Staff Profile
Background
I graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in Physics. My PhD was in association with the Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces Centre for Doctoral Training (SOFI CDT), which provides industrially integrated postgraduate training in research, enterprise and innovation. This meant that before choosing a specific project, I worked on smaller industrial case studies at the University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds and Durham University. My main PhD project was at the University of Edinburgh working at the Institute of Materials and Processes on a project related to polymers at surfaces. I then completed a one-year Research Associate position in the same department at the University of Edinburgh working closely with Michelin where I investigated the interactions between carbon nanoparticles and latex films. My current Research Associate position at Newcastle University involves developing novel polymer-based biosensors for cardiovascular diseases, SARS-CoV-2 and several other illnesses and conditions.
Research
My current research involves developing novel biosensors using molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, SARS-CoV-2, and food-borne illnesses. We aim to incorporate these robust nanoMIPs into low-cost and reproducible sensor platforms in order to achieve the accurate and rapid diagnosis of the aforementioned conditions. This has the potential to improve patient outcome, as well as reduce costs to healthcare systems.
Publications
- McClements J, Gomes L, Spall J, Saubade F, Akhidime D, Peeters M, Mergulhao F, Whitehead K. Celebrating the centenary in polymer science: drawing inspiration from nature to develop anti-fouling coatings. The development of biomimetic polymer surfaces and their effect on bacterial fouling. Pure and Applied Chemistry 2021.
- McClements J, Seumo P, Vilalela Strapazon A, Canfarotta F, Thomson A, Czulak J, Johnson R, Novakovic K, Losada-Perez P, Zaman A, Spyridopoulos I, Crapnell R, Banks C, Peeters M. Immobilization of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Nanoparticles onto Surfaces using Different Strategies: Evaluating the Influence of the Functionalised Interface on the Performance of a Thermal Assay for the Detection of Cardiac Biomarker Troponin I. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 2021, 13(24), 27868-27879.