Group

Amit Kumar
The PI(lot)

Born in Oaxaca, Mexico, Raymundo obtained his MSc in Chemistry at the Institute of Research in Materials, UNAM (Mexico), and PhD from the University of Manchester where his project focused on the synthesis of novel monomers and the development of new synthetic routes to obtain conjugated polymers nanoparticles for organic electronics applications. He started his first postdoctoral position at Queen Mary University of London in 2021 working on the development of new synthetic routes for conjugated polymers as well as their processing for application in electronic devices. His current project in Kumar lab is based on the chemical recycling of plastics. 

Pavel Kulyabin is from a small town near Izhevsk in Udmurt Republic of the Russian Federation. Pavel obtained a Specialist degree at M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, where his final qualifying project involved the development of nickel-catalysed homocoupling reactions. He obtained his Ph.D in Chemistry at M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University under the supervision of Prof. A. Voskoboynikov working on stereoselective metallocene catalysts for propene polymerization. Pavel is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Kumar research group. In his free time Pavel enjoys hiking, playing volleyball and video games.

Matthew Andrews completed his undergraduate degree at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, where he then stayed to complete his PhD under Dr Stephen Mansell and Dr Ruaraidh McIntosh on homogenous nickel catalysis for olefin polymerisation. He then moved to St Andrews to work in the group of Prof. Allan Watson as a PDRA on the mechanistic understanding of copper catalysis and catalyst design. Matt is currently a PDRA in the Kumar group, where he is working on catalyst design for the reverse water gas shift reaction. In his free time, he enjoys singing and hiking.

José is from Valladolid, Spain, and obtained his BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Valladolid before completing a PhD at King’s College London with Prof. Michael North on copper-catalysed asymmetric synthesis of α,α-disubstituted amino acids. He then joined Prof. Matt Clarke’s group at the University of St Andrews as a Research Fellow, working on supramolecular catalysis and the design of chiral phosphorus- and nitrogen-based ligands for Pd, Rh, Ir, and Ru catalysis. His research focused on asymmetric reductions and hydroformylation processes of industrial relevance. Currently, he is a PDRA exploring hydroformylation reaction in collaboration with Prof. Matt Clarke. Outside the lab, José enjoys nature walks, good food, and music.

Dr. Noel Espinosa was born in Mexico City and obtained his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) in collaboration with Institut Le Bel in Strasbourg. His research focused on developing enantiomerically pure organometallic complexes for asymmetric catalysis. Before joining Kumar’s group as a PDRA, he worked with Dr. Jonathan Bauer (University of Regensburg, Germany) on silicon–main group element chemistry, exploring new bond activation modes through ligand cooperativity and frustrated Lewis pair concepts. His current work focuses on designing organometallic complexes for homogeneous (de)hydrogenation catalysis. Outside the lab, Noel enjoys cooking, reading, sports, and good conversations over coffee or wine.

James Luk is from a small village near Stevenage in North Hertfordshire. He completed an MChem at the University of St Andrews, where his masters project involved the use homogeneous catalysts in amide hydrogenation and the effect of amines in poisoning these catalysts. James is currently a PhD student in the Kumar research group (started in Sep 2022). In his free time, he enjoys playing football, hiking and playing the saxophone and guitar.

Chandrika Ghosh is from Katwa, West Bengal, India. Chandrika completed her BSc honours in Chemistry from Bethune College, affiliated to the University of Calcutta, India. She completed her MSc in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. Her MSc project involved the use of homogeneous catalysts for the hydrogenation of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Chandrika is currently a PhD student in the Kumar research group (started in Sep 2023). In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton, photography, painting and dancing.

Garima is from Haryana, India and pursued her MSc in Chemistry at IIT Ropar, having previously completed her BSc in Chemistry at Miranda House, University of Delhi. Her Master’s project revolved around synthesizing catalysts for plastic degradation, furthering her interest for sustainable materials. Garima joined Kumar’s research group as a PhD student in Sep 2023. During her downtime, she enjoys exploring the culinary world and embarking on travel adventures.

Sophia Lozano is from Bogotá, Colombia. She completed her BSc and MSc degrees from National University of Colombia. Her MSc project revolved around the implementation of hydrothermal techniques and homogenous catalysts to transform agro-industrial waste into platform chemicals, biochar and biogas. This deepened her love for green processes and circular economy. Sophia is currently doing her PhD studies in Kumar’s research group (started in Sep 2024). In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, baking/cooking, learning about history and spending time with her cat, Perseo..

Ben Sole, originally from Cleveland, USA, with international upbringing experiences in Qatar and Norway, completed his MChem studies from the University of St Andrews. Ben is currently doing his PhD in the Kumar Research Lab on the development of polyethylenimine synthesis in partnership with the BASF (started in Sep 2024). Beyond academia, Ben is an active member of the University Olympic Weightlifting club, a passionate climber, and a formidable Smash Bros. competitor, occasionally taking on challengers like Julian Kolb.

Maja Więzik comes from Silesia, Poland. She completed an MChem degree at the University of Edinburgh whilst on an industrial placement at Mitsubishi Chemical UK, working on the development of the Net Zero Acrylics. Maja joined the research group in September 2025 and is working on the development of greener methods for polyamine synthesis in partnership with BASF. Outside of academia, Maja enjoys hiking, climbing, and a wide variety of crafts.

Aayush Anand is from Noida, India. Aayush pursued his BS-MS from IISER Bhopal. His MS thesis was based on the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 into formic acid using manganese-incorporated homogeneous catalysts. Aayush is currently a PhD student in the Kumar Research group since September 2025. He likes to indulge in theatre, scribbling screenplays and fiction while also enjoying badminton in his free time.

Luming Guo is joining the group as a PhD student. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at University College London (UCL) and went on to earn a Master’s degree from Imperial College London (IC), where her research focused primarily on Cu-catalysis. Outside the lab, she enjoys watching movies and playing video games.

Alice Grossman is originally from London, where she completed her IB Diploma. She pursued her chemistry undergraduate at St Andrews, and is currently a final year MChem student working in the Kumar research group. Her masters project is on the hydrogenation of nitrile butadiene rubber into polyamines and polyols. In her free time, Alice likes watching movies with friends, pub quizzes, and playing any kind of board game.

Ricky (Jiwu Rim) spent the first half of his life in Seoul before moving to London. He is currently a final year MChem student under Dr. Kumar and Dr. Armstrong, working on the sustainable synthesis of polymers for use as aqueous binders in Li-ion batteries. Outside of the laboratory, he enjoys playing violin for the university orchestras, golfing on the links, and playing tennis with his friends.

Lidian Cheong is from Singapore but lived in 3 different countries growing up, before moving back to complete her IB diploma. She is currently a 5th year MChem student completing an honours project under Dr Kumar’s supervision, working on hydrogenation of nitrile containing polymers for their recycling. Outside of studying, she enjoys self-studying Japanese, listening to music, and watching anime.

Sam Brunton is a final-year Chemistry BSc student, currently working under the supervision of Dr. Rob Armstrong and Dr. Amit Kumar on the development and testing of polyetherureas as aqueous binders for lithium and sodium-ion batteries. Outside of his studies, Sam is an avid golfer and also plays football as part of the university’s Sunday league program.

Sirikorn Senchantichai is from Bangkok, Thailand. She completed her BSc (Hons) in Chemistry at the University of St Andrews, where her project focused on using computational chemistry to understand C–H activation in a σ-methane complex in the solid state under the supervision of Professor Stuart Macgregor. Sirikorn is currently a master’s student in the Kumar Research Group, working on the recycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and reading. She also loves animals, especially cats.