Visit of Dr Geraldine Echue from Wiley!

Dr Geraldine Echue, former PhD student from FRG, now Deputy Editor at Advanced Materials, Advanced Portfolio, and Wiley In Research, gave a wonderful overview of publishing, with a focus on Advanced Portfolio journals. Great to have top tips, and the latest on the use of AI in scientific publishing, also afterwards over coffee.

Geri also generously spent time with members of the FRG and gave members an opportunity to share some of their latest results.

Great to have Geraldine Echue back in Bristol! Thank you for a wonderful visit! #BristolAlumni!

Mid-Autumn Festival and Group Celebrations!

It’s been a joyful week for the FRG, marked by the cultural festival and group brithday celebrations!

On Tuesday 16th August of Lunar Calendar, three members of the group took part in the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival event held at the Global Lounge, where they shared experiences of traditional customs associated with this important cultural occasion of family reunion.

Later in the week, the entire group gathered for a shared evening meal to celebrate the birthdays of three group members, including Charl Faul, Ben Harker, and Yuerong Tian! It was a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy good food!.

Conference activities

It has been a busy and productive time for the Faul Research Group over the past week, with members actively participating in two key events: the EPoMM Conference in Bath and VIVO Hub research workshop in Bristol!

At the 2nd Conference on Engineering Porous Materials at Multiple Scales (EPoMM), held at the University of Bath, PhD students Jerry Mintah, Aya Abdo, Mary Donkor, and MRes student Jun Yao presented their research posters, contributing to the growing dialogue on porous material design and applications.

Meanwhile, Charl Faul, Research Associate Xinzhen Fan, and PhD student Junru Chen attended the VIVO Hub two-day research workshop at the Engineering House Conference Venue in Bristol. It was a fantastic opportunity for fruitful discussions and to connect with researchers across a wide range of disciplines!

EPoMM at Bath
VIVO Hub workshop at Bristol

Faraday Discussions 2025 at Oxford

PhD students Jerry Mintah and Junru Chen attended the Faraday Discussions 2025 – Polymerisation and depolymerisation chemistry: the second century held in Oxford, where both presented posters showcasing their latest research.

This year’s Faraday Discussions brought together leading researchers from around the world and focused on four key themes: (1) novel feedstocks for sustainable polymers; (2) catalysts for polymerisation and depolymerisation; (3) closing the loop; (4) computational methods for polymer processes.

It was a fantastic opportunity to present the work of the Faul Research Group, gain new insights, and learn from others in the rapidly evolving field of polymer science!

Faul Group Graduation 2025 !

This July celebrates the success of Faul Research Group members and their graduation! Congratulations once again to Dr Helal Alharbi, Dr Xue Fang, Shaohua Li, Amelia Reay, Becca Rees-Porter, Freddy Walden, and Paige Barker!

Warmest wishes from all of us in the group, and the very best to their next chapters, whether in academia, industry, or beyond!

Cyborg Futures – Royal Society Discussion Meeting

Ben, Junru and Charl are joining the exciting Cyborg Futures RS discussion meeting in London. Great opportunity to talk about our work related to soft actuators and bio-adhesives, and engage with many other scientists and engineers from a wide range of disciplines.

Thanks to Jonathan Rossiter and other colleagues for a great meeting in the heart of London!

Christmas!

The end of 2024 and Christmas are just around the corner! During this busy Christmas season, we bid heartfelt farewells to many team members, while also joyfully welcoming several new faces this year!

Of course, we couldn’t miss our annual Christmas party, this year at the lovely Grupo Lounge in Westbury-on-Trym! With delicious food, Secret Santa exchange, and lively Crimbo Bingo, we enjoyed a fantastic and unforgettable evening! 

Wishing all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year ahead!