Yuen-Ki Cheong is a Senior Lecturer in Materials and Structures and a researcher at the University of Hertfordshire. She holds a Chartered Chemist status, a recognised award from the Royal Society of Chemistry. She is a member of the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) and a holder of the BBSRC CTP Training Grant. Yuen-Ki has a research background in synthetic and applied chemistry, her recent work involved nanomaterial characterisations and their interactions with various microbes. Her current research focuses on functionalisation and antibiofilm evaluation of natural Chitinous polymers. 

What are you working on as part of the Hub?

My current research focuses on the exploration of effective antimicrobial solutions using nanomaterials and natural polymers. In particular, to develop novel and functionalised materials according to their structural activity relationship with the microbes at the molecular level.

What is exciting you the most about your current research?

Capturing the unseen and proving the unknown; designing and assembling new molecules for their tailored purposes are the reasons that keep me interested in my research.

What difference do you hope your research will make?

By understanding the structural relationships between molecules and microbes, I hope that someday, my research will unlock the key to antimicrobial resistance and provide prominent solutions to the existing and global fear of infectious transmission diseases.

What are you most proud of in your research career?

Over the past 10 years of my career, not only have I accumulated multi-disciplinary knowledge and collaborations, but the practical skills I earned have allowed me to develop desirable materials using alternative, green and sustainable methods. I am also proud to have shared my analytical skills and trained the younger generations in acquiring reliable and repeatable research data.