SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW

DR AISLING NÍ CHEALLAIGH

Aisling is from Kildare, Ireland and obtained her BSc in Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology at University College Dublin (UCD). She obtained an IRC scholarship to complete her PhD studies where she synthesised bacterial oligosaccharides towards synthetic vaccines under the supervision of Prof Stefan Oscarson at UCD. She then took up a PDRA position at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) with Dr John Gardiner and Prof Nigel Scrutton working on chemoenzymatic synthesis of monoterpenoids. From here, she moved to a Senior Scientist role at AstraZeneca where she worked in Chemical Development of anticancer therapeutics before returning to academia for another PDRA in carbohydrate synthesis with Prof Oscarson at UCD. During this position, she spent time in Prof Gavin Miller’s group at Keele University as part of a Knowledge Exchange Partnership and focused on the synthesis of human oligosaccharides including glycosaminoglycans, blood group antigens and glycoconjugates thereof. During this time Aisling received Chartered Chemist (CChem) status with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Aisling then went on to a Research Fellow position at the Future Biomanufacturing Research Hub with Prof Nigel Scrutton, FRS at the MIB where she focused on downstream processing and biocatalysis. Here she obtained Chartered Scientist (CSci) status and a Project Management Qualification with the Association for Project Management. She completed a role as Senior Experimental Officer at Keele University from 2022-25 before moving back to MIB as a Senior Research Fellow. Aisling is a glyco-enthusiast and is heavily involved with the carbohydrate community through her roles as secretary for the RSC Carbohydrate Interest Group and as a Founding Member of the European Glycoscience Community.

POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

DR JONATHAN DOLAN

Jonathan is from Reading, Berkshire and graduated with an MChem from Keele University in 2017. During his time at Keele, he completed 3rd and 4th year projects focussing on continuous flow iodination of enaminones and the chemical synthesis of GDP-α-D-ManUA. Jonathan moved to the University of Leeds in September 2017 to begin a PhD with Prof. Bruce Turnbull and Dr Mike Webb on developing site-specific methods for preparation of glycoconjugates supported by Iceni Glycoscience, Norwich, as part of an BBSRC White Rose DTP iCASE studentship award. Jonathan returned to the group in January 2022 where his research will focus on chemoenzymatic modification of glycosaminoglycans.

DR CAECILIE BENCKENDORFF

Caecilie is from Aarhus, Denmark. She moved to the UK in 2010, and began her studies at the University of Aberdeen in 2013, where she graduated in 2018 with a first class MChem degree. Her final year MChem project was undertaken at the University of Bergen, which involved the synthesis for ligands for riboswitches – a newly discovered novel target for antibiotics. During her project, she successfully synthesised the compound Ribocil C, and one analogue. Caecilie completed her PhD in the group (2018-22) synthesising fluorinated carbocyclic nucleoside analogues in collaboration with Riboscience LLC. She has stayed with us to undertake a PDRA in biocatalytic nucleotide synthesis.

DR HANNAH WOOTTON

Hannah is from Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire where she obtained a first class MChem degree from Keele University in 2019. Her research project focused on the chemical synthesis of a non-self sugar-nucleotide tool for probing a bacterial biosynthesis enzyme. Following this, she worked in industry where she completed ADME assays for compounds in the preclinical stages of pharmaceutical drug discovery. Hannah completed her PhD in the Miller group in 2024 where her research investigated the chemical synthesis of glycosaminoglycan mimetics for targeting endoglycosidase activity. She then stayed on in the group as a PDRA to work on the chemical and enzymatic synthesis of nucleoside targets, with a focus on automated flow biocatalysis.

DR LLOYD MURPHY

Lloyd is from Cwmbran, Wales. In 2020, he graduated from Keele University with a first class MChem degree where his research project, in the Miller group, focused on the chemical synthesis of 4’-sulfoxide nucleoside analogues. Lloyd then moved to the University of York to join the Willems group in the Chemical Biology branch of the York Structural Biology Laboratory. His project aimed to design and synthesise novel Rbo5P metabolic labelling tools to study cell surface glycans. Graduating in 2024, Lloyd completed a short PDRA within the Willems group focused on the assessment of these tools in mammalian systems and the development of enzyme inhibitors. Lloyd has returned to the Miller group in 2025 to work on the development of automated flow biocatalysis for nucleoside and carbohydrate targets.

