James Bowen Email & Phone Number

James is from the UK, where he studied chemical engineering at the University of Birmingham. He completed his PhD researching nanoscale adhesion in 2006, studying in the School of Chemistry at the same university under the supervision of Prof. Jon Preece and Prof. Kevin Kendall FRS. He then researched the adhesive and rheological properties of liquid nanofilms, working for Prof. Mike Adams and Prof. Zhibing Zhang; the project was funded by Unilever. From 2009-2014 he designed and managed the ERDF-funded Science City Advanced Materials Laboratory, working with 50 companies on 90 projects. From 2014-2020 he was the director of Bowen Instruments Ltd, during which time he designed a range of bespoke research equipment. In 2015 he joined the School of Engineering and Innovation (E&I) at the Open University, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2020.James currently leads cross-disciplinary collaborative efforts to develop novel geoengineering methods which utilise nanomaterials and particle technology. Focus areas include carbon dioxide sequestration, ocean clean-up, energy storage, sustainable packaging, and low carbon technologies. He has established interdisciplinary teams within the STEM Faculty, particularly with the School of Physical Sciences (SPS) and the School of Life, Health, and Chemical Sciences (LHCS).James’ expertise includes bionanotechnology, surface engineering, soft matter, and adhesion. He has developed new materials characterisation techniques, novel methods in atomic force microscopy, and large-area nanoscale tribological testing. His group and collaborators are investigating novel materials and surface treatments for regenerative medicine, the acoustic properties of nanostructured surfaces, structure-property relationships in avian eggshells, and the manufacture of extraterrestrial habitats.

Listed skills include Materials Science, Afm, Science, Chemical Engineering, and 31 others.