Chemistry
Strengthening our leadership position in Australia and the world
The School of Chemistry has an international reputation for excellence in research, and consistently ranks among the top chemistry departments in Australia.
Centres and initatives
We are home to:
- the Laboratory of Advanced Catalysis for Sustainability
- a node of the Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science
- the Drug Discovery Initative
- Key Centre for Polymers and Colloids
Our research infrastructure, which underpins and supports our research programs includes state-of-the-art laboratories for chemical synthesis and instruments for mass spectrometry, NMR spectrometry, Chromatography, thermophysical property measurements and X-ray scattering. Read more about our facilities.
Research highlights
We have made important advances in fundamental and applied chemistry, spanning energy conversion, biomedical research including new drug leads and synthetic methods, controlled-release and targeted drug delivery systems with strong nanoscience themes including studies of polymers, interfaces, framework materials, colloids, and crystalline and amorphous solids.
Our research involves collaborations with scientists and engineers in academia, government, and industry both in Australia and internationally. Our leadership in many of these areas is built on our collective expertise and experience with major national and international research facilities including the Australian synchrotron and ANSTO OPAL research reactor.
Our academic staff and research students maintain a significant presence at national and international conferences, and many of our research students have been awarded prizes for their presentations at such conferences. This track record reflects the excellence of the research they are undertaking and their ability to deliver compelling presentations to an audience.
The school has 33 teaching & research academics, as well as over 55 research-only staff, including postdoctoral and research fellows, and about 30 research-active honorary and emeritus staff, working in about 40 research groups.
Research themes
Members of the School are active across all the traditional and emerging areas of modern chemical research. They are clustered around four multidisciplinary themes as follows.
Functional energy materials
- Professor Chris Ling (Chair)
- Professor Deanna D'Alessandro
- Professor Meredith Jordan
- Professor Cameron Kepert
- Associate Professor Ivan Kassal
- Professor Brendan Kennedy
- Associate Professor Girish Lakhwani
- Dr Lauren Macreadie
- Professor Thomas Maschmeyer
- Professor Tony Masters
- Dr Indrek Pernik
- Dr Max Roemer
- Professor Siggi Schmid
Self-assembled nanomaterials
- Professor Chiara Neto (Chair)
- Professor Max Crossley
- Professor Phil Gale
- Associate Professor Brian Hawkett
- Associate Professor Toby Hudson
- Professor Stephen Hyde
- Associate Professor Girish Lakhwani
- Dr Markus Muellner
- Dr Derrick Roberts
- Dr Max Roemer
- Professor Greg Warr
- Dr Asaph Widmer-Cooper
Molecular innovations in health
- Chemical signalling, neurotransmission
- Ageing, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases
- Diagnostics and therapeutics (“theranostics”)
- Drug design/discovery, biosensing/imaging, drug delivery
- Professor Liz New (Co-Chair)
- Professor Richard Payne (Co-Chair)
- Dr Samuel Banister
- Associate Professor Ron Clarke
- Dr Jonathan Danon
- Dr Adrian George
- Professor Kate Jolliffe
- Dr William Jorgensen
- Professor Michael Kassiou
- Dr Yu Heng Lau
- Professor Peter Lay
- Associate Professor Chris McErlean
- Associate Professor Alice Motion
- Professor Lou Rendina
- Professor Peter Rutledge
- Dr Mark White
- Dr Shelley Wickham
Chemistry education and communication research
- Learning technologies
- Research enhanced teaching and learning
- First year transition and retention
- Learning styles
- Science, art and play
- Inclusive education in chemistry
- Public perceptions of science and opportunities for informal learning
- Citizen science
- History of chemistry in Australia
- Professor Siegbert 'Siggi' Schmid (Chair)
- Dr Stephen George-Williams
- Ms Holly Kershaw
- Associate Professor Alice Motion
- Dr Reyne Pullen
- Professor Peter Rutledge
- Dr Shane Wilkinson
Chemistry Education and Communication Research (CECR) group
