Meet Our Committee
Our committee is comprised of dedicated professionals and experts in particle characterisation. They work tirelessly to drive the group’s activities, support its members, and advance the field.

Key members of the committee are :

Chair: Chris Williamson, FRSC – Retired
Chris is a seasoned professional with over 40 years of experience in drug discovery, development projects, and outsourcing programs, primarily within GlaxoSmithKline and as an independent consultant. With a chemistry degree from York University in 1973, he began his career as an organic chemist at Glaxo, where he discovered numerous compounds and contributed to significant developments, including fluticasone (Advair/Seretide) and zanamivir (Relenza). As a Technical Director, he led technical teams in manufacturing and contributed to the ISPE “Good Practice Guide: Technology Transfer.” After his role was made redundant in 2009, Chris dedicated himself to the Royal Society of Chemistry, earning an Exceptional Service Award in 2021. His interest in particle characterization was sparked by his work in project teams, and he is now eager to contribute further to this field.
Secretary: Brian Miller – Meritics Ltd
Brian Miller is the Director at Meritics, a company specializing in particle characterization instrumentation. With over 30 years of experience in the field of particle and material characterization, Brian’s career began at Coulter Electronics (now Beckman Coulter), where he spent over six years involved in sample analysis, method development, control and calibration material production, and new product development and evaluation. He then joined Particle Measuring Systems, further contributing to product development. Brian is currently the Secretary of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Particle Characterisation Interest Group and has published more than 35 papers in the field. He is also a member of the BSI STI/010 and LBI/037 Particle Characterisation including sieving committees. His extensive background includes roles in laboratories, training, sales, marketing, product development, and general management. At Meritics, Brian oversees a wide range of particle and material characterization instrumentation and services, including contract analytical work and consultancy. His specialties include particle characterization, company start-ups, and distributor management.


Meetings Secretary: Karen Pardoe- MSc MRSC CChem FIFST
Karen is a passionate chemist with over 30 years of technical experience in laboratory analysis, legislative compliance, development, and auditing. Her career has spanned the food and animal feed sectors, pharmaceutical monitoring, and research. Notably, she has supported police drug investigations and developed a novel HPLC separation for a fraud case. Since the redundancy of her department at British Sugar, Karen has been working as an independent consultant, offering technical support across various fields. A Canadian by birth, she has lived in the UK since the early 1990s, holding a BSc from the University of Saskatchewan and an MSc in analytical chemistry from the University of East Anglia. Karen has been instrumental in developing test protocols, training procedures, and industrial plant improvements. An active member of the Particle Characterisation Interest Group (PCIG), she has a keen interest in particle measurement and its impact on processes and products. Her global influence is evident through her technical support and contributions to international test methods.
Treasurer: Dr Han Wu – University College London, Faculty of Engineering
Han is the Research Lab Manager at UCL, managing key research facilities including SAXS, DLS, BET, TGA and IR etc. Han joined UCL as a PDRA in 2010 to work on polymorphic crystallisation. Her recent SAXS study on amorphous ice was published in Science. Han has served as a guest editor for Current Organic Chemistry, the treasurer of PCIG, and an active member of the BSI and ISO committees, contributing to standards in SAXS and porosity. Han has won several awards including UCL Technical Professional of the year in research 2024 and Papin prize finalist.
