About Louis

Louis was born in Wick (22/05/87) on the north coast of Scotland and obtained a MChem degree (1st Class Honours) from the University of St Andrews, including a one-year industrial placement at AstraZeneca (Charnwood). He completed his Masters research project in 2010 with Professor Andrew Smith, investigating Lewis base catalysed acyl transfer processes.

Staying at St Andrews, he completed his PhD under the direction of Professor Andrew Smith, producing a thesis entitled “Organocatalytic Functionalisation of Carboxylic Acids Using Isothioureas”, funded by a prestigious Carnegie-Caledonian Scholarship (2010-2014). This work expanded the utility of isothioureas in Lewis base catalysis, demonstrating the first intermolecular bond-forming reaction of carboxylic acid-derived C(1)-ammonium enolates.

For his postdoctoral research (and a change in weather!), he moved to UC Berkeley to join the research group of Professor Richmond Sarpong, entering the world of complex molecule synthesis. Specifically, he was involved in developing highly efficient and concise total syntheses of complex diterpenoid alkaloid natural products.

In June 2015, he started his independent research career at Cardiff University, before relocating to the University of Bath in 2024 where he is currently a Reader in Organic Chemistry.

Teaching

CH22008

Conformational Analysis and Diastereocontrol

CH30128

Stereoselective Organic Synthesis

Roles and Responsibilities

TBC

Nominated for Cardiff University Enriching Student Life Awards – Most Effective Teacher (2017), Most Engaging Staff Member (2023), Most Uplifting Staff Member (2018, 2022), and Personal Tutor of the Year (2018, 2019)

Carnegie Trust PhD Scholarship (2010-2014)

Syngenta Postgraduate Scholarship (2012)

Miller Prize (2010) – Highest Achieving Student in the Faculty of Science, St Andrews University

Irvine Jubilee Prize (2010) – Highest Achieving Student in Honours Chemistry, St Andrews University

F. D. Gunstone Prize (2010) – Best MChem Organic Chemistry Project, St Andrews University

Invited Lectures

56. Departmental Seminar, University of Sussex, UK, 6th November 2024.

55. 19th BMOS, Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, 26th September, 2024.

54. Departmental Seminar, University of Edinburgh, UK, 31st January 2024.

53. 29th SCI Annual Review Meeting, London, UK, 6th December 2023.

52. Departmental Seminar, University of Sheffield, UK, 22nd November 2023.

51. Departmental Seminar, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, 18th October 2023.

50. Departmental Seminar, Technical University of Denmark, 28th September 2023.

49. Gregynog Synthesis Workshop, Newtown, UK, 6-8th September 2023.

48. EuChemS Division of Organic Chemistry Young Investigator Workshop, Leuven, Belgium, 7th July 2023

47. Hickinbottom Award Lecture, University of St Andrews, UK, 24th May, 2023.

46. Hickinbottom Award Lecture, University of Bath, UK, Date 22nd May 2023.

45. Hickinbottom Award Plenary Lecture, RSC Organic South West Regional Meeting, University of Reading, UK, 17th May, 2023.

44. Departmental Seminar, University of Warwick, UK, 14th June 2023.

43. Plenary Lecture, Bristol Electrosynthesis Meeting, University of Bristol, UK, 3rd April 2023.

42. Departmental Seminar, Université de Lyon, France, 30th March 2023.

41. Oxford Pfizer Symposium, University of Oxford, UK, 23rd February 2023.

40. Departmental Seminar, University of Nottingham, UK, 6th December 2022.

39. New Frontiers in Synthetic Chemistry 2020, Virtual Symposium, 11th November 2020.

38. Webinar Series, Hosted by AstraZeneca, 10th November 2020.

37. Webinar Series, Hosted by Syngenta, 8th July 2020.

36. Electrosynthesis Webinar Series, Hosted by IKA, 27th May 2020.

35. Departmental Seminar, University of Leicester, UK, 6th November 2019.

34. Gregynog Synthesis Workshop, Newtown, UK, 11-13th September 2019.

33. DaM Annual Meeting, University of York, UK, 4th July 2019.

32. CDT Catalysis Annual Conference, Cardiff University, UK, 5th June 2019.

31. Departmental Seminar, Imperial College London, UK, 29th January 2019.

30. Departmental Seminar, GSK, Stevenage, UK, 13th December 2018.

29. Departmental Seminar, Nottingham University, UK, 14th November 2018.

28. Departmental Seminar, Nottingham Trent University, UK, 7th November 2018.

27. Gregynog Synthesis Workshop, Newtown, UK, 12-14th September 2018.

26. UNICAMP International Research Workshop, Campinas, Brazil, 5-9th March 2018.

25. Departmental Seminar, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, 16th February 2018.

24. RSC Organic Division South West Regional Meeting, University of Bristol, UK, 17th January 2018.

23. Departmental Seminar, Queen Mary University of London, UK, 3rd November 2017.

22. Xiamen International Research Workshop, Xiamen, China, 18-22nd September 2017.

21. Gregynog Synthesis Workshop, Newtown, UK, 13-15th September 2017.

20. Enabling Technologies for Synthesis DaM Event, Loughborough University, UK, 4-5th September 2017.

19. Departmental Seminar, The University of Manchester, UK, 23rd June 2017.

18. Supporting Synthesis & Self-Assembly DaM ECR Event, Liverpool, UK, 19-20th June 2017.

17. 253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, USA, 4th April 2017.

16. 253rd ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, USA, 3rd April 2017.

15. Departmental Seminar, Theravance Biopharma, San Francisco, USA, 31st March 2017.

14. Departmental Seminar, Aarhus University, Denmark, 23rd February 2017.

13. 15th Cardiff Chemistry Conference, Cardiff, UK, 9-10th May 2016.

12. 3rd Molecular Synthesis Section Meeting, Cardiff, UK, 14th April 2016.

11. Gregynog Synthesis Workshop, Newtown, UK, 9-11th September 2015.

10. IX J-NOST Conference, IISER Bhopal, India, 4-6th December 2013.

9. St Andrews Final Year PhD Symposium, St Andrews University, UK, 5th September 2013.

8. 23rd International Symposium: Synthesis in Organic Chemistry, Oxford University, UK, 22-25th July 2013.

7. 14th Tetrahedron Conference, Vienna, Austria, 25-28th June 2013.

6. 24th Regional Postgraduate Symposia on Novel Organic Chemistry (SCI), Dundee University, UK, 16th April 2013.

5. 41st RSC Scottish Regional Organic Division Meeting, St Andrews University, UK, 12th December 2012.

4. Syngenta Postgraduate Scholarship Awards Meeting, Jealott’s Hill Research Centre, Bracknell, UK, 11th December 2012.

3. RSC Organic Division Poster Symposium, Burlington House, London, UK. 3rd December 2012.

2. ISACS7: Challenges in Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Edinburgh University, UK, 12-15th June 2012.

1. Lilly Organic Chemistry Postgraduate Prize Day, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, UK, 3rd October 2011.