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 in Materials Chemistry and Bionanotechnology at the University of Strathclyde, and Co-Director of the university's Leverhulme Doctoral Center in Nature Inspired Acoustics.

He obtained his ScB and ScM at Brown University, PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and postdoctoral training at Northwestern University. His awards include the US NIH National Research Service Award, Scottish Crucible, and a Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Young Investigator research grant.

Aaron takes an interdisciplinary approach based on molecular engineering and biophysical chemistry to rationally develop and understand bioinspired macromolecules and biointerfaces for healthcare, environmental, and sustainability applications. The main material platforms are “peptoids”, a highly convenient peptide-mimetic platform, and tannic acid, a versatile and multifunctional molecular “integrator”. Current projects include nano-assembly from minimalist peptoids, design of antimicrobial membrane interactions, biomimetic acoustic structures, and tannic acid-based water remediation sorbents.

Aaron chairs a European Network for Nature Inspired Materials funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is Treasurer of the Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Nanoscience group, and he is Reviews Editor of Biophysics Reviews (American Institute of Physics Publishing).

Citizenship in Inclusion and Diversity
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