Zoe Pikramenou is a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Photophysics in the School of Chemistry leading a vibrant research group on luminescent metals in interdisciplinary projects with Dentistry, Cancer Sciences, Biosciences Environmental Sciences and Physics to address challenges in biomedical and environmental sciences.
She is co-Chief Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry, Nanoscience, Chair of the RSC Photochemistry and Photophysics group and member of the International Organising Committee, EuroBIC.
She has held positions as Director of Global Engagement in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, leading strategic partnerships and collaborative engagement opportunities across Physical Sciences and Engineering, and School Athena SWAN lead, introducing activities to advance women’s careers in science. She also held appointments as external examiner in Inorganic Chemistry in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in UK institutions.
Zoe’s expertise lies on the synthesis and properties of photoactive lanthanide and transition metal complexes in supramolecular and nanoparticle designs for detection and imaging. In biomedical sciences the interests lie in using the metal signal to understand and track drug delivery in cells and tissues but also to use new platforms for therapy. In environmental science and diagnostics the sophisticated designs of metals can lead to sensitive detection of pollutants or other small molecules. Zoe’s research group has introduced new ligand designs for lanthanide complexes from polynuclear assemblies to nanoparticles as well as advancing nanoparticle probes for detection using luminescence signal from ruthenium and iridium probes on nanoparticles for imaging in cancer tissues and blood flows. Our press releases on luminescent nanoparticles have attracted wide interest from diagnostics to detection and therapy in Dentistry and Cardiovascular Imaging.
The research has been supported by EPSRC, MRC, BBSRC, The Leverhulme Trust, the Royal Society and EU grants including Marie Curie Research Training Networks and COST networking support.
The group’s research has been recognised with invitations to international leading conferences in Bioinorganic Chemistry, Materials, Nanomedicine. Zoe has also delivered several lectures and organised events for career development and student support in STEMM, presenting the view of career paths and balancing academic work with family demands.
Research webpages