Simon Titmuss

Research interests

Simon's current research interests focus on applications of polymer physics to biological problems and the development of sustainable materials. 

Many of these problems involve drying of complex fluids (e.g. blood) and how they coat/imbibe into porous materials (e.g. fabrics). 

I really enjoy working with SMEs via Edinburgh Complex Fluids Partnership to solve challenging industrial problems.

In the past I have applied  neutron scattering and reflectivity to investigate a physical basis for the life and death of bacteria, the mechanical and self-assembly properties of viruses and the flow of molten chocolate; not all at the same time.

Further in the past I worked on polymers at various interfaces: Pickering emulsions stabilized by responsive polymer brush functionalized gold nanoparticles; stealth viruses formed from polymer coated Adenovirus; planar gold and sapphire interfaces functionalized with responsive polymer brushes. 

Even further in the past I built a number of Surface Forces Apparatus and a Diffractometer to do Low Energy Electron Diffraction at low beam current densities and liquid helium temperatures.

Administrative roles

• Edinburgh  Director for the SOFI2 CDT
• PhD coordinator for ICMCS with responsibility for soft matter/biological/statistical physics as well as astrobiology and physics education research
• Member of Teaching Committee

• I am Course Organizer for Physics of Fields & Matter  (PHYS08046, Level 8, year 2) and lecture the Physics of Fields component
• I am part of the course teams for Experimental Physics 3 (semester 1), Experimental Physics 2 (semester 2), Physics Skills as well as the School of Biology final year course Membrane Biology
• I run the Future of Energy workshop on Biological Energy
• I have been an Academic Advisor (formerly Personal Tutor) since 2012

Simon has featured in the following recent School news stories:

Highlighted publications