The Team
A brief snapshot of the various team members. Please click on the individual members for further details.
Our Team
We are an enthusiastic and passionate group of researchers that want to apply fundamental, blue-skies research, to address challenges in society including healthcare and food security.
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We are always looking for likeminded researchers to join our team. There are numerous opportunities we can explore, be it at the PhD or postdoctoral level. Please reach out to Vas Stavros.
Vas Stavros
Principle Investigator
I studied Chemical Sciences at Kings College London (1995). I remained at Kings to complete my PhD (1999) and postdoc (2002) with Prof. Helen Fielding. I then undertook a postdoc with Prof. Steve Leone at UC Berkeley. At Berkeley, I developed my fascination of femtosecond laser spectroscopy. I returned to the UK as a Royal Society University Research Fellow (2005) to begin my independent research career and was promoted to Professor in 2017. In Jan 2023, I moved to the University of Birmingham holding a joint position as Professor of Physical Chemistry and Royal Society Industry Fellow.
![J230525_210_Hollis [TIF 30040933301].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/eff0ae_d7d6b7eaffdd429cbc59c75f0bd9b147~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_434,y_0,w_2465,h_2667/fill/w_227,h_246,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/J230525_210_Hollis%20%5BTIF%2030040933301%5D.jpg)
Jack Woolley
WCUS laser facility manager
Jack is the Warwick Center for Ultrafast Spectroscopy (WCUS) facility manager. Jack completed his MSci at Heriot Watt University and then joined Vas for a PhD (at Warwick). After a short PDRA with Vas, Jack was appointed as WCUS facility manager. At Warwick, Jack manages WCUS, developing a 50+ user base, including now Team Stavros!! Jack is an honorary (and super valued!) member/advisor to Team-Stavros.
Paula Martin De Prado
Fourth year PhD
Paula is working on understanding the production of mycosporine-like amino acids in cyanobacterial species Chlorogloeopsis fritschii. Paula is co-supervised by Vas and Professor Chris Corre (Warwick)
Sopida Wongwas
Fourth year PhD student
Sopida is working on genetic engineering of Streptomyces bacteria to produce Mycosporine-like amino acid molecules.
Mike Hymas
Third year PhD
Mike is working on the development and understanding of nature inspired UV filters for UV boosting of UV filters. Mike is co-supervised by Dr Stephane Poigny (Mibelle)
Jack Dalton
Third year PhD student
Jack is working on the development and understanding of nature inspired UV filters for the photoprotection of agrochemicals. Jack is co-supervised by Ben Robinson (Syngenta)
Jake Barker
Third year PhD
Jake is working on the synthesis of maleimides as well as dabling in TDDFT to compute their spectroscopic properties. Jake is co-supervised with Prof Rachel O'Reilly
Jacob Eller
Third year PhD student
Jake is working on theory and compuation of UV filters and other light absorbing molecules. Jake is co-supervised by Professor Nick Hine (Warwick)
Natasha Wrathall
Second year PhD student
Tasha is working on lignin-based UV filters and trying to elucidate photoprotection mechanisms in the second largest biopolymer on earth. A rather monumental challenge! In her spare time, Tasha is also investigating photprotection mechanisms of natamycin, which is used to extend the shelf life of some foods, including cheese.
Zofia Majewska
First year PhD
Zofia is studying the influence of various skin models on the photochemistry and photophysics of both artificial and nature-inspired UV filters. Zofia is co-supervised by Prof Eva Valsami-Jones (School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science) and Prof Laurent Blasco (IMCD Paris).
Kexin Pan
First year PhD student
Kexin's research uses a combination of spectroscopy and synthesis to understand how energy (and therefore light) can be harvested so that the molecule 'lights up' the cell more efficiently. The light emitters will be based on a maleimide backbone; the energy pathways and hence energy harvesting, will be tracked with spectroscopy.
Oussama Errida
First year PhD student
Oussama's project aim to prepare novel functional organic dye derivatives and understand how their supramolecular chemistry governs their fundamental photophysics, for ultimate applications in optical sensing, aritifical photosynthesis and optoelectronic materials.
Millie Turner
MSci student
Millie is investigating the influence of solvent on the photochemistry and photophysics of artificial UV filters supplied to us by our industry collaborators. Specifically, Millie will investigate the role of intramolecular proton transfer as a photoprotection mechanism.
Ana González Moreno
Visitor academic
Ana is currently a research fellow, at the University of Malaga, Spain. During her PhD, Ana visited our lab and worked on the photoprotection mechanisms of phenolics found in the tomato fruit cuticle (paper 134) I am delighted our collaboration continues post PhD!