Edwin Flikkema

Having initially worked in polymer simulation, for the past few years Dr Flikkemas main interest has been in the area of theoretical chemistry and computational modelling of oxide systems using a variety of computational methods: global optimisation methods, energy landscape methods, Monte Carlo simulation and Molecular Dynamics. More specifically, he has worked on finding the optimal geometrical configuration of nanoscale silica clusters (based on the energy calculated via Density Functional Theory). More recent interests include hydroxylated silica clusters and two-dimensional foams.

Born in Haren in The Netherlands Dr Edwin Flikkema did his undergraduate studies in Theoretical Physics at the University of Groningen. He obtained his PhD at the department of Chemistry of the same university in 2002, on the subject of polymer simulation. Edwin Flikkema then went to the Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands to do a post-doc on the subject of computational modelling of silica clusters. From 2005 to 2007 he stayed in Cambridge (UK) on a Marie Curie Fellowship, working on the subject of energy landscapes in the group of Prof David J. Wales. After a brief stay at the University of Barcelona Edwin Flikkema joined the Department of Physics as an RCUK fellow in 2008. He has been a lecturer since 2012.