A list of current and previous group members.
I am a final-year Chemical Physics undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh. My research explores how educational and demographic backgrounds shape students’ mathematical preparedness and confidence in their transition to university-level mathematics. Alongside my studies, I am Treasurer of the Chinese Martial Arts and Combat Sports Society. Outside academia, I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to stay active and unwind.
Jointly supervised with Dr Mairi Haddow and Dr Ben Arenas.
Tiago was an undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, studying BSc Medicinal and Biological Chemistry. He grew up in Portugal before moving to Scotland for his bachelor’s degree. His BSc thesis explored how aphantasia, the inability to visualise mental images - affects key chemistry skills, particularly spatial reasoning. Alongside his studies, Tiago has worked as a laboratory technician at Eurofins UK Agro Testing, where he assisted in sample preparation and analysis. He has also been involved in student activities, serving as Social Secretary for the university’s futsal club.
Alaa completed her BSc in Chemistry at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) in Saudi Arabia in 2018. After graduating, she gained hands-on research experience as a Research Assistant at IAU from August to December 2018, where she developed expertise in various analytical techniques. She then pursued an MSc in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 2024 and earning the Best Talk Prize for her MSc research project under the supervision of Dr. David August. Since 2019, she has worked as a Demonstrator in the Chemistry Department at IAU.
Aaron joined the group as our first Science Education BSc student and made major contributions to the group and the field in through his project on identifying skill gaps in undergraduate laboratory education.
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