I am a Reader In Nanotechnology and a leader of the Nanomaterials Photonic Research Theme at AIPT and a head of Nanoscience Research Group.

I joined Aston University in July 2009, having spent the previous four years as Research Associate and Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, University of Cambridge, where I was a deputy head of Nanomaterials Spectroscopy Group (predecessor of Cambridge Graphene Centre).

Prior to that, I worked three years at the Japanese Premier Nanotechnology Research Institute  with a join appointment at  Photonic Research Institute at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST, Tsukuba) as a holder of prestigious  the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship and as an AIST fellow. 

My research background is in advanced materials, photonics, condensed matter and applied physics. I have gained a substantial work experience in nanotechnology, from engineering through to applications. I have developed optoelectronic devices and systems based on advanced functional materials. An important feature of my research is a constant focus on practical industrial applications of the obtained results.

My major scientific achievements include: 

• Development of nanotube-polymer composites with strong nonlinear optical properties;
• First demonstration of ultrashort pulse formation in erbium doped fiber lasers and waveguide lasers by using carbon nanotube mode lockers;
• First utilization of carbon nanotubes as a noise suppression filters in telecommunication systems;
• First identification of exciton energy transfer as the main mechanism responsible for high luminescence in small carbon nanotube bundles
• First experimental demonstration of spiral attractors in fibre lasers;
• First utilization of functionalized carbon nanomaterials for hybrid nanomaterial- localised surface plasmon photonic gas sensors
• Development of novel fluorescent probes base on organic dyes for detection amines, heavy metals and carbon nanomaterials.

Publication

View a complete list of publications at Google Scholar.

My current research interests span: nanomaterials synthesis by laser ablation and chemical routes; nanomaterials surface functionalisation for photonic, bio-medical diagnostic and drug delivery applications; optical spectroscopy of advanced materials; development of nanocomposites for photonic devices; food and agricultural products photonics; advanced manufacturing through photolithography, laser inscription and ink-jet printing processes.  I am designing and developing novel ultrafast fibre and waveguide lasers, optical switches, signal regenerative filters, fibre and waveguide biological and gas sensors, nanomaterials based electronic and photonic gas/bio sensors, microfluidic devices and micro spectrometers. 

Completed

09.2010-03.2015           “Carbon Nanotubes Technologies in Pulsed Fibre Lasers for Telecom and Sensing Applications”, Proposal No 269271- Acronym: TeLaSens FP7 Marie Currie International Research Staff exchange Scheme Project, Amount awarded- €269,000 (PI and Project coordinator)

01.2011 – 04.2011          “Molecular dynamic simulation of carbon nanotubes in organic solvents” High Performance Computing Europa project (HPC-EUROPA2 project number: 228398), Amount awarded- 60000 hours of CPU time (Co-PI)

11.2011- 10.2012            “Development of Functional Nanomaterials for Photonics and Sensor Applications“, The Royal Society Research Grant (RG110136) Amount Awarded- £15,000

12.2011 – 12.2014          “Novel Macromolecular Complexes for Rapid Detection of Hazardous Agents” The Science for Peace NATO (PI, NATO Project Director), Amount Awarded- €240,000 (SFP 984 189)

10.2013-04.2014 British Council Researcher Links 2013 project “New Advanced Materials for Photonics and Sensors”. Amount Awarded £30,000 (PI).

04.2013-02.2016             “Nanomaterial Photonic Sensors for Food Manufacturing”, Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF, Proposal #: 330516), Amount Awarded – (€309,235) (PI)

01.2014-10.2018             BBSRC Industrial Case PhD studentship “Developing new tools for understanding the in vivo distribution of vaccine adjuvants” Amount Awarded £105,000 (PI).

02.2015-02.2018             “Mid-IR ultrabroadband thulium-doped fiber laser systems”, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual European Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014_ST, Proposal #: 656984) Amount Awarded – (€195,450) (PI)

02.2015-07.2017             “Functionalised Organic Complexes for rapid Sensing of Industrial Polluters” Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual European Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014_ST, Proposal #: 654733) Amount Awarded – (€195,450) (PI)

03.2017-07.2018 “Hybrid Photonic Gas Sensors with Functionalised Carbon Nanomaterials”, The Royal Academy of Engineering/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship, (Project # LTSRF1617/13/57), Amount Awarded (£46,800) (PI)

 09.2015-12.2019- “Carbon-based nano-materials for theranostic application”, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) project (H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015, Proposal # 690945) Amount Awarded (€180,000) (PI)

09.2018-08.2020             “Metal Oxide functionalized carbon nanostructures for photonic gas sensors (MOFUS)”, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017_ST, Proposal #:795356) Amount Awarded – (€195,455) (PI)

10.2018-09.2020             “RF heating of gold nanoparticles for sensing by polymer photonic devices to detect potentially single biomolecules”, MULTIPLY Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Action project Amount Awarded – (€195,455) (Co-PI with Prof D Webb).

