Tom Swift

Dr. Tom Swift is an Associate Professor at the University of Bradford, affiliated with the Faculty of Life Sciences and the School of Chemistry & Biosciences. He holds an MChem Industry from the University of York and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, specializing in stimuli-responsive polymer synthesis and analysis. His research bridges molecular interactions of polymers with applications in healthcare (disease sensing, controlled treatment delivery) and engineering, with a focus on advanced characterization techniques like GPC and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.

Tom leads Research-led Teaching at Bradford, overseeing BSc Chemistry practical laboratory modules and mentoring MSc Materials Chemistry students. He was the Programme Lead for the BSc Chemistry Apprenticeship until 2023 and co-investigator for industrial collaborations Project CAYMAN and Project SIBLING, which aim to connect academic expertise with industry. His synthetic expertise includes RAFT, ATRP, and Cationic ring-opening polymerization, with applications in pH-responsive polymers and water treatment.