Patrick J O'Malley

Patrick O’Malley is a Reader in Physical Chemistry at The University of Manchester, originally from Mayo, Ireland. He earned his B.Sc., Higher Diploma in Education, and Ph.D. from University College Galway, along with a D.Sc. from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in 2002. His research experience includes positions at Michigan State University and Brookhaven National Laboratory. With over twenty years of teaching physical chemistry at the undergraduate level, Patrick has published extensively on pedagogical innovations and advocates for technology-enhanced teaching methods, serving as the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences academic lead for eLearning. He received a Teaching Excellence award from the University of Manchester in 2010. His research focuses on biophysical chemistry, particularly the electron transfer reactions involved in photosynthesis, making him an international leader in this field. He has published over 100 research papers and presented at various international conferences, employing computational chemistry and high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopies to investigate electron transfer mechanisms. Currently, he is exploring the mechanism of water oxidation in Photosystem II of higher plants, aiming to design an artificial solar catalyst that mimics natural processes.