RSC Applied Interfaces Blog

The TriboUK 2025 Conference took place at the University of Birmingham on 18–19 June 2025.

RSC Applied Interfaces, Materials Advances and Soft Matter were pleased to sponsor the Best Poster Awards and a Best Talk prize at TriboUK 2025. The awards recognised outstanding early-career research, and we extend our warmest congratulations to all the winners!  

Learn more about our poster prize awardees below: 

Muhammad Aulia Rahman (Imperial College London)

Poster title: “Molecular Insights into Stress-Driven Ammonia Production via Mechanocatalysis”.

Muhammad Aulia Rahman is a PhD student in the Tribology Group at Imperial College London, supervised by Prof. Daniele Dini and Dr. James Ewen. His research focuses on molecular modelling of mechanocatalysis in energy systems, exploring how mechanical force influence catalytic processes at the nanoscale. He earned his MSc in Advanced Mechanical engineering from Imperial College London in 2021 and BEng from Gadjah Mada University in 2019. Prior to his PhD, he has also worked as a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia, where he taught and conducted studies in multiscale heat and thermal transport. His research interests include tribology, molecular simulation, and sustainable energy technologies.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aulia-rahmanm/

Qianrong Liu (University of Birmingham)

Poster title: “A study of maximum spreading ratio at zero impact velocity of mixed oils with Bayesian Optimisation”.

Qianrong Liu is a PhD student at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham. She holds an MEng degree from the College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Xi’an University of Science and Technology, where she also conducted research on fluorescent nanoparticles and microfluidics at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She later earned an MSc in Operational Research and Applied Statistics with Distinction from Cardiff University. Her current doctoral research focuses on applying Bayesian optimisation to the development of complex formulated products, integrating formulation science, surface analysis, microfluidics, automation, and both single- and multi-objective Bayesian optimisation.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qianrong-liu-46291930a/

Nicola Yau (University of Hull Graduate)

Poster title: “Tribological Testing of Menstrual Pads under Realistic Moisture Conditions”

Nicola Yau is a Biomedical Engineering student who has just completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Hull. She’s passionate about applying engineering to real-world challenges in women’s health, with a focus on comfort, inclusivity, and material science. Inspired by the everyday experiences often overlooked in design, she’s on a mission to make research more human, more inclusive – and just a little bit more sparkly ✨.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolayau-eng/

Best talk prize was awarded to:

Mrunmayee Joshi (PhD student at the University of Birmingham)

Congratulations to all the winners and to those who participated in this successful TriboUK 2025 event!

On 7 March, in celebration of International Women’s Day, the 2025 ‘Celebrating Women in Chemistry Conference and Careers Event’ was held at the Trent Building in the University Park Campus of University of Nottingham.

Committee and Event History

Originally founded by three PhD students, the Women in STEM Group at the University of Nottingham now consists of eleven members and its annual event has developed into a large celebration of women in STEM, with over 150 attendees attending its latest instalment.

This year’s event featured a diverse range of activities, including talks on inclusion and diversity, career insights, a discussion panel and multiple opportunities to network with fellow researchers and invited companies.

Talks

Dara O’Brien, one of the event’s co-founders,  delivered the welcome remarks, and shared further insight into the event’s purpose: bringing together the scientific community to celebrate women in STEM. The Breaking the Barriers report, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, served as one of the key motivations for organizing this event.

Andy Nortcliffe gave an introduction to allyship, outlining practical ways individuals can become effective and active allies across STEM, helping to foster a diverse and inclusive STEM environment.

Throughout the event, seven speakers (see full line-up here) shared their career journeys as women in STEM. A diverse range of careers across various industries—including academia, industry, patent law and consumer goods development—were showcased, highlighting the endless possibilities for women in science. Speakers also shared personal experiences, discussing the challenges they faced, particularly as women in STEM, while emphasizing the importance of the allyship and support they’ve received along the way.

PhD students, regardless of gender, were given the opportunity to present their research at the event in the style of a 3-minute thesis competition. Big congratulations to the prize winners Celia Rocton and Alexandra Brochoire.

Alongside this, PhDs and postdocs presented posters of their research in a poster competition, with prizes awarded to Jasmina Silmemaj, Neda Jeddi, Isabel Wood.

A highlight of the event was a panel discussion featuring four of the speakers (from left to right: Charlotte Crowhurst, Dara O’Brien, Anabel Lanterna, Mickella Dawkins). The audience were invited to submit real-time questions, and panel experts offered their insight and advice on these issues of interest. This led to in-depth discussion about work-life balance, challenges of women in STEM (and career progression), imposter syndrome and more.

Career stalls and networking

Throughout the event, during lunch and break sessions, delegates were able to network with various companies and find out about career opportunities.

The Royal Society of Chemistry was proudly represented at this event, offering resources on inclusion and diversity. At our stand, attendees  had the opportunity to learn more about our efforts to promote access to and inclusion in the chemical sciences. We also provided information on academic journals, publishing career opportunities, and the latest research in chemistry, further supporting the growth and advancement of individuals in STEM.

Outlook

This fully inclusive event provided a supportive environment for young researchers, fostering stimulating debate on gender equality and diversity within the scientific community, while celebrating the outstanding science being conducted at the University of Nottingham, by its alumni, and beyond.

We’d like to extend our thanks to the event organizers for inviting us to this wonderful occasion. Events like these play a crucial role in creating a sense of belonging in the chemical sciences. We hope that you have enjoyed reading about this impactful conference.