Group

Amit Kumar
The PI(lot)

José Fuentes Garcia (PDRA): 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. 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.

Noel Espinosa-Jalapa (PDRA): Dr. Noel Espinosa obtained his PhD from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) in collaboration with Institut Le Bel in Strasbourg. Before joining the Kumar group as a PDRA, he worked with Dr. Jonathan Bauer (University of Regensburg, Germany) and Prof. David Milstein (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel). 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.

Unai Prieto Pascual (PDRA): Unai is from Irun, Spain, and obtained his BSc and MSc degrees from the University of the Basque Country (EHU). He completed his PhD at the University of the Basque Country under the supervision of Dr. Miguel A. Huertos and Dr. Zoraida Freixa, working on the synthesis of silicon-based rhodium(III) chiral-at-metal complexes. Having received a fellowship from the Basque Government, Unai is currently a PDRA in the Kumar lab in collaboration with Dr. Miguel A. Huertos. Outside the lab, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing padel.

Janine Haug (PDRA): Janine grew up in a small town in the Black Forest in south-west Germany. She earned her BSc and MSc in Chemical Biology at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and completed her PhD in 2026 under the joint supervision of Prof. Stefan Bräse (KIT) and Prof. Eli Zysman-Colman (University of St Andrews). Her doctoral research focused on developing thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials. Janine now works on the photocatalytic depolymerisation of hard-to-recycle plastics. Outside the lab, she enjoys tennis, dancing, playing the piano, video games, building Lego, travelling and baking.

Chandrika Ghosh (4th Year PhD student): 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 Saini (4th Year PhD student): 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.

Alejandra Sophia Lozano Perez (3rd Year PhD student): 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. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, baking/cooking, learning about history and spending time with her cat, Perseo..

Benjamin Sole (3rd Year PhD student): 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 (2nd Year PhD student): 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 (2nd Year PhD student): 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 (2nd Year PhD student): Luming Guo started her PhD in the Kumar group in Sep 2025. 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.

Sneha (1st Year PhD student): Sneha is from Haryana, India. She completed her bachelor’s degree from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and her master’s degree from IIT Ropar. Sneha is currently working on developing methods for the upcycling of nylons. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, cooking, painting, playing badminton, and crocheting.

Alexandra Bradbury (MSc(Res) Student): Alexandra Bradbury was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky before moving to New York, where she completed her undergraduate degree at Columbia University. While there, she wrote her undergraduate thesis on the recycling of PET using deep eutectic solvent catalysts. Alexandra is currently completing her MSc(Res) degree in the Kumar research group, having begun in August 2026. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing and composing music, watching reality TV, and going to Broadway shows and operas.

Akhila Prabhakar (MPhil Chemistry student): Akhila Prabhakar is from India and holds a BSc Forensic Science from Jain University, Bangalore and MSc in Forensic Science, Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. She is currently an MPhil student in the Kumar research group at the University of St Andrews working on waste upcycling. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, singing, and travelling.

Lidian Cheong (Honours project student): 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 (Honours project student): 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 (MSc student): 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 synthesis of polyamines. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and reading. She also loves animals, especially cats.