Prof. Andrew B. Lowe

BSc (Hons) DPhil DSc CSci CChem FRSC MRACI

Academic Appointments

June 2009-                Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering

Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD)

School of Chemical Engineering

The University of New South Wales

Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

June 2008 – May 2009          Associate Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering (tenured)

August 2007-June 2008       Associate Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering

School of Polymers & High Performance Materials

118 College Drive #10076

University of Southern Mississippi, Box 10076

Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.

July 2006-August 2007        Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry

June 2002-July 2006            Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

118 College Drive #5043

University of Southern Mississippi, Box 5043

Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA.

Research Interests

  • Synthesis and characterization of novel functional monomers and (co)polymers.
  • Controlled (co)polymer synthesis via classical living techniques and controlled living free radical polymerization, with an emphasis on Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization (RAFT).
  • Synthetic applications of the thiol-ene, thiol-yne, and thiol-isocyanate “click” reactions.
  • Living Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP).
  • Controlled alkyne metathesis polymerization.
  • Transition metal-mediated polymerizations.
  • Controlled synthesis of polyesters.
  • Chemical modification of synthetic (co)polymers.
  • Water-soluble/amphiphilic (co)polymers.
  • Biomimetic (co)polymers for antiadherent/antimicrobial applications.
  • Biologically active (co)polymers, and controlled drug release.
  • ‘Smart’, stimuli-responsive polymers.

Education/Qualifications

December 2009

Doctor of Science (DSc)

School of Chemical Sciences

University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.

October 1993 – December 1997

Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) – Polymer Chemistry

School of Molecular Sciences

University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.

Advisors: Professor Steven P. Armes and Professor Norman C. Billingham (Emeritus)

CASE award sponsors: ICI Paints

Thesis Title: Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Ionic Water-Soluble Block Copolymers

October 1990 – May 1993

Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc (Hons)) in Chemistry with Polymer Science

School of Molecular Sciences

University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.

Research Appointments

1999 – 2002

Senior Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Department of Polymer Science

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg MS 39406, USA.

Academic Advisor: Dr. Charles L. McCormick

1997 – 1998

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

School of Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science

University of Sussex

Falmer, Brighton, East Sussex, UK.

Academic Advisor: Professor Steven P. Armes (currently at The University of Sheffield)

Honours/Achievements

Awarded a Sir Eric Rideal bursary to visit Dr. Zdenek Tuzar, at the institute of Macromolecular Sciences, Prague, as part of an on-going international collaboration.

Invited to chair the opening session of the Stimuli Responsive, Water-Soluble and Amphipathic Polymers symposium at the 218th ACS National meeting in New Orleans (August 1999).

Recipient of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award in the Life Sciences (2003), awarded by Oakridge Associated Universities.

Recipient of a University of Southern Mississippi Summer Faculty Research Grant (2004).

Invited to give a plenary lecture at the 2005 National Starch/ICI Research & Development meeting in Bridgewater, NJ, on Water-Soluble, Stimuli-Responsive Polymers.

Recipient of the 2005 Junior Faculty Research Award (awarded by the USM Faculty Senate/Office of the President).

Selected to appear in the Manchester Who’s Who 2005-2006 Edition.

Invited to participate in the iPRIME workshop on Controlled Radical Polymerization, The University of Minnesota, May 2007.

Invited to present a lecture at the Gordon Research Conference on Polymers (East), June 2007.

Professional Membership

  • The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (MRACI), 2009-present.
  • The Royal Society Chemistry/The Science Council, Chartered Scientist (CSci), 2004- present.
  • The Royal Society of Chemistry, Chartered Chemist and Member (CChem MRSC), 2001-present.
  • The Royal Society of Chemistry, graduate member (GRSC), 1999-2001.
  • The American Chemical Society.

- Polymer Division Sub-group.