The LVN-Group is a small but dynamic team where mentoring across all levels trains scientists to win scholarships, publish internationally, and contribute to science via cross-disciplinary projects.
PhD Students
- Michael Nicolaou: PhD student (EPSRC DTP, since 2022), co-supervised with Dr Emma Gibson. His project focuses on developing sustainable routes to obtain high-value chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.
Postgraduate
- Muxiao Liao: International Postgraduate Taught student (AFM MSc, final project). Their research explores CO₂ utilisation and functional materials design, contributing to the urgent global challenge of transforming greenhouse gases into useful chemical feedstocks.
Undergraduate Project Students
- Robin Smith: Undergraduate project student (2024–2025). Robin first joined the group as a Carnegie Trust–funded Summer Research Scholar (a prestigious and competitive programme), working on nitrogen activation. Their current project uses polyoxometalates as single-atom catalysts to mimic enzymatic activity and probe the mechanism of N₂ reduction.
- Lucy Ash: Undergraduate project student (2024–2025). Lucy is using computational chemistry (ADF-SCM on the wee-ARCHIE cluster) to study antibiotic persistence in water, with links to future collaborations in wastewater engineering.
Collaborative CDT PhD Students
The LVN-Group contributes to the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) DiveIn, co-supervising interdisciplinary projects across the Schools of Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering.
- Stacey McLellan — CDT PhD student (since 2025). Stacey first joined the group as an EPSRC Vacation Intern in June 2024 and later as a BSc project student (Oct’24-May’25), working on zirconium detection methods. She is now continuing into a collaborative CDT DiveIn PhD in materials science, co-supervised with Emily Draper and Alasdair Clark.
- Amy Eden — PhD student (since 2025). Their project focuses on quantum technologies, co-supervised with Rair Macedo and David Boldrin, bridging experimental and computational inorganic chemistry with engineering approaches.
Pipeline Highlights
Since 2019 we have a strong record of mentoring students across multiple stages of their careers. Many first encountered Dr Nadal as a tutor in her third year inorganic chemistry tutorials and were inspired to join the group for summer internships, undergraduate projects, and eventually PhDs.
Membra (Current Members) / Alumni (Past Members)
Dr Daniel Malcolm (Alumni)
UofG Graduate
BSc student → PhD (EPSRC DTP, 4 publications + thesis) → PDRA → Postdoc with Prof. Carsten Streb (Mainz)
Stacey McLellan (CDT PhD)
UofG Graduate
Met Laia as a 3rd-year inorganic tutorial student 2023 → EPSRC vacation intern (zirconium) 2024 → BSc final year project student 2025 → CDT PhD student (materials science).
Robin Smith (group member)
UofG undergraduate student
Met Laia as a 3rd-year Inorganic tutorial student in 2024 → Carnegie-funded summer student in 2025→ Undergraduate project researcher (N₂, POM catalysts).