Strathclyde profile: Dr. K. H. Aaron Lau
Google Scholar: King Hang Aaron Lau
Scopus ID: 55729134700
ORCID: 0000-0003-3676-9228
linkedin: uk.linkedin.com/pub/aaron-lau/13/83a/15/

Biosketch
Aaron is associate professor of chemistry and co-director of the Leverhulme Doctoral School in Nature Inspired Acoustics at the University of Strathclyde. He earned his Sc.B. and Sc.M. at Brown University (Providence, USA), and his Ph.D. at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany). He obtained his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University (Evanston, USA) before joining Strathclyde (Glasgow, UK) as a founding member of its Bionanotechnology initiative. His interdisciplinary research in biophysical chemistry and materials engineering seek to deepen understanding of macromolecular interactions for developing novel bio-, nano-, and sustainable materials. Current projects include basic studies in peptoid self-assembly and mimicry of intrinsically disordered proteins, and the development of antimicrobial peptoids, acoustically functional structures, as well as plant-based polyphenol water remediation sorbents. Aaron’s awards include the US NIH National Research Service Award, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) mobility fellowship, Scottish Crucible, and the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Young Investigator award. He currently chairs a Saltire European Network for Nature Inspired Materials, funded through the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and he is Treasurer of the RSC Chemical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology interest group. He is associate/reviews editor of Biophysics Reviews and a member of the editorial advisory boards of several academic journals.

Citizenship in Inclusion and Diversity
Beyond scientific research, Aaron is passionate about inclusion and diversity. He is especially interested in understanding and improving the progression of both students and staff coming from under-represented groups. He was recently a member of Strathclyde's Race Equality Working Group that produced the University’s first report on the issue, with the recommendations now being carried out by the University's newly established Race Equality Steering Group. Earlier, he was co-author of his department’s first successful proposal for an AthenaSWAN gender equality award, and he is currently the Departmental Disability Coordinator. Aaron is also active in a "Chemistry of the Cupcake" public outreach activity, and he has led his research group to present this activity at various Scottish science festivals, museums, and schools.

Appointments
Since 2019 Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer)
2013 Assistant Professor (Lecturer)
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, UK

2011 NIH National Research Service Award NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow
2008 Postdoctoral Fellow
Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

2004 Senior Research Officer
2002 Research Officer
Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Singapore

2001 Research Attaché
Danish Technological Institute, Copenhagen (Valby), Denmark