James Hutchison appointed Chief Investigator

Exciton Science is delighted to announce the appointment of the University of Melbourne’s Dr James Hutchison as a Chief Investigator in the Centre.

James, who has previously been involved with Exciton Science as an Associate Investigator, is a senior lecturer in physical chemistry and formerly an ARC Future Fellow, with a primary interest in surface plasmon photonics and polaritonics.

He completed his Bachelor of Science and PhD at the University of Melbourne, followed by roles as a postdoctoral research fellow at KU Leuven and the University of Strasbourg, where he joined the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research) as a tenured researcher from 2012 to 2017, a role his shared with his position as an ARC DECRA Fellow at the University of Melbourne.

His research aims to uncover new avenues for efficient light-to-chemical energy conversion, and for ultra-sensitive molecular (bio)sensing. He studies the physicochemical properties of molecular polaritonic states, surface plasmons and 2D materials.

“I’m thrilled to be continuing my research with the University of Melbourne and looking forward to taking on a leadership role within Exciton Science,” James said.

“I’m grateful to the Centre and the School of Chemistry for their support. I’d also like to acknowledge all the hard work of my students and collaborators past and present – their enthusiasm and insight is what makes research such a meaningful and rewarding experience.”