Alex Fletcher

4th year PhD researcher

Alex graduated from the University of Warwick in June 2021 with a BSc in Chemistry (1st Class Honours).

In October 2021, Alex joined BonLab with a research project focusing on biodegradable polyester water-based dispersions, with an aim of finding an alternative to traditional polyacrylate emulsions used in coatings and adhesives.

In his free time, Alex enjoys cooking, reading, and playing video games.

Mars Poxon

2nd year phd researcher

Mars graduated from the University of Warwick in July of 2023 with a BSc in biochemistry. In  2022 they undertook a summer project within Bonlab exploring the effect of molecular weight on pressure-sensitive adhesives formed by emulsion polymerisation. Upon rejoining the lab now as a PhD student, Mars’ project is centred around exploring the dynamics, fate, and biodegradability of nanoplastics within freshwater environments.
In their free time, Mars enjoys bird watching, crocheting, and woodwork. 

Yutong Niu

2nd year phd researcher

Yutong graduated with a BEng in Polymer Materials and Engineering from Hebei University of Technology (2018-2022, China). He continued his studies in polymer science and graduated with an MSc in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Warwick (2022-2023). His dissertation was on sustainable polymer chemistry using electrosynthesis. He joined BonLab at the start of January 2024 as a PhD researcher.

His research focusses on the synthesis of bio-based and functionalized polyether polyols. The idea is to unravel the polymerization mechanism to get control of polymer composition and architecture, and to explore new catalytic systems. The physical and mechanical properties of the polymers and formulations will also be investigated. The project is carried out in collaboration with Covestro.

Zhebin “Jerry” Jiang

1st year phd researcher

Zhebin joined BonLab in April 2024 as an MSc Polymer and Analytical Science project student. He starts his PhD studies in September 2024 where he will work on reconfigurable dynamic colloidal thermoset systems.

Liming Li

1st year PhD researcher

Li Liming obtained his bachelor's degree in Functional Materials from Donghua University, China, in 2022, where his research focused on machine learning applications, chemical synthesis, and electrospinning techniques. In 2023, he commenced his master's studies in Polymer Science at the University of Warwick, applying neural networks to predict molecular properties and advancing the integration of artificial intelligence in chemistry research. Upon completing his master's degree, he joined BonLab in January 2025 as a PhD researcher. His project will involve the investigation of small molecule eutectic glasses and melts with “plastic"-like” features.
In his free time, Li enjoys walking and exploring new and old electronic products.

Bowen Qian

1st year PhD researcher

Bowen graduated with a BS in Polymer Materials and Engineering from Donghua University (2019-2023, China). He continued his studies in polymer science and graduated with an MSc in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Leeds (2023-2024). His master’s thesis was extraction and preparation of pickering emulsions from brewed coffee grounds. He joined BonLab at the start of January 2025 as a PhD researcher. His research project aims to take a sustainable approach and investigate the introduction of natural and bio-derived Pickering stabilizers to replace surfactant molecules in the design of water-based formulation products.

Anna Niska Fauza

1st year PhD researcher

Anna graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Padjadjaran University in Indonesia, where she completed her final project on polymeric materials. She then pursued her Master's degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia, focusing on natural polymers for a sustainable future.

In February 2025, she began her PhD at the University of Warwick, working under the supervision of Professor Chaoying Wan from WMG and Professor Stefan Bon from the Chemistry Department. Her research will focus on nanocomposite materials aimed at enhancing the properties of polymers and elastomers.

Chengyu Zheng

MRes Researcher

Chengyu graduated from the University of Glasgow in June of 2023 with a BEng in Biomedical Engineering.

In September 2024, Chengyu joined BonLab as a MRes student. His research is focussed on taking a sustainable approach and investigates the introduction of bio-based design elements in gels so that they can be programmed, have the ability to communicate, and regulate their storage and release profiles.

In his free time, Chengyu enjoys cooking, skiing, as well as watching sports, such as football and Formula 1 racing. He also has a vast interest in music of different kinds.