Bio
Being in love with science her whole life, Dr. Williams obtained her B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of the West Indies. Intrigued by the opportunity to create knowledge, she went on to pursue post-doctoral studies at the California Nanosystems institute (UCLA) and the University of Maryland. While at UCLA she was privileged to work under the supervision of 2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry – Sir J. Fraser Stoddart leading to an interest in mechanically interlocked molecules and other nanoscale supramolecular complexes and the realization of a new type of MIM known as Suitanes.
Her postgraduate experience outfitted her with a strong background in sensor science and technology and she currently interrogates new and emerging materials for the development of in-field sensors in the areas of food, agriculture and medicine.
Dr. Williams is committed to the highest standards of excellence and is receptive to new ideas, experiences and opportunities which perfectly dovetails my loves of research and travel.
Ultimately, Avril is a chemist who loves chemistry teaching and research, a far cry from her childhood dream of becoming a dentist!
Qualifications
Ph.D., The University of the West Indies, 2001
B.Sc., The University of the West Indies, 1996
Research Areas
My current interests lie in the development of bio- and chemical sensors for the detection and quantification of analytes of interest including toxins in food, feed and bodily fluids and endocrine disrupting chemicals. These sensors often incorporate metal nanoparticles, quantum dots and/or biological molecules e.g. DNA. Separate and apart the world of mechanically interlocked molecules intrigues me. The sophistication of these topologically entangled molecules have led to the design of nano-scaled switches, shuttles and machines and their potential applications in drug delivery amongst others.
Teaching Areas
Inorganic Chemistry
Supramolecular Chemistry
Nanostructures
Biological Inorganic Chemistry
Select Publications
- Ndangili, P. M.; Masikini, M.; Feleni, U.; Douman, S.; Tovide, O.; Williams, A.; Baker, P.; Iwuoha, E. I. “Gallium-induced perturbation of zinc selenide quantum dots electronics” ChemistrySelect 2017, 2 (24), 7054.
- Delmas, L. C.; Payne, N. A.; Julien, F.; Williams, A. R. “Modular construction of pyrido[24]crown-8-based templates in the self-assembly of cross-Linked [n]catenanes” Tetrahedron Lett. 2017, 58 (33), 3226.
- Bilibana, M. P.; Williams, A. R.; Rassie, C.; Sunday, C. E.; Makelane, H.; Wilson, L.; Ntshongontshi, N.; Jijana, A. N.; Masikini, M.; Baker, P. G.; Iwuoha, E. I. “Electrochemical aptatoxisensor responses on nanocomposites containing electro-deposited silver nanoparticles on poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer for the detection of Microcystin-LR in freshwater” Sensors 16, 1901, 2016.
- Douman, S.; Feleni, U.; Ross, N.; Fuku, X.; Ajayi, R.; Nxusani, E.; Ntshongontshi, N.; Sidwab, U.; Rassie, C.; Jijana, A.; Baker, P.; Williams, A.; Iwuoha, E. “New generation nanoelectrochemical biosensors for disease biomarkers: 1. Indium telluride quantum dots signaling of Telomerase cancer biomarker” J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 16, 12844-12850, 2016.
- Delmas, L. C.; Payne, N. A.; Williams, A. R. “Bromopyrido-24-crown-8: a versatile building block for the construction of interlocked molecules” Tetrahedron Lett. 57 (5), 513-516, 2016.
Keywords
Nanotechnology, biosensor, chemisensor, supramolecular chemistry, switch, shuttle, machine