Farnaby Group - People

Our Team

the people that make this all happen

Joy Farnaby

Group Leader

Joy did her DPhil at the University of Sussex in Organometallic Uranium Chemistry with Professor Geoff Cloke. This was followed by three postdoctoral research positions, in the USA with Professors N. Hazari and W. J. Evans, and in the UK with Prof. P. L. Arnold. Joy was then awarded a Junior Research Fellowship at Imperial College London under the mentorship of Professor N. J. Long, before moving to the University of Glasgow to take up a lectureship and start her group in 2016

Anna Bailey

PhD 2022-2026

Anna completed her BSc in Chemistry at the University of Glasgow in 2022. After a Carnegie Trust funded summer project within the Farnaby group and a BSc project in the Hedley Single Molecule Laboratory, Anna decided to stay at the University of Glasgow for her PhD. Working in collaboration with the Hedley Single Molecule Laboratory her project focuses on lanthanide complex photophysics and single molecule spectroscopy funded by the EPSRC. In her spare time Anna likes wakeboarding in the summer, cooking, travel, binge watching TV and going for pints with friends.

Cooper Smylie

PhD 2022-2026

Cooper’s PhD involves the synthesis of molecular and nanoparticle surrogates for special nuclear material and is funded by Sellafield Ltd and the University of Glasgow. Cooper received his Master’s in chemistry from the University of Strathclyde completing a Master’s project looking into low oxidation state main group chemistry. In Cooper’s spare time he is a massive football fan, a gym frequenter and an avid gamer.

Eilidh MacCormick

PhD 2022-2026

Eilidh’s PhD involves using experimental actinide chemistry to solve technical challenges in special nuclear material management and is funded by the NDA. Eilidh was awarded her MChem from the University of Strathclyde where she completed an industrial placement at Sika Technologies in analytical chemistry. For her final year project Eilidh structurally studied amine substituted sulfonated azo dyes. In her spare time Eilidh enjoys going to the pub, learning Gaelic and travelling.

Lennox Stewart

PhD 2024-2028

Lennox was awarded his MChem from Heriot-Watt University where he completed a final year project on the rheology of solutions of ionic nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes. His PhD project focuses on the synthesis and photophysics of f-block complexes. In his spare time he enjoys playing video games and drinking wine.

Jude Ferrier

PhD 2024-2028

Jude completed his MChem at the University of Edinburgh in 2024, where he worked on lithium materials synthesis and characterisation in the Kirk group. His PhD project aims to investigate actinide nanochemistry and catalysis. In his spare time Jude enjoys non-elemental heavy metal, and rock climbing.

Victoria Johnson

PhD 2024-2028

Victoria's PhD involves testing the limits and capabilities of lanthanide accelerator mass spectrometry at the SUERC facility in East Kilbride. She received her BSc in Chemical Physics from the University of Glasgow in 2024 with a final year project on characterizing a crystal scintillator for neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. In her free time she enjoys gaming, lifting and going to the pub.