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Welcome to our group!

Tackling mechanisms of complex biological machines requires a multidisciplinary approach, and we are a highly multidisciplinary and very collaborative team consisting of chemists, biochemists and physicists. Although we work hard, we also love to socialise outside of the lab, building a strong support network within the group: people always make time to help each other out! Please scroll down to find out more about what our group members do.

Dr Maxie M Roessler

Principal Investigator

Picture of MaxieI completed my PhD in Oxford in 2012, where I primarily worked on hydrogenases but first became interested in complex I and iron-sulfur cluster electron relays. I moved to my first independent positon at Queen Mary University of London in 2013 and in April 2019 my group relocated to Imperial College London.  

Besides science and everything to do with unpaired electrons, I have an affinity for different cultures and languages and am lucky to have grown up with French and Italian (besides German) and I later took the opportunity to spend 1.5 years in Beijing on a DAAD scholarship before starting my PhD. I am also an avid yogi and enjoy spending time with my family.

View Dr Roessler's website  

View Dr Roessler's CV (PDF)

Dr Alberto Collauto

PEPR Facility Manager

I studied Material Sciences (bachelor’s degree) and Chemistry (master’s degree) in Northeastern Italy at the University of Padova, from which I obtained my PhD in 2013 with a work on the spectral and spin relaxation properties of nitronylnitroxide radicals.

After my PhD, I joined the research group of Professor Daniella Goldfarb at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel) for a post-doctoral internship. During the three years and a half I spent there (2013 – 2016) I had the opportunity to work on a home-built microfluidic rapid freeze-quench setup and to deepen my knowledge of pulse EPR, more specifically focussing on electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and double electron-electron resonance (DEER/PELDOR).

This was followed by a second post-doctoral internship (2017 – 2020) in the research group of Professor Thomas Prisner at the University of Frankfurt (Germany), where I applied double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy to gain information on the effect of the intracellular environment on the structure of short nucleic acid duplexes. During this period, I also had the opportunity to carry out some teaching in the form of tutorial classes, something I find truly rewarding.

I joined Imperial College London as the Manager of the Centre for Pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (PEPR) in 2021.

In my spare time I quite enjoy hiking and baking.

Dr Blaise Geoghegan

Post Doctoral Fellow

Originally from the UK's sunniest town, Bognor Regis, I obtained my PhD in 2019 from the University of Brighton where my work focused on the synthesis and characterisation of Fe(II) spin-crossover complexes. in 2020 I moved to Germany to begin a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, where I investigated the electronic structure of copper systems via advanced X-ray and pulsed EPR spectroscopies supported by computational methods. I joined the Roessler group as a postdoc in 2022 to develop EPR methodologies using state-of-the-art custom-built superconducting microresonators. In 2024 I was awarded a Marie-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (UKRI Guarantee funded) to investigate the mechanisms of electron bifurcating hydrogenases with advanced pulsed EPR spectroscopic techniques.

When not in the lab or at the synchrotron, I can usually be found playing football or exploring European cities.

Dr Ciarán Rogers

Post Doctoral Researcher (in collaboration with Prof. John JL Morton at the London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL)

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and completed my undergraduate degree at Trinity College, Dublin in 2018. After a year learning Spanish in South America, I found myself in sunny Manchester, where I completed my PhD from 2019-2023 with Dr Alice Bowen, Dr Louise Natrajan and Prof. David Collison. I spent my time at The University of Manchester applying, and developing, pulsed EPR in areas ranging from quantum information processing to structural biology, with a particular emphasis on arbitrary waveform generated microwave pulses, at the EPSRC National EPR Facility. During my PhD I spent a research placement working with Prof. Daniella Goldfarb at the Weizmann Institute of Science, developing in-cell and high-field (W-band) EPR techniques. After four years oop north, I am now a converted Londoner, and enhancing the sensitivity of pulsed EPR experiments using superconducting microresonators at the PEPR facility, in collaboration with Prof. John JL Morton at the London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL.

For fun I like taking any opportunity to go travelling, convincing non-EPR people that EPR is actually good craic, dancing away at gigs, scuba diving, and giving out about the Guinness in the UK.

