CDT Researchers Attend Young Researchers’ Meeting 2025
Two CDT researchers recently participated in the Young Researchers’ Meeting (YRM) 2025, held from 10–12 June at the University of Sheffield. Organised annually by the Macro Group UK, YRM is a national PhD-only conference focused on polymer science and related disciplines, bringing together early-career researchers from across the UK.
This year’s meeting welcomed 163 attendees and featured a full programme of oral presentations, poster sessions, and keynote talks. The event aims to provide PhD students with a platform to present their work, engage in scientific discussion, and connect with peers in a collaborative setting.
Matthew Cullen (Cohort 2022) gave an oral presentation on a plastic waste and glycerol derived platform molecule which can be used to synthesise a diverse array of sustainably sourced, degradable materials.
The valorisation of plastic waste to produce feedstocks for polymer synthesis is an important step towards a circular plastics economy.
He was awarded a commendation for his talk, an honour given to a small number of standout contributions, alongside two overall winners.
Edmund (Cohort 2024) presented a research poster during one of the poster sessions.
The conference also featured talks from four invited speakers representing leading research institutions:
- Dr Amanda K. Pearce (University of Queensland)
- Dr Tom McDonald (University of Manchester)
- Dr Evelina Liarou (University of Warwick)
- Dr Timothy D. Craggs (University of Sheffield)
These keynote presentations offered insights into cutting-edge research and career trajectories in polymer and materials science.
There were a few presentations about a specific type of polymerisation, thiol-ene crosslinking, that I have started doing as a summer project with an undergraduate student, particularly the presentations from the Dove group at the University of Birmingham and Buchard group at the University of York. Seeing their results and methodologies has helped me shape this work already.
Matthew Cullen
Alongside the academic programme, attendees had the opportunity to network through social activities and informal discussions, contributing to a dynamic and supportive research environment.
YRM always does a barbeque followed by a (somewhat infamous) pub crawl, which is always a great chance to relax and get to know what I hope will be future collaborators. This year’s was excellent, the organisers at Macro and Uni of Sheffield did a great job, but I’m just glad I wasn’t presenting the next day!
Matthew Cullen
The CDT is proud to see its students actively engaging with the wider scientific community and earning recognition for their contributions.
Information about the event, as well as additional images, are available on the YRM website.
