Staff Profile

Background

My teaching activities in Chemistry within the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences focus on teaching General, Inorganic, Structural and Organic Chemistry across stages 1-3. Next to lectures and tutorials, I organise and demonstrate on laboratory courses. I am interested in novel teaching and learning methods and the development of current courses in order to improve the student experience at university.

After having finished my MSci at UCL, working on projects with Prof J. Anderson and Dr J. Baker, I moved to Edinburgh University, where I completed my PhD in Organic Catalysis under the supervision of Dr U. Schneider. My research included work on C(0) compounds, as well as sodium amide catalysis. Further research interests are FLP and transition metal-catalysed reactions. The Principal’s Career Development Scholarship in Teaching allowed me to take over responsibilities as a Tutor, Senior Demonstrator and the coordination of lab classes during my time in Edinburgh. This is where I developed a strong interest and enthusiasm in teaching chemistry at university. I also spent six months at Evonik Industries (Hanau, Germany) working in an industrial research lab and pilot plant.

Roles

• Associate Chair of the Board of Examiners (Chemistry, UG)
• UKPSF Mentor (NEPS, Experiential Route, ELTS)
• Chemistry PGR demonstrating coordinator

Memberships

• Associate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AMRSC)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Alumnus of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes)

Undergraduate

Stage 1

• NES1401: Chemical Skills and Professionalism (Lectures and Workshops)
• NES1403: Fundamentals of Inorganic Chemistry (Module Leader, Lectures and Tutorials)
• NES1400: Chemical Laboratory Skills 1 (Practical Organiser: General Chemistry)

Stage 2

• NES2402: Organic Chemistry (Tutorials)
• NES2400: Chemical Laboratory Skills 2 - (Practical Organiser: Structural Chemistry)

Stage 3

• NES3408: Advanced Structural Chemistry (Lectures)
• NES3402: Advanced Organic Chemistry (Workshops)

Postgraduate

MSc: Chemistry / Drug Chemistry

• NES8814: Research Skills and Development (Lectures, Dry Lab Organiser)
• NES8002: Research Dissertation Project (Chemistry Laboratory Project Support)

• Articles

  • Bao W, Kossen H, Schneider U. Formal Allylic C(sp3)-H Bond Activation of Alkenes Triggered by a Sodium Amide. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139(12), 4362-4365.
  • Richards DA, Fletcher SA, Nobles M, Kossen H, Tedaldi L, Chudasama V, Tinker A, Baker JR. Photochemically re-bridging disulfide bonds and the discovery of a thiomaleimide mediated photodecarboxylation of C-terminal cysteines. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2016, 14(2), 455-459.
  • Marculescu C, Kossen H, Morgan RE, Mayer P, Fletcher SA, Tolner B, Chester KA, Jones LH, Baker JR. Aryloxymaleimides for cysteine modification, disulfide bridging and the dual functionalization of disulfide bonds. Chemical Communications 2014, 50, 7139-7142.

• Book Chapter

  • Bao W, Kossen H, Richards J, Schneider U. Catalytic and Significant Stoichiometric Use of Sodium Species in Molecular Organic Synthesis. In: Schneider U; Thomas S, ed. Catalysis with Earth-abundant Elements. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020, pp.1-27.