Thomas Malcomson

Profile

Combining a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry, Thomas has developed experience in a wide range of fields across the chemical and biological sciences. This wide experience, and a passion for multidisciplinary teaching, led to Thomas becoming a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2023 and receiving the Recognised Associate Supervisor award from UKCGE in 2024.

In 2023, Thomas was appointed as a teaching and scholarship (T&S) lecturer at Cardiff University where, in addition to continued research projects, he focused on the use of GenAI, skill development, mental health and wellness in Higher Education, and narrative teaching. These efforts were built into a series of ongoing, cross-institution collaborative scholarship projects that continue to strive towards improvements to the modern learning environments.

December 2024 saw Thomas joining the Biochemistry department here at Queen Mary where he aims to support and enhance the existing programme, providing student-led development opportunities in both research and scholarship.

Research

Research Interests:

Scholarship

• Bioscience Shorts
  • Development of short-form digital media to support student engagement with fundamental concepts
•  Use of GenAI in HE
  •  Developing training courses and guidance on the use of various generative AI tools to support student learning and skill development
• Holistic Wellness
  • Developing a framework to introduce accessible, inclusive wellness practice into the student experience
• Science Communication and Outreach
  • Developing opportunities for students to develop and hone skills in science communication, incorporating outreach and public engagement
• Understanding Neurodivergence
  • Developing a platform for students and staff to share their experience and the effect of support structures during their journey through academia
• Use of AI to Support Neurodivergence
  • Assessing emerging AI tools for their potential use in the academic environment to help support neurodivergent students
• Construction of Authentic Assessments
  •  Analysing the effectiveness of current assessment structures and proposing guidance for how to better align assessment strategies with the needs of modern graduates

Research

• Photosynthesis
  • Focusing on oxygen evolving complex of photosystem II, current studies are investigating the insertion of O6 at the end of the S2 state; final deprotonation of O6 in the S3 state; formation of the first oxygen bond at the end of S3; and the redox steps involved in the formation of the final oxygen bond during the S4 state.
• Lanthanide Separation
  • This area involves assessing the use of tailored macrocycles with high size selectivity for use in separation of lanthanide ions from waste material, without the need for costly extraction procedures.
• Compound Development of Photodynamic Therapy
  • Investigations here focus on the photochemical assessment of novel organometallic complexes, assessing their capacity for singlet oxygen production or ability utilise other, redox-based, mechanisms to promote targeted cell death.
• Production of Sustainable Polymers
  • Here we look to utilise transition-metal complexes to carry out controlled catalysis for predictable polymer production under room-temperature conditions using sustainably sourced reactants as we look to move away from our dependence on fossil fuels.