Huy Nguyen

A MSci graduate of Queen Mary, University of London (2003), Huy completed his PhD thesis early in 2007 having develped a number of metallocene based chiral nucleophilic catalysts and applied these to asymmetric synthesis. He promptly moved as a JSPS Fellow to the University of Tokyo in the group of Shu Kobayashi.

Caroline Taylor

Caroline graduated from Queen Mary in 2002 with a MSci in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and soon started research on discovering novel methods for the synthesis of chiral ferrocene and cobalt metallocene derivatives. She successfully defended her thesis in February 2006 and after a brief spell as an Assistant Scientific Editor at Thieme in Stuttgart, she moved to a PDRA position on the CARLA scheme at Heidelberg University.

Francesc Xavier Roca (Xesco)

After a five year BSc at the Universitat de Barcelona Xesco (including an Erasmus placement at Queen Mary), Xesco began postgraduate research in September 2001. He completed laboratory work in the autumn of 2004 and then moved to a post-doctoral position with Piet van Leeuwen at the ICIQ in Tarragona. In March 2006 he moved as a JSPS Fellow at the University of Tokyo with Masakatsu Shibasaki,before returning to Barcelona.

John Fossey

After completion of his MChem in Cardiff in June 2000 John started his PhD the following autumn and moved with the group to London the following year. John’s work focused on the synthesis and application of platinum pincer complexes, and he developed these as novel catalysts for a variety of C-C bond forming reactions. He was otherwise occupied as restaurant critic for the establishments of the Mile End road – and will be sorely missed! Following the successful defence of his thesis in December 2003 he carried ot post-doctoral work with Shu Kobayashi in Tokyo until November 2005. He then started a temporary lectureship at Bath University.

Tom Pickett

Tom initially began an MPhil student in 1997 and then transferred to a PhD studentship funded by Cardiff University and Lancaster synthesis. Four very productive years later he successfully defended his thesis in the autumn of 2001 and moved to Liverpool, much to the regret of many a Cardiff lass. He is continued work on ligand synthesis and asymmetric catalysis with StylaCats before moving to his current position with Citco Financial Products.

Geraint Jones (Jonesy)

A Cardiff graduate, Geraint began his PhD in 1997 working on ligand synthesis and the application of palladium complexes in asymmetric catalysis. After completing in 2001 he moved to British Biotechnology in Oxford. Following the merger of BB with Ribotargets in March 2003 he had a brief period with EvoTech OAI before moving (so rumour has it) to Maybridge and recently to a new position with Sygnature Chemical Services Ltd in Nottingham.

Andy Locke (Co-ck)

Following an undergraduate project with CJR, Andy started his PhD in October 1994, completing early in 1998. Andy made a huge contribution to both the work on ferrocenophanes and the gossip within the Department. He continued both themes for a further few months on completion of his PhD before leaving for an extended visit to Australia and South East Asia. Andy returned the fold for a further productive year, before moving to Albany Molecular New York, in the autumn of 2001.

Mark Stark (Starky)

Mark began his PhD in 1994 funded by the Link Asymmetric Synthesis Programme in a collaboration with Lancaster Synthesis and Chiroscience. Mark’s work, which included a period at Chiroscience, was completed in 1997. He worked for several years as a senior research chemist with Tocris Cookson in Bristol, and he recently qualified as a teacher, much to the benefit of his students in Newport, South Wales.

Shyam Prasad

After graduating with a first class MA Honours from Oxford in 1997, Shyam stayed on at the Dyson Perrins Laboratory to complete a DPhil with Prof Davies on chiral aldehyde enolate equivalents. He joined the group in May 2002 working on various aspects of ferrocene and cobalt metallocene chemistry.

Dave Butler

Following a post-doc with Howard Alper at the University of Ottawa, Dave joined the group early in 2000 and moved with CJR to London in May 2001. After two highly productive years in the group Dave relocated with his missus to his current position as a research chemist with ORGANIX in Boston, Massachusetts. Bolshie Australians beware!

Andy Stevens (Shep)

Andy worked as a Post Doc for two years from 1996 - 1998 funded by the EPSRC. Andy began our ongoing work on the use of cobalt sandwich complexes as components of molecular gears, and as catalysts. His time in the lab led to his “breaking the duck” with his first publication in 1997. Andy then moved to sunny Arizona as a Post Doc with Prof. Petit before moving to his current position with Albany Molecular New York.

Rhys Salter

Rhys similarly joined the group for a short period in 1997 after completing his PhD in Cardiff. Rhys pioneered work on the synthesis of chiral nitrogen containing ferrocene derivatives, in particular amino acid derivatives. Rhys went on to Post Doc more formally with Dave Knight, and following several years with Novartis in Basel, is now with Johnson & Johnson in Pennsylvania.

Andy Mulvaney (Mulv)

Andy joined the group in 1995 for a short period after completing his PhD in Cardiff with Roy Houghton. Andy extended the early work on ferrocenyl oxazolines before moving to Oxford to Post Doc with Steve Davies. He recently became a Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the Chemical Genomics company VASTox, a a spin out of University of Oxford exploring novel approaches to drug discovery.

Dimitris Michis

Dimitris completed an MSci in September 2002 in the area of palladacycle chemistry. A keen football supporter, he backed his knowledge of the game with a sizeable bet on France to beat Senegal in the 2002 world cup (16.1 on!!) – oh dear!

Brian Scott Brian completed a part-time MPhil at Cardiff whilst remaining an employee of Amersham Biosciences.

Sebastian Bedel Seb recently spent a few months in the group during 1999 as an Erasmus student from Toulouse, his visit to Cardiff enabling him to appreciate a higher quality of rugby! He is now carrying out post-graduate studies in chemistry in the Laboratoire de Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique at the Université Paul Sabatier.

Nic Gouti A native of Nante, France, Nic spent a six-month period in Cardiff during 1994 as part of a UK/France exchange agreement for undergraduates. Nic carried out much of the early work on the formation of C-C bonds in ferrocene derivatives. He returned to France to complete studies/military service, marry and begin a PhD (not all at the same time!).