Email: i.abrahams@surrey.ac.uk 

Room: 05ATI01

Ian is a postgraduate researcher at the Leverhulme Quantum Biology Doctoral Training Center at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. His project focuses on “experimental investigation on the role of terahertz vibrations for wavelike excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic systems.” He received his B.S. degree in Biology at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, USA. Ian has a deep interest in evolutionary biology and the underlying order of life in the universe. He believes that a better understanding of  the role of molecular vibrations in biological energy transfer may provide new insight into the fundamental mechanisms of  evolution. 

His research focuses on using fluorescent proteins as an experimental model, studying them through site-specific mutagenesis to alter their structural, physical, and optical properties for later characterization using a wide arrange of spectroscopic techniques such as time-correlated single photon counting, terahertz circular dichroism spectroscopy, and neutron scattering. He suspects that further insight into the fundamental nature of how life evolves may help to elucidate the mysterious nature of life as well as potentially provide new avenues for renewable energy sources and more efficient technological energy transfer. 

Primary supervisor: Dr Youngchan Kim / Co-supervisors: Prof Ben Murdin, Dr Andrea Rocco