Rob is from Milnrow, Greater Manchester, and completed his MChem the University of York in 2021. In his third year he completed a summer internship with Dr Luke Wilkinson, focused on computational (DFT) modelling of molybdenum paddlewheel complexes. He later completed his fourth-year masters project with Dr Alyssa Avestro, investigating how through space conjugation of NDI triangle analogues affect their charge-storage properties. He then moved to the University of Reading, where he continued his studies under the supervision of Dr James Cooper, investigating how rotaxanes behave in the phospholipid bilayer, with a specific focus on the interplay between rotaxane dynamics and anion transport processes. He was awarded the Oxford University press poster prize at MASC 2025, just after completing his PhD studies. In early 2026 he joined the Williams group as an EPSRC funded postdoctoral research fellow, where he will be constructing hemi-indigo photoswitches for potential uses as anticancer therapeutics. Outside the lab, Rob enjoys hiking, video games and board gaming, and is an avid LEGO builder.

Alex is from Thame, Oxfordshire and completed his integrated MChem at the University of Southampton in 2024. In his 4th year, he completed a research project in Professor Gill Reid’s group focusing on synthesising phosphinate ester functionalised macrocycles for group 13 metal fluoride chelation. Alex joined the Williams research group in September 2024, with his research focusing on photoswitches for incorporation into mechanically interlocked polymers. Outside of the lab, his hobbies include a love for (amateur) baking, climbing, football and reading.

Anne Aarvik completed her BSc in Biological Chemistry at the University of Stavanger (UiS) in 2022, working on pancreatic cancer metabolism for her final project. She went on to do a MSc in Molecular Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) finishing her degree in May 2024. She spent the last year of her MSc researching organoids as a potential model for studying pancreatic cancer under supervisors Professor Duan Chen and Chun-Mei Zhao, PhD. In September 2024 she moved from Norway to England to do an integrated PhD in biomedical science at the University of Southampton. She is currently working on a research project focusing on the development of hydrogel structures to improve pancreatic cancer chemotherapy under supervisors Dr George Williams, Dr Nicole Prior, and Dr Nick Evans.