Research Themes

At the core of our vision are three interconnected themes:

Multiscale Materials: Engineering the Building Blocks of the Future

Every breakthrough begins with mastering the small. From manipulating atoms to designing ultra-light, super-strong structures, multiscale materials science is transforming what’s possible. Here, you will dive deep into the architecture of matter itself – designing smart materials, self-healing composites, and devices that bridge the nano to the macro world. With strengths in materials chemistry, condensed matter physics, and nanofabrication, we offer an unparalleled environment to build the materials that will drive tomorrow’s technologies.

Energy and Catalysis: Powering a Sustainable Tomorrow

The race for clean energy and efficient chemical processes is one of the defining challenges of our time. Join the frontlines of innovation as we reinvent how we generate, store, and use energy. Working at St Andrews – a university with a long-standing reputation for energy research and sustainability – you will explore cutting-edge catalysis, next-gen batteries, hydrogen economies, and scalable green technologies – shaping a cleaner world. Our cutting-edge Eden Campus – a hub for innovation in sustainable energy technologies – offers outstanding facilities and real-world testbeds for students developing energy solutions to power a greener, more resilient future.

Imaging and Sensing: Revealing the Invisible

The unseen holds the key to the future. From quantum-enhanced imaging to real-time biosensing, advances in how we see and measure are unlocking new realms of knowledge. You’ll develop the technologies that allow us to observe, detect, and interact with our environment like never before – revolutionising medicine, industry, and beyond. St Andrews’ world-leading Centre of Biophotonics and Organic Semiconductor Centre together provide a unique environment to drive these developments – merging physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to create next-generation imaging and sensing technologies that revolutionise medicine, materials science, environmental monitoring and beyond.