Biography

Takashi Lawson is an EPSRC David Clarke Research Fellow specialising in photonic materials, light‑management strategies, and microscale reactor engineering. His current research focuses on luminescent solar microreactors, developing optical and materials platforms that enhance solar‑driven chemical transformations within microfluidic systems.

Takashi first joined the group in September 2021 as a Research Associate after completing his PhD at the Cambridge NanoDTC, supervised by Dr Tijmen Euser and Prof Erwin Reisner. His doctoral research centred on high‑sensitivity, low‑volume monitoring of photocatalytic reactions in optofluidic microreactors. He holds an MEng in Materials Science from the University of Oxford (2017), where he worked with Prof Harish Bhaskaran on optical devices based on phase‑change materials. He has served continuously as Director of Studies in Materials Science at Corpus Christi College since September 2021.

From 2021 to 2024, Takashi undertook a three‑year postdoctoral project on luminescent waveguide‑encoded lattices (LWELs). In collaboration with Prof Kalaichelvi Saravanamuttu and colleagues at McMaster University, this work developed photonic structures designed to enhance solar‑cell performance under ambient, diffuse indoor lighting. The project was supported by the ERC SPECTRACON grant, following earlier funding from an EPSRC New Horizons grant and the Isaac Newton Trust. Takashi also contributed to the early commercialisation pathway for LWEL technologies through participation in the Impulse entrepreneurship programme.

In August 2024, Takashi joined Microsoft Research, where he worked on laser‑writing in glass for long‑term archival data storage, contributing to emerging approaches for durable, high‑density information preservation. He returned to the group in January 2026 to begin his current EPSRC David Clarke Research Fellowship.

Beyond his research, Takashi has supported a range of widening‑participation initiatives aimed at improving access to STEM and higher education.

Awards and Professional Recognition

• EPSRC David Clarke Research Fellowship
• Member of the UK Young Academy
• Armourers and Brasiers’ Company Postdoctoral Prize (departmental)
• Chartered Scientist (CSci)
• Chartered Engineer (CEng)
• Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA)

External Links

Personal Website: https://www.takashilawson.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/takashilawson/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=eAOPwKEAAAAJ