Richard David Tilley

Professor Richard David Tilley serves as Director of the Electron Microscope Unit and Professor in the School of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His distinguished academic career spans multiple continents, with significant contributions to nanomaterials research and advanced microscopy techniques.

Professor Tilley earned his Masters of Chemistry from Oxford University followed by a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. His postdoctoral training took place at the Toshiba basic R&D Center in Japan. Prior to joining UNSW in 2015, he spent 10 years at Victoria University of Wellington where he rose to Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, while also serving as a Principal Investigator in the MacDiarmid Institute.

His research focuses on the solution synthesis of nanoparticles for diverse applications including biomedical imaging (particularly MRI contrast agents), catalysis, and solar cell technology. Professor Tilley's expertise in electron microscopy enables precise characterization of nanoparticle sizes and shapes, which is critical for optimizing their performance in various applications. His work bridges fundamental materials science with practical technological implementations across multiple disciplines.

As Director of the Electron Microscope Unit, Professor Tilley oversees critical research infrastructure located in the basement of the Chemical Sciences Building (F10) on UNSW's Kensington campus. This facility supports advanced materials characterization for researchers across multiple disciplines at the university.