Members

Lingcong Meng

Group Leader

Lingcong is a lecturer in the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh (UoE). He is also affiliated with the Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Edinburgh Medical School. Prior to joining UoE, He was a lecturer at the University of Lincoln and a PDRA at the University of Southampton. He received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Warwick. Outside of the lab, Lingcong enjoys spending time with his cat, Feizai.

Hanlin Shen

3rd Year PhD Student

Hanlin grew up in China and joined the Meng group as a PhD student in October 2023. Before this, he completed a Master’s degree in Materials Chemistry in Shanghai, China. His Master’s project focused on using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy to investigate on-surface self-assembly of biomolecules. In 2023, he started his PhD project in Edinburgh supported by the CSC scholarship, aiming to study and develop novel chemical modifications of carbon electrode surfaces for enhancing electrochemical biosensing. Besides, Hanlin is also interested in learning DFT calculations to better understand the fundamental mechanism of electrochemical redox reactions. Outside of the lab, Hanlin enjoys cooking, cycling, and Lego. 

Xue Lu

2nd Year PhD Student

Xue was born in China and went to the University of Seoul Dankook in 2018 to study Chemical Engineering. In her undergraduate degree, Xue focused on organic synthesis and catalyst research. Her Master's project (PGT degree) was finished at the University of Edinburgh in 2023 where she learned how to probe the neurotransmitter dopamine using boron-doped diamond electrodes with the help of Dr Lingcong Meng. Xue joined the Meng group in 2024 for PhD study and she am interested in carbon based electrodes for neurotransmitter monitoring. Apart from work, Xue enjoy traveling and writing novels.

Sofia Olendraru

2nd Year PhD Student

Sofia grew up in France and Romania before moving to Oxford in 2020 for her undergraduate degree in Chemistry. Her final year Master’s project, supervised by Professor Susan Perkin, investigated the role of zwitterionic species in modifying interactions at charged surfaces, focusing on physical phenomena within biological contexts. Sofia started her PhD in the Meng group at the University of Edinburgh in September 2024 and her research project involves the design of electrochemical nanopipette sensors to detect biomarkers of disease. Outside of the lab, Sofia enjoys reading, cooking, and exploring the city with friends.

Anqi Cao