Professor Young was educated at the University of Cambridge and became Professor of Polymer Science and Technology in Manchester in 1986. He was the founding Head of the School of Materials in the newly-formed University of Manchester in 2004, which is now the largest university materials department in the UK and the focus of major UK materials research initiatives. He is a Fellow of Royal Society (2013), Royal Academy of Engineering (2006) and Academy of Europe (2015). His main research interest is the relationships between structure and properties in polymers and composites. He has introduced of a number of revolutionary techniques that have given a completely new insight into the micromechanics of deformation in fibres and composites. In particular, he has pioneered the use of Raman spectroscopy for the analysis of deformation processes that take place at the molecular level. Over recent years he has extended this approach to the mechanics of deformation of graphene and other 2D materials in nanocomposites. His contribution in research has been recognised through numerous invitations to give Plenary and Keynote lectures at International Conferences and through the awards of the Griffith Medal (2002), Leslie Holliday Prize (2011), Swinburne Medal and Prize (2012) and Platinum Medal (2019) from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
J. González began his scientific career at the Complutense U. of Madrid in 1992 studying cyclodextrins inclusion complexes. He joined UC3M in 1993 to carry out his PhD thesis on polymer composite materials. He was specialized in characterization of polymers and composites. In 2001, he carried out a research stay with the Polymers + Technologies group at the U. País Vasco and later, for one year, at the Macromolecular Department of Case Western Reserve University studying dissolution processes of polymers. In 2003, he obtained a position as tenured at UC3M and began a new line of research on composite materials seeking new applications in dentistry. In 2022 he gets the Full professor position at the UC3M. Thanks to a stay at the University of California Santa Bárbara in 2005 he was specialized in atomic force microscopy, AFM, being the head of the AFM Laboratory at the UC3M. In 2006 he created the research group "Group of Polymeric Composite Materials and Interphases", with the new line of research, Multifunctional Nanocomposite Materials based on Thermoplastic matrices”. One of its biggest challenges has been to achieve uniform dispersion of nanoparticles within thermoplastic polymers. In order to do this, a new method based on high-energy ball milling was developed, being able to prepare and study new materials with special electrical and antibacterial properties with potential applications in electronics, medicine and food industry. Besides, he has made several basic scientific contributions with high impact. He studied macromolecular dynamics through the use of spectroscopic techniques and he developed nanoscale experimental methods for determining key parameters in the area of materials science, such as the coefficient of thermal expansion. In recent years he has collaborated with the Group of Chemistry of the University of Navarra studying antibacterial nanocomposite materials. At this time, one of his main aims is focused on developing new methods of preparation of nanocomposite materials based on a technique called "Solution Blow Spinning", SBS, which allows preparing polymeric nonwoven nanofiber mats with potential applications in medicine among others. In 2015, J. González joined the Biomaterials Group of the NIST (USA) to increase his knowledge on polymer preparation using SBS and cell adhesion using Single Cell Force Spectroscopy. He collaborates within the framework of a confidentiality agreement with the Foundation of the Health Institute of La Paz on a "Method of application of polymers in the healing process of biological tissues" and also with the Institute of Tropical Health of the U. de Navarra. He is a member of the Royal Spanish Chemical Society and of the Specialized Polymers Group. He has participated in more than 25 national, regional or European research projects, being the IP in 8 of them. His entire scientific career has allowed him to publish 120 articles in SCI journals, several book chapters, 106 communications to congresses and he participates as Editorial Board member of Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites Section of the scientific journal “Polymers” being also guest editor in three special issues.
Cyrille Boyer is an Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor within the School of Chemical Engineering, deputy-Head of School, postgraduate course coordinator, and co-Director of Australian Centre for Nanomedicine at the University of New South Wales. He is an associate Editor of European Polymer Journal and a member of Advisory Board of Advanced Materials, ACS Infectious Diseases, ACS MacroLetters, Polymer Chemistry, Journal of Polymer Science, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, Cell Reports Physical Science, Giant, etc.
His research has been recognized by several fellowships, including Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (ARC-APD), ARC Future Fellowship, and more recently, ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship (starting in 2023). He has received several prestigious research awards, including 2018 IUPAC-Polymer International Young Researcher award, 2018 Polymer Chemistry Lectureship, 2018 Award of Excellence in Chemical Engineering, 2016 ACS Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules Young Researcher Award, 2016 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation award, Le Fevre Memorial Prize awarded by Australian Academy of Science for chemistry, and 2015 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Science (one of the Prime Minister Prizes for Science). Since 2018, he has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher in Chemistry or Cross-field by Clarivate and named as one of the Leaders in Polymers and Plastics in Australia by the Australian Newspaper.
Cyrille’s research interests mainly cover the preparation of functional macromolecules using photocatalysts, which find applications in various areas, including nanomedicine, advanced materials, and energy storage. In nanomedicine, his group designs new antimicrobial and anticancer polymers. More recently, he has implemented his photochemistry to 3D printing for the fabrication of 3D printed objects, enabling precise control over the nano- and macro-structure of 3D printed objects. He has coauthored over 440 articles.