PhD STUDENTS – 4th YEAR

JACOB ROBERTS

Jacob is from Pontefract, West Yorkshire and graduated with a first class MChem degree from the University of York in 2022. His final year industrial placement was undertaken at Bayer Crop Science in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Jacob joined the group in September 2022 as a PhD student working on nucleoside analogue synthesis.

LIAM BEARDMORE

Liam is from Wrexham, Wales. He graduated from Bangor University in 2021 with a BSc in Chemistry with Industrial Experience. His year in industry was spent at Koura Global working in organic synthesis. In October 2021 he moved to Durham University to study for a 12-month MRes in the Brittain and Cobb groups. The focus of this study was using pentafluoropyridine to readily access acyl fluorides facilitating a one pot synthesis of esters and thioesters. Liam joined the group in October 2022 and is working on functionalization of cellulosic materials.   

LAUREN HOLDER

Lauren is from Newcastle upon Tyne and obtained a first class MChem degree from Keele University in 2022. During her final year research project, she studied nitroreductase biocatalysis for next generation therapeutic compounds with Dr Seb Cosgrove. Lauren joined the group in September 2022 where her research will focus on inhibiting sugar nucleotide transport to combat fungal infections, in collaboration with Syngenta.

PhD STUDENTS – 3rd YEAR

ADAM BLOOR

Adam is from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and studied at Keele University, graduating in 2023 with a first class MChem degree in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry. During his undergraduate degree he undertook his final year project looking into the development of new synthetic approaches to L-Iduronic acid within the Miller Research Group. Adam remained in with the group for his PhD looking at the chemoenzymatic synthesis of nucleosides in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

PhD STUDENTS – 2nd YEAR

JANA FRÖLICH

Jana is from Cologne, Germany. She graduated from the University of the Arts London in June 2023 with an integrated MSc in Cosmetic Science with Distinction. Her master’s project focused on driving sustainability in the cosmetics industry by reducing energy consumption during the manufacture of water-in-oil emulsions. Jana also obtained a Diploma in Professional Studies after completing a year in industry at GlaxoSmithKline in 2021, working on developing a natural denture adhesive. She continued her journey in sustainability by joining the group in September 2024 as a PhD student, where her research will focus on the decarbonisation of surfactant and functional polymer value chains by enzymatic processes.

PhD STUDENTS – 1st YEAR

AIMEE JENKINS

Aimee is from Redhill, Surrey. She graduated with a first class BSc Medicinal Chemistry degree from Keele University in 2024. Her final year project within the Cosgrove group involved the development of active fragments for drug discovery utilising nitroreductase biocatalysis. During her degree she completed a summer research project with Dr Rebecca Ruscoe, focusing on enzyme-enabled Hantzsch dihydropyridine synthesis. She then re-joined the Cosgrove/Miller groups for an MRes in 2024, with her project focussing on the development of novel chemoenzymatic cascades and remained to conduct her PhD as part of EnZact, a BBSRC Prosperity Partnership in conjunction with Unilever, exploring adding value to carbohydrate-based surfactant feedstocks using biocatalysis.

MASTERS LEVEL

GROUP ALUMNI

Post-Doctoral

DR MEENAKSHI SINGH

PDRA (2020-2021)

Worked on heparan sulfate oligosaccharide synthesis.

Now PDRA with Nikki Pohl (Indiana Bloomington)

DR SIAN BERRY

PDRA (2022-2024)

Worked on the synthesis of chondroitin sulfate and Glycopolymers.

Now Health and Safety advisor @ University of Surrey

DR PETER SUNDE-BROWN

PDRA (2023-25)

Worked on nucleoside and nucleotide synthesis.

DR DAVID EVANS

PDRA (2025-2026)

Worked on the synthesis of functionalised polysaccharides in conjunction with Unilever/BBSRC EnZact Prosperity Partnership.

