Carlos Asensio Regalado

Carlos Asensio Regalado completed his Polymers, Colorants and Fine Chemicals MSc in 2017 and is currently a PhD student in the Analytical Chemistry department at the University of the Basque Country.

Postgraduate life in Leeds

When Carlos completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry, he knew that he wanted to continue developing his career as a scientist. He also wanted to experience living and studying abroad, so when he found the Polymers, Colorants and Fine Chemicals Masters course at Leeds while researching online, he immediately knew that it was the area that he would like to discover more on. He said, “After doing some research and getting in touch with people who had studied that programme and even some teachers, I made my mind up and decided to go for it and applied to Leeds.”

“I really enjoyed my time at Leeds. For me, one of the high notes of the course was how industry-led it was. For instance, the number of projects offered for the final research project were either related to industry or carried out directly with a company. This exceeded my expectations. This opportunity also helped me realise how important it is to bear in mind the applicability of your research to real-world environment.

...the number of projects offered for the final research project were either related to industry or carried out directly with a company. This exceeded my expectations.

Leeds is very multi-cultural. I was able to work and share my ideas with people from different parts of the world. This was definitely something that made the whole experience richer.”

For his final MSc project, Carlos focussed on the study of the chemistry of natural antioxidants. “During this period, I worked in collaboration with people from different cultures, different positions and even different areas of research in the lab. This helped me improve my laboratory and teamworking skills and I was also able to take responsibility during the research process.”

Life after Leeds

Carlos is currently a pre-doctoral researcher at the University of the Basque Country. His PhD project is in collaboration with Bodegas Faustino (Oyón, La Rioja), in which the aim is to study the polyphenolic composition of the main grape varieties of Rioja alavesa and its evolution during the wine making process, employing high resolution liquid chromatographic techniques with photodiode and mass spectrometry detection (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS).

“For me it was very clear that I wanted to further my studies and go for a PhD. Considering the experience working in the area of natural products during the final research project at Leeds, I applied for a PhD position on the topic back in Spain, where I am currently working.”

“Being at Leeds has helped changed the way that I work, and the experience has helped me to open up and improve. I would definitely recommend this Masters course to anyone who is interested in developing a scientific career in the area of polymers and/ or colorants. It will help them develop a deep knowledge about the concepts, but never forgetting their applicability to real projects.

In addition, living in Leeds was such an amazing experience. The city is really welcoming to students from all over the world, and there are lots of activities to do and places to visit in the area. A year might even be short to discover it all!”

...living in Leeds was such an amazing experience. The city is really welcoming to students from all over the world.

Find out more 

Discover more about our Masters degree courses in the School of Chemistry.