Discover the speakers for this year's RAMS event. Professor Michael Xianfeng Chen Professor Michael Xianfeng Chen Personal Chair of Therapeutic Engineering and Director of Industry Engagement, University of Edinburgh Professor Chen’s research focuses on biomaterials, biomedical engineering, biophysics, and the application of nanomaterials in biology and medicine. His work develops physical and chemical approaches for drug delivery, biosensing and biomedical microdevices, including microneedle and nanoneedle arrays, functional nanomaterials, and microfluidic platforms for healthcare applications. He has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers in leading journals including Nature Communications, Science Advances, Advanced Materials, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Advanced Functional Materials, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Biomaterials, Journal of Controlled Release, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, and Chemical Society Reviews. His publications have received more than 10,000 citations and an h-index of 62. He has also contributed three book chapters, holds 12 granted patents, and has 15 patent applications in drug delivery technologies, mainly in the USA and Europe. Professor Chen’s research has been supported by major funders including the MRC, EPSRC, Cancer Research UK, the Royal Society, the Royal Society of Edinburgh, ESRC, and industrial partners. His work has contributed to several important technologies, including microneedle-based transdermal delivery systems for skin vaccination, diamond nanoneedle arrays for high-throughput intracellular delivery, and programmable optical window bonding for high-resolution 3D-printed microfluidic devices. He also contributes widely to the scientific community as a reviewer for leading journals and funding bodies. He serves as an Associate Editor of IET Nanobiotechnology and as an editorial board member of Sensors, Bioengineering, and the Journal of Functional Biomaterials.Visit Professor Chen's profile Professor Neil Robertson Professor Neil Robertson Professor of Molecular Materials, University of Edinburgh Neil Robertson graduated from the University of Edinburgh and worked in FU Berlin, University of Wales and Imperial College London before returning to University of Edinburgh, where he is now Chair of Molecular Materials. He leads research on new molecular and nanomaterials for photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and electrochemical energy storage. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and currently serves as President of the Materials Chemistry Community of the RSC, 2024 – 2027. Within the University of Edinburgh, he is Head of Inorganic Chemistry in the School of Chemistry, and Dean International Partnerships for the College of Science and Engineering.Visit Professor Neil's profile Professor Rahul Raveendran Nair Professor Rahul Raveendran Nair Professor of Materials Physics, The University of Manchester Professor Rahul R. Nair is the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair and Professor of Materials Physics at the University of Manchester. He is affiliated with the National Graphene Institute (NGI), the Henry Royce Institute, and the Department of Chemical Engineering. He is also the founder and CTO of Hollowgraf Ltd, a company focused on translating 2D material membranes into real-world applications. Professor Nair serves as Business Engagement Lead for the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in 2D Materials of Tomorrow. He received his MSc in Physics from Mahatma Gandhi University, India, and completed his PhD at the University of Manchester in 2010 under the supervision of Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Andre K. Geim. He was promoted to Professor of Materials Physics in 2016.His research focuses on molecular transport through sub-nanometer two-dimensional (2D) capillaries and the development of 2D materials-based membranes for energy-efficient separation and filtration applications. He has published more than 75 highly cited peer-reviewed papers, including in Science and Nature, and holds several patents on graphene-based membranes. Professor Nair’s awards include the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, Royal Society University Research Fellowship, IUPAP Young Scientist Award, Moseley Medal and Prize (IOP), ERC Starting Grant, Lee Hsun Lecture Award (Chinese Academy of Science), the Creativity Prize (Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water), the Philip Leverhulme Prize, and the Chinese Academy of Science International Cooperation Award for Young Scientists. In 2024, he was named a Blavatnik Laureate in Physical Sciences and Engineering for his pioneering work on 2D materials-based membranes addressing global challenges.Visit Professor Rahul's profile This article was published on 2026-06-01
