People

Professor Julian Allwood FREng

Julian Allwood is Professor of Engineering and the Environment at the University of Cambridge and directs the Use Less Group. Uniquely, his research aims to articulate a pathway to zero emissions based on technologies that already exist at scale. This directs attention to eliminating process...

Dr Cyrille Dunant

Dr Dunant holds a PhD in Material science. His background in concrete durability has led him to develop an interest in design and efficient use of materials. He is now currently working on two projects, both centred on making better use of steel in construction. The first explores the barriers...

Dr Omer Music

Omer joined the Use Less Group in November 2021, as a Senior Research Associate. He is interested in flexible manufacturing; both craft forming processes like spinning, hammering and wheeling and modern numerically controlled flexible forming processes.

Omer holds a BSc and MSc in...

Dr Shiju Joseph

Dr Shiju Joseph is a research associate at the University of Cambridge. He is interested in developing novel low-carbon and low-cost cementitious binders and characterization of cementitious materials. He has a background in civil engineering and received his PhD from KU Leuven, Belgium. He has...

Dr Hannes Gauch

Hannes’ current research is across civil and environmental engineering and focusses on resource efficiency in the construction and operation of buildings. More specifically, he is interested in exploring trade-offs between service, emissions, energy, and cost amongst design options in both...

Dr Andrew Garrick

Dr Andrew Garrick is a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. His work focuses on the potential impact, scalability and delivery timelines of new energy technologies within the context of the UK’s 2050 net zero commitment.

He holds a PhD in Mechanical engineering from the...

Dr Rohit Prajapati

Dr Rohit Prajapati is currently working on the Cambridge Electric Cement project. He is interested in utilisation of construction and industrial waste materials. He has experience in concrete recycling and durability of concrete structures. His current interests are low-carbon cements and...

Sam Stephenson

Sam joined UK FIRES in January 2021 as a PhD student researching the politics of decarbonisation. His current research explores the limitations of the current techno-optimist climate policy and how we can provide space for new policies that target the systemic roots of the climate crisis through...

Jenny Hawkin

Jenny is a PhD student working to understand the feasibility of net-zero mitigation proposals, given the limited rate of energy infrastructure deployment. She previously worked in a wide range of roles at Rolls-Royce, and for a small non-profit organisation in rural Malaysia who deploy clean...

El-Amin Ahmed

El-Amin is a PhD student as part of the FIBE2 Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment. His project is titled “Net Zero Carbon Bridges” which is focussed on understanding the challenges of building bridges in line with the net zero by 2050 target. 

Tom Ardron

Tom Ardron joined the Use Less Group / UKFIRES as a PhD student in 2022 as part of the FIBE2 Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Infrastructure and Built Environment.

Tom is an ARB registered architect with several years of industry experience working primarily within the private...

Rishabh Arora

Rishabh joined the group as a PhD student and is working on novel manufacturing processes. He is interested in improving material utilisation in the automotive industry. Along with building a replacement for the traditional metal stamping machines, he hopes to develop the underlying mechanics...

Freddie Follows

Freddie joined the group as a PhD student in 2022, sponsored by Advanced Electric Machines. His research is focused on reducing the lifetime impact of electric motors in the automotive industry, aiming to remove permanent magnets and copper from traction motors. 

Camilla Hurst

Camilla is pursuing a PhD in ‘accelerating climate mitigation’, where her work will explore, characterise, and promote business opportunities that accelerate the transition to a zero emissions future.

Camilla has a background in Materials Science, with a Master of Engineering degree from...

Pippa Horton

Pippa joined the Use Less Group in October 2016, as a PhD student.  She is interested in material efficient manufacturing techniques. She aims to develop a material efficient sheet metal stamping process which can be readily adopted in industry to reduce sheet metal scrap. Pippa has quantified...

David Evans

David joined the Use Less Group as a PhD student in October 2023. His research is focused on reducing scrap metal in the automotive industry. He will be using the fundamental mechanics of sheet metal forming to develop novel processes which integrate with traditional metal stamping machines....

Jack Lynch

Jack Lynch is a third year PhD student sponsored by Sky Ltd. His research is focused on how we can leverage household electronic devices in a way so as to lower energy consumption within a home.

Fran O'Neill Sergent

Fran has been working at the University of Cambridge since 2013 on all the projects within the Use Less Group, including Tick Zero, UK FIRES, 88 Pianists and ICTP2017. She is a graphic and multimedia designer, web developer and filmmaker with a background in film, television, radio and theatre....

Kirsten Helene Saward

 Kirsten looks after the administration of the projects which includes monitoring budgets and spend, overseeing recruitment and arranging the meetings of the group. Before joining the Use Less Group, Kirsten worked as administration manager in the...

Karen Mitchell

Karen Joined the Engineering Department in 2016, initially working for Building Projects and then as Research Group Administrator for the Structures Group.  She joined UK FIRES in 2021 and now provides administrative support on several projects within the Use Less Group.