Dr. Ahu Parry

Biography

Ahu Gümrah Parry (née Dumanli) joined the School of Materials at the University of Manchester as a BP-ICAM Dame Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellow in January 2019. Her research predominantly focuses on the tailoring of shape, size, and surface chemistry of nanoparticles, which are mainly produced from natural and sustainable sources. She develops highly porous, high surface area lightweight hydrogels and aerogels for use in chemical deposition systems, selectively separating media, and catalytic processes. By tuning the self-assembly of nanoparticles into fibrillary structures, Ahu aims to enhance understanding of materials organization in nature. Her work also involves producing nanocomposites using metal oxides, plasmonic nanoparticles, and functional polymers to extend applications in energy harvesting systems and sensors. Ahu completed her chemistry studies at Hacettepe University, Ankara, followed by a PhD on the controlled production of carbon nanotubes at Sabanci University, Istanbul. In 2008, she joined the Macromolecular Materials group led by Alan Windle at Cambridge, focusing on the production of cellulosic advanced materials. She was awarded the Schlumberger Faculty Future Fellowship in 2012, working jointly with the Steiner (Physics) and Reisner (Chemistry) groups at the University of Cambridge. Before her current position, Ahu served as a Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London, specializing in Advanced Characterization Techniques and High-Resolution Imaging Scattering Techniques.

Research Interests

Experience