Omar Rifaie Graham

Dr. Omar Rifaie Graham is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London's School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, joining in September 2023. He leads a research group focused on polymer-based artificial cells to study physicochemical parameters underlying biological phenomena and develop technologies at the Living/Non-Living Interface. Previously, he held postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

Education:

• Licenciado in Pharmacy (BSc+MSc), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2008–2014)
• PhD in Chemistry, Adolphe Merkle Institute – University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2014–2018)

Research Interests: Development of artificial cells using polymer nanocontainers, stimuli-responsive materials (light, hydromechanical stress), and applications in biotechnology, therapy, and diagnostics. His work includes creating polymersomes with novel functionalities for drug delivery, diagnostics, and synthetic biology.

Key Achievements:

• ACS PMSE Future Faculty Award (2023)
• Swiss Nanoscience Institute 'Best paper in nanoscience' (2021)
• Best PhD thesis in Experimental Sciences, University of Fribourg (2019)
• Co-founded a diagnostics company spun from his PhD research (1M+ USD funding)

Grants & Collaborations:

• Royal Society Grant: £29,907 (2025–2026)
• National Institute for Health Research Grant: £315,942 (2020–2025)
• RSC Grant for 'Mimicking colour perception with artificial cells' (2024)

Lab/Team: Directs a research group at Queen Mary's Department of Chemistry, collaborating with institutions like Imperial College London and the University of Fribourg. Active in synthetic biology, nanomedicine, and biomimetic materials.