Current grants

11.2018-03.2019             “Enabling Technologies and Innovation Competences Challenge” (European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) and Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Amount Awarded to Dr Rozhin Group (18 months Grade 8 Research Associate position ~£54,500) (CI)

01.2020-12.2024            “The training of early stage researchers (ESR) for the development of technologies to monitor concentrations of micro/nano plastics in water for their presence, uptake, threat to animal and human life” M Curie Innovative Training Network (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 Project: 860775, MONPLAS) Totally awarded €4,244,415 Amount Awarded to Dr Rozhin Group (36 months ESR’s position ~€200,000) (CI)

• IHP GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany) fellowship for Young Ukrainian scientists (1998-1999)
• President of Ukraine Stipend for Young Scientists (1999-2001)
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) postdoctoral Fellowship (2002-2004)
• JSPS Furusato award (2011)
• The Royal Academy of Engineering/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2017)

• EE3NPD “Network Product Development” (BEng, EE& CS), Lecturer (2010-2013).
• EE2INS “Instrumentation”, (BEng, EE&CS) Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2010-2015).
• EE2PST “The Professional Engineer” (BEng, EE & CS), Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2011-2015).
• SE11EM “Transitional Mathematics for Engineers” (BEng, EE&CS) Module Tutor (2012-2014).
• SE12EM “Mathematics for 1^st year Engineers” (BEng, EE&CS) Module Tutor (2012-2013).
•  EE2CSY “Communication Systems” (BEng, EE,CS, Appl Phys), Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2015-2020)
• AP2MM1 “Mathematical Methods for Physicists”, (BSc Applied Physics), Lecturer & Module Tutor (2016-2020)
• EE4030 “Information Theory Coding and Traffic Theory” (MSc, ComSys, EE), Lab Teaching (2016-2018)
• AP2EMG "Electromagnetism “(BSc Appl. Phys), Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2018-2020)
• EE2COM  “Communication Systems” (BEng, EE &CS), Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2020-present)
• EE1EPR "Electrical principles" (BEng, EE &CS), Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2020-present)
• EE3RSY/EE402B "Radio Systems and Personal communications" (BEng/MEng, BSc/Msc, EE, CS, ApplPhys) Lecturer & Module Coordinator (2020-present)

We are always welcome applications from enthusiastic, hard-working candidates for PhD studentships and Postdoctoral positions. The funding could be from the school or external councils.

The available projects for training are: 

• Surface functionalization of nanomaterials
• Development of polymer nanocomposites for photonics applications
• Optical characterization of nanomaterials (UV-NIR, Photoluminescence Excitation-Emission Spectroscopy, Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy)
• Photonics of Food and Agricultural Products
• Development of nanomaterials based devices: ultra-short pulse lasers, bio medical  and gas sensors, micro-fluidic devices

• PhD in Solid State Physics, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, National Academy of Science of Ukraine (NASU), Kyiv Ukraine, July 2001.
• Join BSc & MSc with qualification Physicist, Engineer of Optoelectronic Systems, Lecturer of Physics,  Department of Optics and Optoelectronics,  Faculty of Physics, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1998.
• Specialist diploma in Radioecology, Ukrainian Radiological Training Centre, Kyiv, Ukraine, June 1998.
• Certificate in Innovations and Technology Management , Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, January 2009.

• 07.2009 – present,  Lecturer, then  Senior Lecturer (2012), then Reader (2016) in Nanotechnology,  Nanoscience Research Group and Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT), School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
• 01.2014- present Laser Protection Supervisor for AIPT and Electrical, Electronic & Power Engineering Subject Group.
• 03.2005 - 06.2009    Senior Research Associate (from October 2008) & Research Associate, Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
• 05.2002 - 03.2005    JSPS & AIST Postdoctoral Fellowship, Nanotechnology Research Institute & Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
• 05.2001-05.2002 Researcher, Institute for Semiconductor Physics NASU, Kyiv, Ukraine

• Senior Member of Optical Society of America
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Member of The JSPS Alumni Association of the UK and Republic of Ireland

Editorial Bord member for Sensors (MDPI), PhotoChem (MDPI)

Member of the sub-committee and co –organizer “Micro and Nano Photonics Workshop”. Technical Programme Committee Member, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Europe and the European Quantum Electronics Conference, CLEO/Europe-EQEC, Munich, Germany. (2014-present)