Fang Fang

4th year PhD Student, Imperial CSC scholarship

I'm Fang Fang, from China, I graduated from Tsinghua University, majored in medicinal chemistry. While working towards master degree, my work was focused on the total synthesis of teixobactin and its analogue. In my PhD project, I will apply my knowledge in chemical synthesis and couple it to biochemistry, electroschemistry and EPR spectroscopy to gain insight into the mechanism of respiratory Complex I. In my spare time, I like running, yoga, and cooking.

 

Yunfei Dang

4th Year PhD student,  President’s scholarship

I am from Shanxi, China. I completed my undergraduate at China university of Geosciences and then MRes in Nanomaterials at Imperial under supervision of Dr Maxie Roessler and Prof. Milo Shaffer. For my PhD project, I am working on combining film electrochemistry (FE) and EPR spectroscopy. This project harnesses the full potential of FE-EPR by exploring novel electrode materials. This innovative in-situ methodology is designed to investigate the mechanisms of catalytic reactions by capturing redox and paramagnetic intermediates in real time.When not working in lab, I enjoying handcrafting a lot.

Molly Parry

4th year PhD student (joint with Prof. George Britovsek)

Picture of MollyI grew up in Somerset and completed my MChem at the University of Edinburgh. I spent my final year abroad at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore where I worked on photocatalytic C-C cleavage in epoxides. My current project involves studying oxidative photocatalytic degradation of polymers and using EPR to identify the radicals present in this process. In my free time I love reading, baking bread and sewing.

 

Davide Facchetti

4th year PhD Student, PEPR-Bruker studentship

I am originally from Italy and I obtained an MSc in "Food Science and Technology" from the University of Milan, with a specialisation in Industrial Biotechnology. I did my thesis project in Kiel, Germany, working on the characterisation of beta-lactoglobulin fibrils in oil-water emulsions using EPR spectroscopy. Prior to joining the group, I also worked as a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Engineering at Lancaster University, UK. There, I focused my research on the development of a coating made of fibrils suitable for biomedical applications. The aim of my PhD project is to elucidate the mechanism of the enzymatic complex MsrQ/P present in many pathogenic bacteria as a defence system. During the project I will use different EPR techniques such as CW and pulsed together with electrochemical methods in order to elucidate the redox mechanism of the enzymes.

John Britton

3rd year PhD student (joint with Prof. Oscar Ces and Prof. Bill Rutherford), ICB CDT programme

I am a first year PhD student from London having completed my MSci degree in Chemistry at Imperial. In my final year, I used solid-state NMR and x-ray scattering to investigate the effect of a novel permeation enhancer on a skin mimetic.

 

Over the course of my PhD, I will be investigating the effect of membrane asymmetry on electron transfer on complex membrane proteins such as Respiratory Complex I and Photosystem II.

In my spare time, I enjoy walking, swimming and reading.

 

Sarah Chapman

3rd year PhD student (joint with Dr Laura Barter), ICB CDT programme, co-funded by Syngenta

I’m Sarah, from the flatlands of Norfolk, and I completed my chemistry undergraduate at the University of Manchester. In my final year I simulated DEER spectra of multi-spin [3]- and [4]- rotaxanes to predict their structures in frozen solution (supervised by Prof. E. McInnes and Dr A. Bowen). Over the course of my PhD, I will be investigating the photodegradation of agrochemicals on plant leaf surfaces using EPR spectroscopy, with the aim of using this information to improve sustainability of agrochemicals. In my spare time, I like to play trumpet and piano, and read novels (when time permits)!

If you want to hear me talk about my project in a little more detail, please see this video I made!

Eleanor Clifford

4th Year PhD student, PEPR-Bruker studentship

I completed my undergraduate and master's degree in Natural Sciences at University of Cambridge, specialising in chemistry. I undertook my masters research project in Dr Jenny Zhang’s group studying cyanobacterial exoelectrogenesis for the development of biophotovoltaic devices. During my PhD, I will use a combination of electrochemical techniques and EPR to study the activity and mechanism of photosynthetic complex I, a key component of the cyclic electron transfer pathway in photosynthesis. In my free time, I like reading, climbing and gymnastics.

Angeliki Chatziathanasiou 

2nd year PhD student (joint with Prof. Peter Nixon), ICB-CDT programme, co-funded by Syngenta

I was raised in Greece, and I completed my undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Crete. As part of my Master’s in Biochemistry, I spent 3 months in Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri in Florence, Italy, as an Erasmus+ fellow. In my master’s thesis, I studied the production of hydrogen, polyhydroxybutyrate, and exopolysaccharides in photosynthetic bacteria.

