Tuomas Knowles studied Biology at the University of Geneva, and Physics at ETH Zurich. He moved to Cambridge in 2004 to work towards his PhD in the Cavendish Laboratory and the Nanoscience Centre. In 2008 he was elected to a Research Fellowship at St John’s College, Cambridge, and was then appointed to a University Lectureship in Physical Chemistry in 2010, joining the faculty at the Department of Chemistry in Cambridge.

He then successively held a University Readership between 2013 and 2015 and a Professorship since 2015 in the Department of Chemistry. Since 2016 he has been Professor of Physical Chemistry and Biophysics in the Department of Chemistry and at the Cavendish Laboratory, and is co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Protein Misfolding Diseases in Cambridge.

Nadia Erkamp is a second-year PhD student in the Knowles research group, supported by the Royall Scholarship. She joined the Department to follow her passion for biophysical research after completing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the Netherlands and doing research in the USA. Nadia works on liquid-liquid phase separation and how this is related to diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. In the future she hopes to start her own research group to improve our understanding of how cells (mal)function.

After completing a Master’s degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, Sven Royall spent 34 years with Shell in their Agrochemicals, Petrochemicals and Natural Gas businesses. As Executive Vice President of Strategy, HSE and External Affairs, he was also Chairman of the Criterion catalyst business and of the Chemicals manufacturing Joint Ventures with BASF. More recently, he was Vice President of Chemicals Intermediates and Commercial Operations with additional responsibility for M&A and transaction processes. Sven has worked on many JV boards in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and North America. He was Chairman of the Additives company, Infineum and has gained wider industry experience through the CEFIC Board in Europe as Chairman of the Product Stewardship Programme Council during the introduction of REACH and subsequently on the American Chemistry Council Board as Chairman of The Responsible Care Committee. Sven is currently Managing Director of Pilko & Associates and Chairman of Interface Polymers Ltd.