Biography
Dr Andrew Parnell studied for an MPhys degree in Physics at the University of Sheffield, graduating in 2001. This was followed by an MSc in Nanoscale Science and Technology, jointly taught by the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield. Subsequently he undertook a Sheffield PhD with the title “A Study of Weak Polyelectrolyte Brushes” supervised by Professor Richard Jones FRS, viva date January 2007. He was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemistry working with Professor Patrick Fairclough, also at the University of Sheffield from 2006-2007. He returned to the Sheffield Physics department in 2007 to work on the EPSRC funded Soft nanotechnology platform grant held by Professor Jones FRS. In 2015 he was promoted to lecturer grade and is currently a research fellow. He currently works on an EPSRC funded Prosperity Partnership grant with the coatings company Akzo-Nobel, headed by Professor Stuart Lyon from the University of Manchester.
Awards
Dr Parnell was chosen as the Institute of Physics Polymer Physics Group /DPOLY Polymer exchange lecturer for 2017 and gave an invited talk at the March American Physical Society (APS) meeting in New Orleans. The talk was titled “Self-assembled structural colour in nature” The DPOLY members were very welcoming and really made the meeting a truly special occasion.
Innovative product of the year award 2011, awarded by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). The award was for the development of materials that exhibit photonic properties, which can be tuned to a specific wavelength on demand based on a patent where he is a named inventor (UK Patent Application No GB1013274.4; Multicoloured Opalescent Block Copolymer Blends).
Research Keywords
biophysics, soft matter, polymer physics, anti-microbial surfaces, organic photovoltaics, phase separation, photonics, bio-photonics, structural colour, neutron and x-ray scattering, block copolymers, polymer brushes, structured surfaces, surface/interface chemistry