Stephen Ebbens

Dr. Stephen Ebbens is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield within the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering. His research spans experimental materials science and active matter, with a focus on catalytic colloids, microfluidic devices, and high-value thin film coatings for healthcare and environmental applications.

• PhD in surface science from University of Durham (2000)
• Postdoctoral work in Physics Department (2008) and Chemical and Biological Engineering (2009)
• Established independent research group via EPSRC and University fellowships

Research Themes:

• Active Matter: Autonomous micro-swimmers, boundary steering, gravitaxis, and bubble propulsion for targeted drug delivery and environmental remediation.
• Thin Film Coatings: Roll-to-roll slot die coating, machine learning optimization, and self-assembled structures for energy storage/generation.

Scientific Contributions: Pioneering work on catalytic Janus motors, reactive inkjet printing of silk-based devices, and experimental characterization of colloidal motion. Key publications in Nature Communications, Advanced Functional Materials, and Physical Review E.

Collaborations: Partnerships with industry (Ossila Ltd.) and academic institutions (Loughborough University, Kroto Centre for confocal microscopy).