Dr. Lee A. Fielding obtained a MChem in Chemistry with first class honours from The University of Sheffield in 2008. This was followed by a PhD in 2012 on the synthesis, characterization and applications of colloidal nanocomposite particles from the same institution with Professor Steven P. Armes, FRS. Dr. Fielding then worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher on the preparation of bespoke colloidal particles via RAFT dispersion polymerization, in part for occlusion within inorganic host crystals. He has conducted research in several other areas of polymer and colloid science including the preparation of polymer brushes, as well as synthetic micrometeorite analogues. He took up a Lectureship in the Department of Materials at The University of Manchester in 2015, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2021, and Reader in 2026. He is currently the Head of Education for Materials Science and Engineering.

In the Department of Materials he has previously been the Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies, Subject lead for Polymers and Composites, and Programme Co-ordinator for the MSc in Polymer Materials Science and Engineering (PMSE). He has acted as the chair of the Staff-Student Liaison Committee for Postgraduate Taught students in Materials, the chair of the Materials Departmental Forum and has sat on the Faculty of Science and Engineering Faculty Committee. He has also been the Research area lead for Chemical Materials Design in the Henry Royce Institute.

Externally, he has served as a committee member of the Joint Colloids Group and the Recent Appointees in Polymer Science group, and held the role of Chair of the Early Career Colloid Network.

The Fielding research group is part of the Department of Materials and is based in the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Research and Innovation and the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub.

The main focus of our research involves the design, synthesis and applications of polymers and polymer colloids for use in various applications. We have expertise in the preparation of colloidal nanoparticles, colloidal nanocomposites, polymer latexes and hydrogels using primarily (controlled) radical polymerisation techniques. Characterisation of such materials typically involves using an array of methods such as dynamic light scattering, disc centrifuge photosedimentometry, transmission & scanning electron microscopy, NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, atomic force microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. The research in our group is collaborative in nature, with currently ongoing projects in the areas of e.g. Sustainable waterborne protective coatings; Nanocomposite, multifunctional hydrogels; Polymer additives for 3D printing; Graphene and related 2D material composites; and Biomedical diagnostics based on polymeric nano/micro-particles.

The Fielding research group is part of the Polymers and Composites research theme in the Department of Materials and the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub in the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Research and Innovation. More details, including current group members, can be found on the Fielding group website.

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)

Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (MIMMM)

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

Funded PhD projects in our group will be advertised through findaphd.com. 

Self-funded students, or students who have already secured sponsorship, are welcome to apply for PhD positions in our group at any time and should initially make an informal enquiry via email. The PhD descriptions below are examples of recently available & ongoing PhD projects in the group.

Nano-structured colloidal composites. This research programme focusses on the fundamental and practical aspects involved in the synthesis and characterisation of organic/inorganic colloidal particles in dispersed (aqueous) media using polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA). Reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) mediated PISA allows the synthesis of a wide range of copolymer nanoparticles with controllable composition, functionality, morphology and size. The degree of control, simplicity and robustness of this methodology is therefore well suited for the preparation of new classes of organic/inorganic nanocomposite particles. Such nano-structured composites have the potential to display multi-functional properties which can be tailored towards applications in various fields of materials science such as sustainable coatings and biomaterials.

Development of polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA) systems for mechanochemical transformations. Block copolymers (BCPs) have potential in applications ranging from drug delivery to sensing due to their ability to form a wide range of controlled self-assembled nanostructures in solution. PISA offers many advantages over tradition self-assembly routes to produce such nanostructures. This powerful strategy removes the need for solvent or pH-switching post-polymerisation and can be conducted at much higher concentrations. One of the challenges facing PISA formulations is their potential to undergo shear-thinning behaviour during application, essentially disrupting the carefully designed self-assembly. Thus, for PISA formed nanoparticles to fulfil their potential in a wide range of applications it is vital to understand how these structures behave under different fluid flow conditions, such as shear flow produced during injection. Altering the molecular weight of BCPs during flow gives rise to the possibility of controlled structural change of PISA assemblies via mechanical force which is an exciting unexplored functional trigger for PISA systems. The aim of this project is to explore the effect of shear flow on PISA formulations and to design systems capable of controlled structure alteration in shear flow conditions. The realisation of these systems offers possibilities to drive mechanical release.