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Researchers, students, collaborators, industry, and funding partners gathered at the Department of Chemical Engineering’s annual Research Showcase, celebrating the world-leading research helping to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.

The Research Showcase demonstrates the extraordinary range of expertise within our Department and the many ways in which chemical engineering contributes to solving global challenges. Professor Omar Matar Head of Department, Chemical Engineering

The event offered a unique opportunity to explore the breadth of research taking place across the Department, from sustainable manufacturing and low-carbon technologies to digital healthcare tools and advanced materials design.

Opening the event, , Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, welcomed attendees and reflected on the importance of bringing together researchers, academics, students, key funders and partners from across academia and industry. He said: “The Research Showcase demonstrates the extraordinary range of expertise within our Department and the many ways in which chemical engineering can contribute to solving global challenges. By sharing ideas and building connections across disciplines and sectors, we create opportunities for innovation that extend far beyond the laboratory.”

The afternoon programme showcased research from across the Department’s leading research groups, highlighting both fundamental scientific advances and technologies with the potential for real-world implementation.

opened the research presentations by exploring the translation of green solvent technologies from academia to industry. He reflected on the journey of the 12 spinouts he has spearheaded (Find out more about ChemEng Enterprise), demonstrating how sustainable solvent systems can support cleaner manufacturing processes.

Addressing the challenge of achieving a low-carbon future, (representing the group of ) presented research on electrochemical technologies, including solar-driven hydrogen production and the recovery of critical materials. The work demonstrates the potential of electrochemical engineering to support the energy transition while improving the sustainability of resource use.

Digital innovation was a central theme throughout the showcase. presented advances in digital tools for smart drug discovery and development, highlighting how computational approaches and data-driven methods can accelerate the development of new medicines and improve healthcare outcomes.

Attendees also heard from (representing the group of ), whose research focuses on accelerating the design of adsorbent materials and industrial separation processes. His presentation highlighted how innovations in gas separation technologies could contribute to more efficient industrial operations and support decarbonisation efforts across a range of sectors.

The programme concluded with a presentation from , academic in the Department of Chemical Engineering and co-director of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's School of Convergence Science in Sustainability.

Drawing on systems-level approaches to complex challenges, the talk explored opportunities for integrating technological, environmental and economic considerations to develop more sustainable industrial and energy systems. The presentation emphasised the importance of working across disciplines to solve these challenges and highlighted the work in the School of Convergence Science to support this.

The showcase also featured an online presentation from the recipient of the Sir William Wakeham Award, , who discussed her budding research in the field of synthetic biology.

Following the research presentations, attendees explored posters and demonstrations showcasing the innovative projects emerging from across the Department.

Interactive demos were extremely well received with exhibits showcasing HappyMat (Heather Au), (Andrius Patapas), Robotics (Sushila Marlow), Computational Fluid Dynamics, demoing with a chocolate fountain (Lyes Kahouadji). 

The session enabled researchers at all career stages to discuss their work, receive feedback and build new connections with colleagues and external partners. These interactions reflected one of the showcase’s key objectives: fostering collaboration and encouraging the exchange of ideas across disciplinary boundaries.

Invited lecture

A highlight of the afternoon was the invited lecture delivered by from . The inclusion of a senior industry speaker reinforced the Department’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with industry and ensuring that research excellence translates into meaningful societal and economic impact. Dr Garcia's lecture provided valuable insight into the role of chemical engineers in a data-driven, AI-enabled world and highlighted the value of university-business collaborations for mutual growth.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Research Showcase is seeing the connections emerge between different areas of expertise. Professor Camille Petit Director of Research

, Director of Research, said:  “One of the most exciting aspects of the Research Showcase is seeing the connections emerge between different areas of expertise. Whether researchers are working on sustainable processes, healthcare technologies, digital tools or advanced materials, there is enormous value in creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.”

Sir William Wakeham Award - recipients
The event concluded with a reception and the announcement of the prestigious Sir William Wakeham Award. 

The award recognises early career researchers (no more than 5 years of postdoctoral research experience, excluding career breaks) who have made a significant contribution to their research field and have advanced their professional development. There is a £2000 prize associated with the award, and the winner and highly commended awardees are also invited to give a presentation at the annual Research Showcase. 
This year Sir William Wakeham and presented the following: 

• Alberto Saccardo, Highly commended
• Tejasvi Shivakumar, Winner 

Collectively, the presentations demonstrated how chemical engineering research is contributing to solutions for major global challenges, including climate change, sustainable manufacturing, healthcare innovation and resource security.

From the development of green technologies and low-carbon energy systems to advances in pharmaceutical engineering and digital discovery tools, the showcase reflected the Department’s commitment to delivering research with both scientific excellence and real-world impact.

Chemical Engineering Research Showcase posters.
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