Rate My Professor Matthew O’Brien

Dr Matthew O’Brien is a Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry in the Lennard-Jones School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences at Keele University, appointed to a lectureship in organic chemistry in summer 2012. Prior to Keele, he was Fellow and Director-of-Studies for Natural Sciences at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, working alongside Professor Steven V. Ley CBE FRS on natural product total synthesis and flow chemistry innovations. Previously, O’Brien served as Kinerton Lecturer of Organic Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin for three years, where his research emphasized remote asymmetry using spiroketal scaffolds for long-range asymmetric induction. His postdoctoral work with Professor Ian Paterson FRS at Cambridge focused on the total synthesis of the marine macrolide discodermolide. O’Brien obtained his PhD from the University of Manchester under Professor Jim Thomas, targeting the total synthesis of the bryostatin family of natural products. After graduating with an undergraduate degree from the University of York, he held an industrial role as a medicinal synthetic chemist at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals (now AstraZeneca).

O’Brien’s research group at Keele pursues two core themes: devising novel stereoselective synthetic methodologies and total syntheses of biologically active natural products, alongside pioneering enabling technologies for automated synthesis, especially continuous-flow chemistry. A landmark contribution is his invention of a gas-handling method in continuous flow reactors using the Teflon AF-2400 gas-permeable membrane, developed during his Cambridge tenure. Notable publications include the continuous-flow inline liquid-liquid extraction system with computer-vision control (Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2012) and contributions to camera-enabled techniques for organic synthesis (Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2013). He was honored as an Outstanding Reviewer for Reaction Chemistry & Engineering by the Royal Society of Chemistry. O’Brien leads advanced modules such as CHE30039 Advanced Organic Chemistry (module leader), CHE20001 Organic Synthesis and Catalysis, CHE20029 Radicals, Phases and Supramolecular Chemistry (module leader), and supervises CHE-30002/40/41 Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry research projects, alongside CHE30010 Forensic Toxicology and others.