HPRG 64th Conference: Polymers in an increasingly challenging world
Sunday April 26th to Thursday April 30th, 2026
Shrigley Hall Hotel, Pott Shrigley, Cheshire
Programme Organisers: Prof Clare Mahon, Durham University and Dr Neal Williams, CPI.
Monday 27th April | |
| 08:45 | Dr Adrian Birch and Dr Michael Elwell Health & Safety Briefing, Code of Conduct (Do’s and Don’ts), and General Housekeeping for the meeting. |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | Professor Dame Athene Donald, Chair, HPRG (University of Cambridge) Welcome to the 64th Meeting of the High Polymer Research Group |
| Session 1: Sustainable Polymer Formulations | |
| Chair: Professor Clare Mahon | |
| 09.20 | TBC |
| 10.20 | Coffee |
| Session 2: Polymer Colloids | |
| Chair: Dr Neal Williams | |
| 10:45 | Dr Sascha Mykhaylyk (University of Sheffield) Green Chemistry through the Lens of SAXS: Structural Insights into Colloids and Polymeric Film Formation |
| 11:45 | Professor Stefan Bon (University of Warwick) Sustainable Polymer Colloids |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
| 15:15 | Coffee |
| Session 3: Polymer Technologies of the Future | |
| Chair: Dr Amy Goddard | |
| 17:00 | Dr Dan Toolan (University of Manchester) From Exclusion to Inclusion: Controlling Quantum Dot:Organic Semiconductor Blend Morphologies for Photon Multiplication |
| 18:00 | Professor Charlotte Williams (University of Oxford) Designing Renewably Resourced Oxygenated Polymers for Performance and Recycling |
Tuesday 28th April | |
| Session 4: Polymers for Water Purification and Environmental Remediation | |
| Chair: Professor Paul Topham | |
| 09:10 | Dr Mona Semsarilar (University of Montpellier) Functional Materials for Environmental Remediation |
| 10:10 | Coffee |
| Session 5: Industrial Innovations in Polymer Science | |
| Chair: Dr Michael Elwell | |
| 10:45 | Dr Jonathan Meegan (Syensqo) Composite Materials in a Challenging World |
| 11:45 | Dr Amy Goddard (Croda) Sustainable Polymers for a Clean Future |
| 12:15 | Mike Hale (Chestnut Biopolymers) Title TBC |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
| 15:15 | Coffee |
| Session 6: Polymers in Medical and Biotechnology Applications | |
| Chair: Professor Cameron Alexander | |
| 17:00 | Professor Liljiana Fruk (University of Cambridge) Title TBC |
| 18:00 | Professor Theoni Georgiou (Imperial College) Designing Thermogels: Which Polymeric Characteristics Matter More? |
Wednesday 29th April | |
| Session 7: Digitisation and Automated Polymer Assembly | |
| Chair: Professor Matthew Gibson | |
| 09:10 | Professor Peter Seeberger (Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces) The Digitization of Carbohydrate Chemistry: Automating Retrosynthesis, Reaction Screening and Glycan Assembly |
| 10:10 | Coffee |
| Session 8: Smart Polymers and Responsive Materials | |
| Chair: Dr Jennifer Garden | |
| 10:45 | Professor Cyrille Boyer (University of New South Wales) Design of Functional Polymeric Materials via photoRAFT Polymerisation |
| 11:45 | Professor Sebastién Lecommandoux (University of Bordeaux) Multi-component and Multi-scale Dynamic Polymer Vesicles: From Smart Therapeutics to Artificial Cells |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
| 15:15 | Coffee |
| Session 9: Polymers and Human Health | |
| Chair: Professor Dame Athene Donald | |
| 17:15 | Professor Matthew Campen (University of New Mexico) The Hunt for Environmental Nanoplastics |
| 19:15 | Drinks Reception |
| 20:00 | Conference Dinner |
Sponsorship
If your company would like to sponsor the High Polymer Research Group conference programme, please contact us through the link below:
