Panel discussion:
Vaitea Cowan, UK Lead at Fifty Years, Co-Founder at Enaptor
Dr Spencer Brennan, Founder at Neutreerno
Dr Xavier Moya, Founder at Barcoal
Networking to follow
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20Nov
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25Nov
Speaker: Kevin Tang (Centre for Risk Studies, University of Cambridge)
EPRG Energy & Environment Seminars Michaelmas Term 2025 Tuesdays fortnightly at 12.30-1.30pm (in-person) Please contact EPRG Administrator (eprgadm@jbs.cam.ac.uk) for further details
Seminar organizer: Zeynep Clulow(z.clulow@jbs.cam.ac.uk)
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26Nov
Future Pathways Forum
We want to hear from you! Complete this survey and help shape the event.
IMPORTANT: Event tickets are now available here, so make sure to get yours before they run out!
NAVIGATE YOUR NEXT CHAPTER!
Join us for Day 2 of the Research Pathways Symposium, dedicated to exploring diverse career pathways and providing researchers and postgraduates with the tools, networks, and confidence to plan their next steps.
What to expect:
Career insights and demystifying options beyond academia
Workshops & resources
Networking opportunities
Translate your research skills into market-ready competencies
Choose sessions that best fit your career goalsHighlights of the programme include:
Comprehensive Career Ecosystem
Explore academic, industry & entrepreneurial opportunities equally
Real-world journeys of career transition
Interactive Workshops tailored support for decision-making and planningThis forum goes beyond career fairs, it’s a dynamic hub for professional advancement, connecting you directly with the people, skills, and services that can inform and prepare you into shape your future.
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26Nov
The EPSRC Engineering Team will visit Cambridge on 26 November 2025. You are warmly invited to the open session. This is an excellent opportunity for researchers at all career stages to hear from the EPSRC Engineering team and discuss topics of interest.
More information about the engineering theme can be found here:
https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/browse-our-areas-of-investment-and-support/engineering-theme/
Agenda:
11.30-12.10: Overview of Engineering theme, strategy and funding opportunities
12.10 – 12.20: Peer review processes
12.20-12.30: Opportunities to support EPSRC through mechanisms such as the Strategic Advisory Teams, Early Career Forum, and peer review membership
12.30-12.50pm Q&A
12.50 -1.30pm: Lunch and networking
The EPSRC Engineering team visiting includes:
Andy Lawrence- Head of Engineering
Rob Felstead- Deputy Director Engineering and Healthcare themes, and EPSRC Representative to Uni of Cambridge
Eira Hughes- Senior Portfolio Manager NSF In charge, Mechanical Engineering
Tristian Fancourt- Senior Portfolio Manager- Strategic research infrastructure.
Ajinkya Rao- Portfolio Manager Infrastructure Urban Systems, Structural engineering, Built Environment
Maria Calderon Munoz- Portfolio Manager- Water Engineering, Ground Engineering
Alexander Sewryn- Portfolio Manager, Fluid Dynamics and Aerodynamics
Karen Davies- Portfolio Manager- Chemical Engineering, process engineering.
Marija Zacharova- Portfolio Manager- Engineering Biology, Biomaterials.
Lu Rauslova- Portfolio Manager- Materials Engineering and Early Career Forum
Bob Hunter- Senior Portfolio Manager - Control Engineering
Joshua Barritt – Portfolio Manager - Electromechanical Engineering and Microsystems
How to register: Please complete the following form to register your interest in attending:
Deadline to register: 12 November 2025
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26Nov
Speaker: Paula Mendoza-Moreno, Dept of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge
Abstract
The single greatest barrier to hydrogen (H₂) aviation is the immense challenge of storing and distributing liquid hydrogen (LH₂). This challenge is the primary obstacle to making flights that emit only water a practical reality. A significant part of this challenge stems from a fundamental property of H₂ itself: the interconversion of its isomers, ortho- and para-H₂, under liquid storage conditions. This exothermic isomerisation reaction is a major, direct contributor to the quick evaporation of LH₂, making fuel storage inherently inefficient. A solution is to promote the ortho-para conversion (OPC) with a catalyst in liquefaction. This enables the supply of stable LH₂ fuel that meets the standards required by H₂ aircraft designs.
This lecture will present findings from a recent study demonstrating that the industry-standard pursuit of >99% para-hydrogen purity is not only more expensive than we thought but also energetically sub-optimal for the aviation fuel cycle. The findings reveal that a strategically-tuned OPC process, accepting purities of 83-95%, reduces liquefaction energy demands by 8-13% while reducing evaporation losses during storage for the critical 1-7 day transport window. This optimisation, when coupled with green H₂ production, leads to a >92% reduction of CO₂ emissions from fuel production to flight on routes such as London-New York. Furthermore, this talk will outline the experimental continuation of this work, building on the kinetic understanding of the catalytic OPC. The new insights gained into this quantum phenomenon directly address the evaporation of H₂ in storage tanks, the economic viability of H₂ aviation, and the carbon footprint of the LH₂ supply.
Part of the Bigger Picture Talk Series
Speaker Bio:
Paula Mendoza-Moreno is a Gates Cambridge Scholar and a final year PhD Candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on overcoming core engineering challenges in liquid hydrogen storage and distribution to enable its adoption as a sustainable aviation fuel.
By bridging theoretical chemistry, quantum mechanical principles, and practical process design, she aims to develop scalable and efficient LH₂ infrastructure solutions. Her current work centres on the ortho- to para-hydrogen conversion kinetics and the environmental sustainability of hydrogen aviation systems. Paula holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biological engineering from Colorado State University.
She has worked on techno-economic and life cycle assessment projects for advanced biofuels at Argonne National Laboratory, high-value commercialisation pathways of natural resins with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and sustainable bio-economies for arid regions at the Colorado State University Energy Institute.