Dr Kevin Critchley

Kevin Critchley is a Biomedical Senior Translational Fellow in the Molecular and Nanoscale Physics group based in the School of Physics and Astronomy. He obtained his PhD in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leed in 2005 and went on to do postdoctoral research. From 2007 until 2010 he was an EU Marie Curie International Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, USA.

Research Areas: Self-assembly; Quantum dots, Nanowires, Self-assembled monolayers

My interests are in the development and study of nanomaterials and their interactions with biological systems leading to potential biomedical applications. In particular I am researching the development of fluorescent probes know as quantum dots that can target specific biomarkers. Quantum dots themselves are nanocrystals of semiconductor that confine the electronic states allowing one to control the wavelength of light emitted and give rise to a high quantum yield. Other advantages are that they do not photo-bleach and they have an addressable surface for biomolecular functionalisation. Interestingly, we consider quantum dots (QDs) to be similar to proteins in several ways. QDs are similar size, a well-defined shape and surface chemistry to proteins leading us to study their ability to mimic the self-assembly of proteins into 1D, 2D and 3D ordered structures (Science 327, 2010, 1355). I am interested in developing QD biomedical applications for diagnosis, treatment, and drug delivery.