Professor Chris Carr

Profile

I  graduated in Chemistry from University College Cardiff (University of Wales) in 1980 and obtained my PhD, also from the University College Cardiff in 1983 (Surface Chemistry of Wool, IWS studentship). I then spent two years at CSIRO, Division of Protein Chemistry, Melbourne, Australia, and a subsequent year at the US Department of Agriculture, Eastern Regional Laboratory, Philadelphia, USA, before joining the Scottish College of Textiles.

In 1992 I joined UMIST, Department of Textiles, as a Lecturer and was subsequently promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1994. In 2004 I was awarded a Personal Chair in Textile Science and Technology, and was Deputy Head of School of Materials, responsible for Textiles & Paper until 2009. In 2013 I moved here to the School of Design, University of Leeds, as Professor of Textile Technology, with a key focus on Healthcare Textiles, and was Head of School of Design until September 2020. I have published widely through research publications and conference presentations and am a member of several Editorial Boards for international research journals. 

I am a Liveryman in the Dyers Company and was awarded the Weavers Company Silver Medal for outstanding contribution to Textile Education and Research in 2008. In 2015 I was awarded the Society of Dyers and Colourists Gold Medal for outstanding contribution to Textile & Colour Education and am currently a Trustee on the Society of Dyers and Colourists Board. My main interests are in the modification of fibrous materials in order to improve performance and the complementary associated analysis of the material, in particular the surface chemistry. Research projects involving international companies and European institutes encompass coloration, dry and wet processing of textiles, laundering, healthcare textiles/materials, fibre degradation and protective mechanisms (historical materials), hair performance and analysis, sustainability & recycling, technical textiles and paper technology.

Responsibilities

  • Research Professor

Research interests

  • Textile science and technology
  • Textile chemistry
  • Coloration
  • Wet and Dry textile processing
  • Historical textiles and conservation science
  • Surface chemistry
  • Sustainability & recycling
  • New fibres
  • Healthcare textiles.
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Some research projects I'm currently working on, or have worked on, will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>