Jamie H. Docherty
Lecturer in Synthetic Chemistry
Jamie began his academic journey at the University of Edinburgh, earning an MChem in 2014. He pursued his PhD studies in the research group of Prof. Stephen P. Thomas, focusing on Earth-abundant metal catalysis, and collaborated with GSK during a CASE studentship. After completing his PhD in 2019, Jamie expanded his research interests as a PDRA, exploring boron catalysis and C-H activation. In 2021, he joined Prof. Igor Larrosa's group in Manchester, contributing to the development of new ruthenium catalysts and advancing late-stage C-H functionalisation reactions. In July 2023, Jamie took up an independent position as a Lecturer at Lancaster University's Chemistry Department. He now focuses on photochemistry, catalysis, and small molecule libraries to shape future chemical innovation.
PhD
Oliver Corrigan
Oliver completed his undergraduate MSci degree in Natural Sciences at Lancaster University, focusing on synthetic chemistry and biochemistry. During this time, he participated in a group research project with the Doulcet group, developing an reductive Heck reaction. For his Master's project, Oliver transitioned into photoredox chemistry under the supervision of Dr Vilius Franckevičius, where he synthesised novel enantioenriched building blocks. Driven by an interest in applying synthetic chemistry to biological systems, Oliver began his PhD with the Docherty group in October 2024, aiming to expand the chemical toolkit for on-DNA synthetic chemistry. Oliver is co-supervised by Prof. Sarah Allinson (Biomedical and Life Sciences).
Tom Edwards
Tom completed his undergraduate MChem degree at Lancaster University in 2024. Tom’s research career began with the development of enantioselective photoredox catalysis, supported by an RSC Undergraduate Research Bursary in the Franckevičius group at Lancaster. With a keen interest in harnessing photochemistry for organic synthesis, Tom's MChem project focused on the photocatalytic formation of ylides for cycloaddition reactions in the Docherty group. Continuing his passion for cutting-edge synthetic chemistry, Tom remained at Lancaster to pursue a PhD with the Docherty group, where his current research explores dearomative functionalisation.
Undergraduate
Honorary group members
Alba
With a nose that can outmatch 700 MHz NMR spectrometers, Alba is known for his expert olfactory skills and has an uncanny ability to locate the nearest cookie. Alba's masters thesis title "The Thermodynamics of the Perfect Belly Rub" deftly combined behavioural analysis with calorimetry, earning him profound fame within both the canine and scientific communities. When not in the lab, Alba can be found chasing his tail, enjoying long walks in the park, or napping in his favourite sunny spot. His commitment to fetching results, paired with his tail-wagging exuberance, makes him a pawsitively essential group member. He serves as a constant reminder of the importance of work-life balance, play, and the simple joys of a well-timed treat. 🐾
Alumni
Joe Waite - BSc Research Project 2024
Tom Edwards - MChem Research Project 2024
Beth Langford - Summer Research Project 2024