I will be investigating binding mode of quinone-site inhibitors in photosynthetic enzymes using EPR, ultimately with the aim to identify new inhibitors and improve agricultural sustainability.

In my spare time, I like playing tennis, reading, and exploring London!

If you want to hear me talk about my project in a little more detail, please see this video I made!

Katherine Ailles

1st year PhD student (joint with Prof. George Britovsek and Dr F. Mark Chadwick), CDT REACT programme

I grew up in St Albans, Hertfordshire and I completed my integrated master’s degree at the University of York. For my master’s project I worked on the polymerisation of amine boranes with ruthenium catalysts in Professor Andrew Weller’s group. During my PhD I will be designing new catalysts with a focus on titanium and chromium catalysts for the oligomerisation of olefins and will be using EPR for characterisation of these catalyst complexes.

In my spare time I play netball competitively and enjoy cooking and baking.

Srija Ghosh

1st year PhD student (joint with Dr Jeannine Hess, Francis Crick Institute), affiliated with the ICB CDT programme

I’m Srija, a first year PhD student working in the Roessler (Imperial) and Hess (Crick Institute) labs. I’ll be synthesising copper containing antibiotics to understand whether ROS production contributes to their lethality using EPR methods. I grew up in High Wycombe (home to the famed chair museum) and completed an MChem in the Langton group at the University of Oxford. In my Masters year I worked on developing a water-soluble photocaged chloride ion transmembrane transporter system. In my free time I enjoy reading, visiting museums and cooking/baking with my family and friends. 

Zhang Chong

MRes student (Catalysis: Chemistry and Engineering course)

I am Zhang Chong from Chongqing, China. I completed my bachelor at UCL in Chemical Engineering and am now an MRes student in Catalysis at Imperial. For my MRes project, I will focus on dioxygen reduction by fungal laccase with an aid of FE-EPR and carbon nanotube technology. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, photographing, and traveling around the world.

 

 

Ido Dan

MRes student, ICB CDT programme

I grew up in Israel and completed my bachelor's degree in chemistry at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where I also had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh. In my third year, I joined the Bar-Sadan research group as a research assistant where I investigated the catalytic activity of nanoparticles for electrochemical nitrate reduction. For my MRes and PhD, I will focus on developing film electrochemical EPR spectroscopy to study electron transfer processes in membrane proteins. Beyond my studies, I enjoy practicing judo and traveling to explore new destinations.

 

 

Xiaofeng (Nino) Hu

MRes student (Biomedical Research course)

Bonjour! This is Nino (I'm tired of teaching people how to pronounce the X in my Chinese name). I grew up in China and came to the UK for my undergraduate degree, so this is my fifth year in the UK. Et oui, je peux parler français aussi.

I got my BSc Computer Science from University of Sheffield and my MSc Immersive Technologies (VR & AR) from University of Bristol. But in fact, my previous projects covered a variety of fields such as software development, algorithm application, polymer material chemical synthesis, human-computer interaction, game development, wearable hardware development, etc.

Here as a part of my MRes Biomedical Research (Data Science stream) journey, I will use my programming skills to develop a GUI for the EPR community to efficiently simulate DEER experiments with iron-sulphur clusters. I hope I can encapsulate it into a complete application that is highly modular and maintainable.

Spare time? I don't like spare time. I like to keep myself busy with various projects. Maybe putting pressure on myself is my biggest hobby (although I formed a band for a few years as both a guitarist and drum player).

Ayman Qureshi

MRes student

I'm Ayman and I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. I completed my BSc in Physics at the University of St Andrews. In my final year I used pulsed EPR to obtain the distribution of confirmational states in proteins. I then worked in industry for a year as a laser engineer before starting an MRes at Imperial.

I will be using superconducting microresonators to perform novel pulsed EPR experiments on respiratory complex I. 

In my spare time I am a sprinter, training with a local athletics club. I also enjoy reading, going to gigs, and exploring London.

Yuxuan Sun

MRes student

I’m Yuxuan Sun from Henan, China. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at King’s College London and am now an MRes student at Imperial College. My project focuses on understanding the catalytic mechanism of photosynthetic complex I. In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, traveling to experience new cultures, occasionally horse riding and playing the piano.

 

Alumni - where are they now ?

Independent Fellow

  • Dr Enrico Salvadori (2015-18) - Enrico joined us first on a joint position with UCL and then as the EPR Facility Research Fellow. He now holds a lectureship at the University of Turin (Italy).

PostDocs

  • Dr Jana Eisermann (2020-2023) has a tenure-track academic position at the University of Stuttgart (Germany)
  • Dr Maryam Seif-Eddine (2019-23) - Maryam is now in the Biophysique des métalloprotéines group at the CNRS
  • Dr John Wright (2018-19) - John is now a PostDoc at Judy Hirst Group in Cambridge.
  • Dr Nolwenn le Breton (2015-17) - Nolwenn now has a permanent CNRS research position (ingénieur de recherche) at the Chemistry Institute at the University of Strasbourg, which is part of the national French EPR platform.
  • Dr Ana Maria Esteves (2016-17) - Ana is now at the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB-UNL), Av. República, EAN, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.

PhD students

  • Adam Sills (2019-24) - Adam is now a Teacher of Chemistry at Radley College
  • Gemma McGuire (2019-23) - Dr Gemma is now a Senior Research Scientist at Syngenta
  • Spiros Koutsoukos (2018-23) - Dr Spiros is now a Post Doctoral Researcher with Tom Welton at Imperial College London
  • Katherine Richardson (2018-22) - Dr Katherine is now a PDRA in the Photosynthesis group under the supervision of Professor Matt Johnson at the University of Sheffield.
  • Kaltum Abdiaziz (2016-20) - Dr Kaltum is now a PostDoc in the EPR research group under Dr Alexander Schnegg at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion.
  • Martina Cirulli (2015-19) - Dr Martina is now Implementation Team Leader at YOOBIC
  • John Wright (2014-18) - Dr John is now a PostDoc at Judy Hirst Group in Cambridge.

Master students

  • Manveer Dhanjal (2023-2024)
  • Rohil Anandkar (2023-2024)
  • Edward Jijie (2023-2024)
  • Raphael Samson (2023-2024)
  • Zhuoliang Ying (2023-2024)
  • Christina Siakalli (2022-2023) - Completing a PhD with Prof. Nicholas Long at Imperial College London
  • Luke Hutchings (2021-22)
  • Chengyi Liu (2021-22)
  • Charlie Parfitt (2021-22) - Completing a PhD in with Prof. George Britovsek at Imperial College London
  • Peter Gonda (2021-22)
  • Flynn Rohr (2021-22)
  • Helin Wang (2021-22) - Working for AstraZeneca, China
  • Oliver Newman (2019-20)
  • Natalie (Hoi Chi) Hau (2019-20)
  • Yara Van Ingen - Project in collaboration with Andy Ashley Group (2019-2020) - PhD student at Cardiff University.
  • Chrisline Thomas (2017-18), Inorganic Chemistry project prize 2018 - Chemistry teacher
  • Adam Suhaj (2016-17) - PhD student at King's College London
  • Chagish Gnanaranjan (2016-17)
  • Nilab Rashidi (2016-17)
  • Michelle Liu (2015-16)
  • Anokhi Shah (2014-15) - Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester
  • Hong Nhi Truong (2014-15)
  • Nicholas Pillay (2013-14)

BSc project students

  • Dilan Al (2017-18) - MRes Imperial College London in the Wilton-Ely Group 

Summer students

  • Josh Lian, MIT (2024) -  continuing his studies at MIT and applying for PhDs
  • Seren Hewer, Imperial College London, 2023 - now PhD student at Edinburgh 
  • Jilei Wang, Imperial College London (2021) - now PhD student at the Scribbs, USA
  • Katrin Geng, Ulm University, Germany, DAAD RISE funded (2019)
  • Gemma McGuire, Imperial College London (2017) - returned as PhD student!
  • Chris Gusenda, University of Frankfurt, Germany, DAAD RISE funded (2017)
  • Camille Galateau, ESCOM (Ecole Normale de Chimie Organique et Minerale), Compiegne, France (2016)
  • Svenja Hehn, University of Konstanz, Germany, DAAD RISE funded (2016)
  • Sumeyye Altun, Bogazici University, Turkey, Erasmus + funded (2016)
  • Catalina-Andreea Romila, QMUL, RSC summer bursary (2014) - Completed a PhD at UCL