitions in quantum materials at atomic resolution with cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy
• 3rd Prize:Dr – Mechanistic insights into the active sites for electrochemical CO2 Reduction: The case for dealloyed Cu and CO displacement

Best Poster

• Dr Colleen Reynolds – atomic scale modelling of irradiation-induced dislocations in zirconium alloys

Best Question 

• Laurel Liu

Best Scientific Image

This year, the best scientific image award went to Dr  (substrate synthesised by Dr Tianhao He). Their submission captures hydrothermally grown TiO₂ nanorods on an FTO substrate, exhibiting a striking flower-like morphology that visualises their engineered photocatalytic architecture. 

''The annual Postdocs and Fellows Symposium is a wonderful event that encourages open communication and strengthens knowledge sharing and collaboration across the College. Dr Koen Evers Research Associate in Nanoparticle Synthesis, Department of Materials

Dr Koen said, ''The annual Postdocs and Fellows Symposium is a wonderful event that encourages open communication and strengthens knowledge sharing and collaboration across the College. I’m grateful to the organisers for fostering this sense of connection within our research community, and delighted to have received the best scientific image award as an opportunity to showcase my work.”

The research shown in the image explores how TiO₂ nanorods can be designed to function effectively as a light-absorbing anode in a photoelectrochemical cell. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a widely studied material in photocatalysis due to its excellent stability, non-toxicity, low cost, and strong oxidative power under UV illumination. In this project, the team used a hydrothermal synthesis method to engineer the photoelectrode with TiO₂ nanorods.. This one-dimensional structure provides increased active surface area, while light scattering between the vertically aligned rods enhances light-harvesting efficiency.

To improve performance under visible light and reduce rapid electron–hole recombination, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were incorporated onto the TiO₂ surface. This addition enhanced charge separation and promoted interfacial catalytic activity, resulting in improved light utilisation, higher photocurrent densities, and enhanced overall photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) performance. The award-winning image shows some gold nanoparticles that were deposited on the TiO₂ using photodeposition, illustrating the nanoscale integration and cooperative interaction between the two materials that underpins the system’s enhanced photoelectrochemical activity.

The Department thanks all speakers, attendees, and organisers for a fantastic day. The symposium was organised by the Department’s Postdoc and Fellows Representatives, Dr , Dr Bethan Davies, , Dr Aigerim Omirkhan, Dr Ryan Stroud, and Dr , who continue to lead events and initiatives supporting postdocs throughout the year. Events like this highlight the creativity and dedication within the community, and the Department looks forward to many more opportunities to celebrate research, collaboration, and achievement.