Our Group — The Mahon Group

Professor Clare S. Mahon

UKRI Future Leaders Fellow

Clare was awarded her PhD at Newcastle University in 2014, where she worked with Dr David A. Fulton establishing new methods of ‘training’ synthetic polymers to recognise proteins and other macromolecules. She then spent two years at the University of Leeds on an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship, working with Prof. Bruce Turnbull to develop responsive synthetic polymers which interact with bacterial toxins. In 2017 she took up a Marie-Skłodowska Curie Global Fellowship, held at the University of Sydney, Australia, and the University of York, UK. During this time Clare worked with Dr Elizabeth J. New and Dr Markus Müllner-Bačvić, focussed on applying differential sensing approaches to the identification of carbohydrate-binding proteins. In October 2019, Clare moved to Durham to start her own group, working at the interface of polymer science and biological chemistry.

Lloyd Shaw

Lloyd joined the Mahon Group after completing his PhD research on living anionic polymerisation under the supervision of Prof. Lian Hutchings.
Kate Leslie

Kate completed her BSc (Hons) and MPhil at the University of Sydney in Australia before moving to the UK to do a PhD with the Synthesis for Biology and Medicine CDT at the University of Oxford. She carried out her research on photoswitchable dyes for super-resolution microscopy in Harry Anderson’s group, completing her PhD in 2023. She then joined the Mahon group as a PDRA to work on glycopolymer sensing arrays for monitoring bacterial pathoadaptation. Kate enjoys drinking coffee with friends, hiking and amateur film-making in her spare time.
Jamie Richardson

Jamie graduated with a first-class honours degree from Newcastle University (2024), completing his MChem in the Cancer Research UK Newcastle Drug Discovery unit under the supervision of Dr Celine Cano. Jamie begun his PhD in 2024 within the Molecular sciences for medicine CDT, under the supervision of Dr Clare Mahon and Prof. John Girkin focussing on Polymer-based sensor arrays to detect bacterial pathoadaption. In his free time, he likes running and listening to music.
Elle Fiandra

Elle graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Chemistry from Durham University (2021), with her final year masters project under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Kitching, focusing on the enantioselective synthesis of propargylated ammonium cations. Elle began her PhD in 2021 as part of the EPSRC CDT in Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces, focusing on the development of new biodegradable polymers for applications in environmentally friendly fabric care formulations under the supervision of Dr. Clare Mahon and Dr. Gang Si at Procter and Gamble.
Jia Luo

Jia graduated with a BSc Honors in Chemistry (2021) from the University of Warwick, an MRes in drug discovery and development from Imperial College London (2022). Her MRes project under the supervision of Dr Nazila Kamaly and Prof. Matthew Fuchter worked on the light-sensitive azo-PEG nanogels for insulin encapsulation and delivery. Jia then started her PhD in 2023 with the Molecular Sciences for Medicine CDT, supervised by Dr Clare Mahon, Dr William Brittain and Dr Adam Wollmann, with her work focusing on the conjugation of photoactive metal complexes for anticancer and antimicrobial applications. Jia enjoys listening to music, hip-hop dancing and handcraft in her free time.
Chloe Shilling

Chloe completed her MChem with industrial placement at Durham University in 2022. Her final year project was completed at Macfarlan Smith, Edinburgh focusing on process development of opioid treatment drugs. Chloe begun her PhD in 2022 within the ESPRC CDT in Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces (SOFI2) focusing on the synthesis of chiral peptidomimetic polymers synthesised from chiral and bis-oxazolines, supervised by Dr Clare Mahon and Dr William Brittain. In her free time Chloe enjoys drawing portraits and going to gigs.
Emily Tate

Emily completed her Chemistry Masters degree with industrial placement at the University of Lincoln in 2023, graduating with first class honours. Her final year project was completed at Centre of Process Innovation, Sedgefield focusing on the creation of printable stretchable electronics and their uses within medical devices. Emily began her PhD in 2023, focusing on the development of new biodegradable polymers under the supervision of Dr. Clare Mahon and Dr. Gang Si in partnership with Procter and Gamble. In her free time Emily enjoys cooking, listening to music and going to the theatre along with partaking in regular community litter picks.
Ella Wolstencroft

Ella completed her MChem with a study abroad placement at Durham University in 2025. Her final year project was completed at the University of Turku in Finland and focused on the fabrication and evaluation of thin polydopamine films for applications within energy storage. Ella started her PhD in 2025, developing sustainable materials for coatings, under the supervision of Prof. Clare Mahon and Dr Richard Thompson, and in partnership with Beckers Group UK. Outside of her studies, Ella enjoys baking, crafting, and visiting Italy.