Filipe Vilela

Biography

I am an Associate Professor in Chemistry, Head of the Organic Section, and the Director of Postgraduate Research at Heriot-Watt University, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). I teach across the undergraduate chemistry programmes, covering organic, polymer, photochemical, and sustainable chemistry, and I lead research-driven laboratory and project-based learning at advanced levels. My research lies at the intersection of flow chemistry, polymer chemistry, and photochemistry. Originally trained as a polymer chemist (PhD, University of Strathclyde), I integrate these disciplines to develop sustainable chemical processes, functional polymeric materials, and light-driven systems for environmental and synthetic applications. I founded the Continuum Flow Laboratory, a dedicated facility that advances multiple dimensions of flow chemistry, including reaction monitoring, reactor design, microfluidics, and continuous purification.