PhD

DR MIEKE GUINAN

PhD (2017-2021)

Chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of 4’-thionucleosides.

Now Senior Scientist, Lundbeck, Denmark.

DR ALICE WAHART

PhD (2019-2023)

Bioprocess development of aliphatic chain compounds with oxidases in mild conditions.

Now Analytical Service Manager at Eurofins.

DR SEAN EVANS

PhD (2020-2024)

Automated synthesis of fluorinated β-D-mannuronic acid oligosaccharides to explore alginate structure-property relationships (w. Unilever).

Now Scientist at Selvita, Kraków. Poland.

MASTERS LEVEL

2024

• Aimee Jenkins (MRes) – Tandem Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Functionalised Pyranoses. Now PhD with GJM @ MIB.
• Andrea Zurdo (MPhil) – Harnessing AbCGT for the synthesis of glycosylated natural products.
• Oliver Grover (MChem) – 6′-Monofluorinated Nucleoside Analogues with an Eye for Oligonucleotide Synthesis and Nucleoside Analogue Therapeutics. Now PhD with Matt Gibson @ MIB.
• Thomas Talbot (MChem) – A route towards the synthesis of 4′-selenonucleosides. Now PhD with Yzzy Baker @ Southampton.

2023

• Anastasiya Gumenyuk (MRes) – Chemical synthesis of 4′-thio-C-nucleosides.

2022

• Ethan Chidlow (MRes) – Chemical synthesis of chloropyrimidine-based nucleoside analogues as potential inhibitors of GDP-mannose dehydrogenase.
• Adam Bloor (MChem) – Behind the curtain: adventures in C-5 bromination of D-glucuronic acid derivatives and the development of a new approach towards L-iduronic acid. Now PhD with GJM @ Keele.

2021

• Sasha Crouchman (MRes) – Chemical synthesis of molecular probes for human heparanase.
• Joanita Namulinda (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a probe for a yeast GDP-mannose transporter.

2020

• Jamie Payton (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a fluorinated glucosyl ceramide.
• Lorna Scholl (MChem) – Chemical Synthesis of Precursors Towards the Synthesis of Fluorinated Carbocyclic Nucleoside Analogues. Now Scientist at Cyprotex.

2019

• Lloyd Murphy (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a sulfoxide nucleoside analogue. Now PhD with Lianne Willems @ York.
• Alex Compton (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a 6’,6’-difluorinated nucleoside analogue.

2018

• Mitchell Loach (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a C6-homologue of mannose 1-phosphate.
• Hannah Wootton (MChem) – Chemical synthesis of a non-self alginate building block. Now PhD with GJM @ Keele.

2017

• Katie Huxley (MChem) – Towards a chemical synthesis of phenyl-5-nitro-α-D-lyxopyranoside. PhD with Lianne Willems @ York, now @ Sygnature.

2016

• Jonathan Dolan (MChem) – Chemical Synthesis of GDP-D-ManA. Now PhD with Bruce Turnbull @ Leeds.
• Jak Buxton (MChem) – Synthesis of modified mannuronate building blocks.

2015

• Xiaotong Sun (MSc) – Glycosylation methodology development for uronate building blocks.
• Shi Jiali (MSc) – Anomeric activation methodology development for the assembly of complex oligosaccharides.
• Nathan Scott (MChem) – Glycosylation methodology development for uronate building blocks.
• Rhys Curzon (MChem) – Synthesis of modified mannuronate donors.

Summer Students

2025

• Meg Hollins – (RSC Undergraduate Research Bursary) Chemical synthesis and evaluation of modified adenosines using adenosine deaminase.

2024

• Oliver Grover – (RSC Undergraduate Research Bursary) Chemical synthesis and evaluation of C5-modified nucleoside analogues.

2018

• Hannah Wootton – (RSC Undergraduate Research Bursary) Mimetic sugar nucleotides to probe a strategic bacterial dehydrogenase enzyme.

2015

• Thomas Hailes – (RSC Undergraduate Research Bursary) Carbohydrate mimetic building blocks for β-1,4-alginate assembly.