Personal statement

Dr. Yu Chen received her PhD from Birmingham University in nanoscale physics in 2000 and subsequently was appointed to a lectureship in molecular nanometrology at Strathclyde University in 2007 funded by an EPSRC Science and Innovation Award. She is a fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, a member of the European Microscopy Society, the Institute of Physics, the American Chemical Society, and the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network. She serves as an expert panel member for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, a referee for top international journals, an invited speaker and a committee member for a number of international conferences and workshops.

Dr Chen’s main research activities lie in the creation and characterization of nanoscale structures for their unique physical and chemical properties, utilizing both optical and electron microscopy and spectroscopy. Her recent research in Photophysics Group focuses on surface plasmon enhanced effect, including two-photon luminescence, energy transfer and SERRS from noble metal nanoparticles, arrays and porous media, with strong links to biomedical imaging and sensing, as well as nanoparticle-cell interaction and cytotoxicity. Other work includes 3D visualization of nanoparticles, stability of Au nanoparticles, and creating nanostructures using chemical lithography and direct writing.