Simon Collinson's OpenLearn Profile

Simon Collinson is a Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at The Open University. Simon's PhD concerned ‘Bioinorganic chemistry mimicking copper metalloenzymes’ with Professor David Fenton at the University of Sheffield and was sponsored by BP Chemicals. This developed dicopper complexes of macrocylic Schiff base ligands. Simon then worked at the University of Kansas as a postdoctoral fellow developing ‘Metal catalysts for bleach activation’ with Professor Daryle Busch and the Proctor & Gamble Company which led to several patents and publications. Simon returned to the UK in 1998, working at the University of Exeter as a postdoctoral fellow studying ‘Metal containing liquid crystals’ with Professor Duncan Bruce. In 2000 he continued at the University of Exeter as a postdoctoral fellow developing ‘Electrochemical sensors for biological molecules’ with Dr Jim Tucker. In 2001 Simon was appointed at the University of Nottingham as a temporary lecturer and subsequently teaching fellow in Inorganic Chemistry. In 2009 he moved to Cranfield University as a lecturer in Environmental and Waste Chemistry. Simon joined the Open University in November 2011 as a Teaching Fellow in Chemistry and an Associate Lecturer on the level 3 Metals and Life course. Simon's research interests include heritage science, catalysis, environmental and waste chemistry as well as chemical education. Most of his research tackle real world problems often in collaboration with industry and other external organisations.