Meet The Team
DR. NAVEED ZAIDI, PhD
Our CEO, a seasoned Synthetic Organic Chemist with 35 years of experience in academia and industry, has made significant contributions to polymer chemistry and material science. He developed the first practical plastic magnet and holds patents in conjugated and paramagnetic polymers. He has published 23 papers in high-impact journals and earned multiple awards, including the Young British Pakistanis Award. His career spans senior research roles, founding a chemical development company, and teaching in the UAE. He is recognized as a Chartered Chemist, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and has served on editorial boards.
DR. STEVE CONNOLLY, PhD
Dr. Connolly has guided four PhD completions and produced numerous conference abstracts, papers, and journal articles across diverse fields such as medicinal chemistry, drug delivery, and polymer fracture mechanics. His work includes custom synthesis in the North East chemical industry and an overseas academic position as an Assistant Professor. In the pharmaceutical industry, he developed expertise in medicinal chemistry at Merck Sharp & Dohme, contributing to the discovery of the anti-migraine drug rizatriptan (Maxalt) and earning an Award of Excellence for work on a cholinomimetic compound. Dr. Connolly's current research focuses on medicinal chemistry, drug delivery systems, and polymer materials. He is also exploring advanced techniques in DNA analysis and the impact of nanomaterials on food safety. These efforts aim to develop innovative solutions in healthcare and material science, with a particular interest in sustainable and effective therapeutic approaches.
PROF. EZAT KHOSRAVI
Prof. Ezat Khosravi holds a PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Sussex and brings 46 years of research experience in synthetic polymer chemistry, spanning polymers, biopolymers, and biodegradable materials for industrial and medical use. As an Associate Professor at Durham, he taught organic and polymer chemistry while supervising over 80 PhD, MSc, MChem students and postdocs, and led a research group that developed novel materials for 12 UK and US companies, including biodegradable polyurethanes, drag-reducing agents for fracking, reworkable electronics adhesives, and self-healing and temperature-responsive polymers. He then spent 8 years as Principal Scientist–Polymer Chemistry at CPI, leading technical work on biodegradable packaging, seaweed-based products, marine collagen bioplastics, and biodegradable cable ties, weed mats, and meat-packaging pads. He is currently Chief Scientist and Associate at NAION, providing scientific and technical consultancy on scaling and commercialising sustainable and circular-economy technologies. His publication record includes 64 scientific papers, 16 book chapters, 4 edited books, 116 international lectures, and co-inventorship on 10 patents.
