Andrew Parnell

Dr. Andrew Parnell is a Lecturer in Soft Matter & Biological Physics at the University of Sheffield's School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. He holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield (2007) and has held postdoctoral roles in Chemistry and Physics departments there. His research focuses on polymer physics, biophysics, and soft matter systems, with applications in photovoltaics, structural color, and antimicrobial surfaces. He was awarded the IChemE Innovative Product of the Year (2011) for tunable photonic materials and serves as a DPOLY Polymer Exchange Lecturer (2017). His work combines neutron/X-ray scattering with interdisciplinary approaches to study material morphologies and functional designs.

Education: MPhys Physics (Sheffield, 2001), MSc Nanoscale Science & Technology (Leeds/Sheffield, 2002), PhD in Polyelectrolyte Brushes (Sheffield, 2007). Professional memberships include the Institute of Physics and IChemE.

Research interests span structural color mechanisms in nature, phase separation dynamics in organic electronics, and responsive polymer systems. Key projects include EPSRC-funded studies on coatings technology with AkzoNobel. His lab employs advanced scattering techniques and computational methods to bridge nanoscale structure and macroscopic functionality.

Grants: EPSRC Soft Nanotechnology, Prosperity Partnership with AkzoNobel. Awards: IChemE Innovation Award, DPOLY Lectureship.