Professor Young studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and gained his PhD in 1973. After working at Queen Mary College in London he became Professor of Polymer Science and Technology in Manchester in 1986. Between 2004 and 2009 he was Head of the School of Materials in the newly-formed University of Manchester. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2006, the Royal Society in 2013 and to Academia Europaea, the Academy of Europe in 2015.
Professor Young’s main research interest is the relationships between structure and properties in polymers and composites publishing a number of books and over 350 papers, many of which are highly cited. He has lectured extensively at international conferences. His research interests have extended recently into the field nanotechnology, working in particular upon nanocomposites containing graphene.