Meet The Team

Namrata joined the Pallipurath group as a Research Fellow in 2025. She is developing machine learning models to better predict the co-crystallisation of pharmaceuticals. She received her BA with Honors in Physics from UC Berkeley in 2020, where she worked with the Ginsberg Group as an undergraduate researcher. Her undergraduate thesis investigated the self-assembly of gold nanocrystal superlattices by analysing X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy data.

She then pursued her DPhil in Materials Science as a Rhodes Scholar. Under the supervision of Prof. Rebecca Nicholls and Prof. Robert Weatherup, she used density functional theory to interpret the O K-edge x-ray absorption spectra of layered lithium transition metal oxide battery cathodes. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking and spending time in nature.

Contact details : N.Ramesh1@leeds.ac.uk

Dave is a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds specialising in polarised Raman and X-ray scattering techniques, with an interest in understanding pharmaceutical solid state and solution state structures and interactions. He completed his MChem at the University of Bath in 2021, following a year in industry with the Materials Characterisation Team at Pfizer in Sandwich, Kent and a Masters project with Chick Wilson and Pollyanna Payne, screening co-crystallisations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipient materials.

He then moved to the University of Leeds in autumn 2021 to study for his EPSRC iCASE PhD in partnership with AstraZeneca, focusing on Angle Resolved Polarised Raman Spectroscopy of single crystals of APIs to model the orientation of functional groups on specific facets, investigate how these deviate from the bulk crystal structure and explore how these impacts physicochemical properties and facet behaviours with the aim to provide insight for pharmaceutical design and process optimisation.

Contact details : D.Collins@leeds.ac.uk 

ORCID - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9035-220X

Connor Gibson is a postgraduate researcher investigating the influence of impurities on LiFePO₄ crystal structure and electrochemical performance. He is supervised by Dr David Harbottle, Prof Kevin Roberts and Dr Anuradha R. Pallipurath at the School of Chemical and Process Engineering. His research aims to utilise the iron sulphate co-product from the titanium dioxide industry. It focuses on understanding the impurities within iron sulphate and how they incorporate into LiFePO₄ batteries, by studying crystal structures, organic phase synthesis and data modelling. The goal is to apply this knowledge to support the growing battery industry as the world transitions to electrical power. 

Before pursuing his research, Connor worked in healthcare nursing for several years. Outside the lab, he enjoys cooking, gaming, and adventure. 

Contact details : pmcgi@leeds.ac.uk

Gayathri is a postgraduate researcher in the group, jointly funded by the University of Leeds and Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron. Her research focuses on understanding the formation of squaric acid-based multicomponent organic materials using a combination of X-ray pair distribution function analysis (I15-1 beamline), high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (I11 beamline) and Raman spectroscopy. By developing correlative in situ crystallisation methods, she aims to uncover how molecular conformations and structural dynamics evolve during the nucleation and growth of organic cocrystal systems. 

She received her Integrated Master’s degree in Chemical Sciences with First Division and Distinction from the University of Hyderabad, India, completing her Master’s thesis under Prof Ashwini Nangia on the synthesis and characterisation of pharmaceutical cocrystals. Outside of work, she can often be found experimenting with new recipes, photographing people and collecting quirky finds.

Contact Details: sjbc8657@leeds.ac.uk

Matthew is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds, working on particle property prediction models, particularly for small organic molecules, and examining how different crystallisation methods affect particle properties. This project is funded by the Henry Royce Institute on the Materials 4.0 CDT and is a collaboration with the CCDC. More generally he is interested in ways that machine learning and computational modelling can be used to accelerate the drug discovery process.

He graduated from the University of Bath in 2024 with an MChem with drug discovery, completing a study year abroad in his third year at Stellenbosch University. Outside of the office you will usually find him at a basketball court.

Contact details: rdjt0707@leeds.ac.uk

Catherine joined the group in October 2025. They completed their BSc in Chemistry at the University of Lincoln where they investigated the controlled crystallisations of three boronic acids using automated pipetting systems, resulting in the characterisation of a previously unregistered polymorph, supervised by Dr Gareth O. Lloyd. This was followed by an MA in English Literature, where they researched relationships between male-presenting characters in three of Shakespeare’s plays, with a foundation of queer theory and presentism, supervised by Dr Christopher Marlow.

Their PhD project aims to improve the predictability of cocrystallisations through machine learning studies of intermolecular interactions, with pharmaceutical applications. This project is EPSRC funded.

Contact details : wmtd0827@leeds.ac.uk

Meenakshi is a first-year PhD student working on the project ‘Surfactant Adsorption in Dynamic Environments: Application in Agrochemical Formulation.’ This project aims to investigate the adsorption of surfactants onto active ingredients (AI) in agrochemical formulations, which play a crucial role in crop protection and soil enhancement. By employing advanced techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance, atomic force microscopy and synchrotron-based scattering methods, the study will examine how surfactants interact with AI particles during crystallisation. The findings will help optimise surfactant use to enhance formulation stability, minimise the need for excess additives and improve overall product performance.

Contact details : cqxt0465@leeds.ac.uk

Rachel is a first-year postgraduate researcher investigating chemical transport mechanisms through leaf waxes for sustainable agriculture. This project is jointly funded by Syngenta and the University of Leeds and aims to understand the diffusion of water across the cuticular wax layer of common crops. Particular focus is to determine the crystal structures and diffusion pathways within these waxes under various environmental conditions.

She graduated with an MSci in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow, where she completed her master’s project, under Dr Alexey Ganin, focused on developing a catalyst to enhance the oxygen evolution reaction of PEM water electrolysis. Her undergraduate degree included a year in industry where she worked as part of the residue analysis team at Battelle UK Limited, determining pesticide residue levels within crop and soil samples. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing sports, going to concerts and baking.

Contact Details: dmnt0044@leeds.ac.uk

I am a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds, conducting research in collaboration with Diamond Light Source. My research focuses on the manufacture and characterisation of polymer foam shells for inertial confinement fusion (ICF), primarily focusing on improving methods for characterisation of ICF shell non-uniformities to aid development and possible in-line screening. My project involves investigating microfluidic fabrication methods and how they may tie with characterisation techniques, including synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography, and ptychography.

I completed a BSc in Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, where my final-year research investigated the development of reactive nanobodies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). After graduating I worked as a laboratory technician at NRM Laboratories, gaining experience in analytical laboratory procedures, instrumentation and quality control.

I came to Leeds in the summer of 2025 and subsequently obtained an MSc in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Leeds. My Master's research project focused on improving the colloidal stability of nanoparticles in solvent-based inks for anti-counterfeiting applications.

Contact details : nwhw0095@leeds.ac.uk