Theo completed his MChem at the University of York in 2019, completing a project exploring the phase behaviour of pyridinium-based ionic liquid crystals under the supervision of Prof. Duncan Bruce. He remained in York to complete his PhD under the joint supervision of Dr John Slattery, Prof. Jason Lynam and Prof. Ian Fairlamb. His PhD project focused on investigating the mechanism of the Pauson-Khand reaction, a cobalt-mediated cycloaddition, by applying a range of methods including statistical modelling and machine learning, in-situ FTIR spectroscopy, computational methods, and ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy. Synthesis of molybdenum cyclopentadienyl analogues of relevant cobalt-alkyne complexes highlighted new photochemical reactivity which was not accessible in cobalt systems. Additionally, he also worked during this time as a crystallography technician within the department, collecting and processing single crystal X-ray diffraction data for research groups. Following the conclusion of his PhD project in December 2023, Theo took up a position as an Associate Lecturer at the University of York, conducting practical and tutorial teaching, before joining the CTL team at Oxford in September 2024.
