Professor Emily Draper she/her

My interdisciplinary work focuses on understanding and tailoring the self-assembly of small organic molecules to make supramolecular materials for flexible organic electronics, medical devices, and chromic materials. Using a combination of techniques, such as, electrochemistry, rheology, small angle neutron scattering, and NMR to monitor and understand this self-assembly and responsive behavior. I am currently developing models that can predict the properties of self-assembled organic molecules by chemical structure alone by combining the experimental with a computational approach.

I currently supervise a few multidisciplinary projects, these include projects with the Lifetime CDT working on animal free models for nerve cells, with the nuclear decommissioning agency on alternate concrete materials, and with social sciences at the University of Kent looking at improving research culture from the top down. I enjoy supervising projects using multiple techniques and spreading across not just the physical and biological sciences, but the arts and social science really interest me too.

I have graduated many MSc, BSc, MSci, and PhD students who now work as PDRAs, work in application science companies, and in industry.

I have a strong commitment to EDI. I am a board member and founder of the Women in Supramolecular Chemistry parenting network. I have conducted research and written articles around the struggles of women in research during covid, pregnancy, and other aspects of parenting. This network is now worldwide, with North American, African, Chinese and Indian networks having now been set up. I have ran workshops about microaggressions within the research environment with research leaders and funders. I am a mentor for the Robertson Trust as part of the Young Academy of Scotland.

Outwith work I have two young children who take up most of my time! But when I have my own time I love crafts such as crochet, sewing, embroidery and baking. On the weekend we love hill climbing and exploring Scotland, especially Scottish castles.