Dr Soneni Ndlovu

Biography

Soneni completed her MChem in Chemistry with Study in Industry at the University of Sheffield (2016-2020). As part of her MChem programme, she spent her third year at Scott Bader Ltd on industrial placement, gaining valuable experience in applied chemical research within a commercial setting. She conducted her fourth year research project under the supervision of Professor Iain Coldham.

She then pursued a PhD in Chemistry at the University of St Andrews, working under the joint supervision of Professor Paul Wright and Professor Matt Clarke (2020-2024). Her doctoral research focused on the Functionalisation of the MOF-808 framework as a versatile catalyst for fine chemical synthesis. This research programme was jointly funded by GSK and EPSRC, and included a three-month placement at GSK, where she received specialist training in high-throughput reaction techniques.

Upon completing her PhD studies, she temporarily joined Drochaid Research Services as a Laboratory Assistant in early 2025, while exploring future directions. In July 2025, she began her current role as a Research Associate at Cardiff University, where she works on continuous flow homogeneous catalysis under the supervision of Professor Duncan Wass.

Soneni is passionate about integrating academic research with industrial innovation, with a particular focus on sustainable chemical technologies and advanced catalytic systems.

Professional memberships

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)