Oliver Towns
- Email: cm15ovt@leeds.ac.uk
- Thesis title: Real-time X-ray Imaging of Crystallisation Processes
- Supervisors: Professor Sven L. M. Schroeder, Joanna Leng, Tariq Mahmud, Maximilian Besenhard
Profile
I graduated from the University of Leeds in 2018 with a BSc in Chemistry, with a focus on materials science. My lab based final year project focussed on controlling polymorphism by varying recrystallisation techniques and solvent choice. My literature based project focussed on the synthesis of nanoparticles that can act as models for molecules by controlling their shape and surface properties. After my undergraduate degree I then moved into industry for two and a half years working as an analytical chemist, using LC and GC to support preclinical drug trials.
Research interests
In my project, synchrotron x-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) will be used to video crystals forming and growing. Using bespoke object detection algorithms, useful information will be extracted from these videos that describe the evolution of particle shape and size over time. The hope is to influence more accurate models of the crystallisation process.
Qualifications
- Chemistry BSc, University of Leeds