Peter Watson

Dr. Peter Watson is a Research Fellow by Examination at Magdalen College, University of Oxford, affiliated with the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on spectroscopy and catalytic reactions involving metals, particularly Grignard reagents and metal-carbon interactions. He holds a PhD from the University of Western Australia (2022), where he studied atmospheric reaction mechanisms using gas-phase complexes. Post-PhD, he joined Professor Stuart Mackenzie’s group at Oxford, contributing to the EPSRC-funded 'New Directions in Molecular Scattering' project. His work bridges laboratory spectroscopy with astrochemical applications. He currently investigates instrument design and catalytic processes in extreme environments.

Education:

• PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Western Australia (2022)
• Supervisor: Dr. Duncan Wild

Research Interests: Spectroscopic analysis of metal-ligand interactions, catalytic mechanisms in organic chemistry, and astrochemical data integration. His work emphasizes gas-phase reactions, halogen bonding, and instrument development for molecular scattering studies.

Grants & Collaborations:

• EPSRC Programme Grant: New Directions in Molecular Scattering (2022–present)
• Focus on extreme environments and large molecular systems

Labs & Teams: Active in the Mackenzie Group at Oxford Chemistry, specializing in molecular scattering and advanced spectroscopic techniques.