Principal Investigator
Dr. Susannah Bourne-Worster
Susannah is a computational chemist interested in understanding the photoexcited dynamics of molecules in complex environments. Having grown up a committed technophobe, Susannah was first introduced to programming and the joys of theoretical chemistry during her MChem year at the University of Oxford. She remained in Oxford to complete a DPhil studying the effect of spin relaxation in the photoinduced radical pair reaction thought to underpin the magnetic compass sense of migratory birds. In 2018, Susannah completed her DPhil, got married (changing her name from Worster to Bourne-Worster) and moved to Bristol to take up an independent postdoctoral fellowship from The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, modelling exciton transport in photosynthetic antenna. In 2022, she moved to UCL as a postdoctoral researcher on the collaborative UPDICE (Ultrafast Photo Dynamics in Complex Environments) programme. In January 2025 she took up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at the University of Durham, where she also holds a proleptic post as Assistant Professor in Computational Chemistry/Data Science. Outside of research, Susannah is a busy mother to an energetic toddler and enjoys singing, ballroom dancing, crafts and walking.
PhD students
Esther Bourne
Esther completed her MSci in Chemistry and Physics at Durham University in 2024, with a final year project focusing on characterising amorphous drugs using molecular dynamics simulations and NMR. She is interested in the application of computational chemistry to understand complex materials, particularly within the field of sustainability. In her spare time she enjoys travelling, gaming and going to the gym. Esther will be joining the group in October 2025 to start a PhD exploring efficient methods for modelling the excited state dynamics of large biochromophores.
Masters students
Harvey Scott
Harvey comes from North Yorkshire. Studying both Chemistry and Earth Sciences as part of the Natural Sciences program has given him a diverse perspective on the applications of chemistry in natural systems. He is particularly interested in the use of photonics to study these systems at the protein scale. In his free time Harvey enjoys hillwalking or (if it rains) tabletop games with friends. Harvey will be joining the group in October 2025 for the final year of his MChem degree.