Showcasing the best of Chemistry PG research

The annual Chemistry PG Symposium took place on 1^st July 2016 this year, one of the key dates in the Department’s calendar providing an excellent opportunity to showcase the breadth and depth of research undertaken by 2^nd and 3^rd year PhD students. The day is centred on a programme of talks given by 3rd year PhDs and which are judged by a panel of academic experts. This year the talks spanned the 6 major research themes in the Department with titles ranging from Diagnosing Cancer One Cell at a Time with Single Molecule Spectroscopy by Alastair Magness (supervisors Professors David Klug, Keith Willison and Simak Ali) to Predicting Quantum Efficiency to Aid Photocathodes Design by Bruno Camino (supervisor Professor Nic Harrison).

Prizes for Best PhD Research Presentations were awarded to

• Daniel Scott (Synthesis & Catalysis)
• Matthew Reynolds (Chemical Biology & Healthcare)
• Dominic Myers (Environmental & Green Chemistry)
• Nicole Trainor (Imaging, Sensing and Analytical Chemistry)
• Richard Fogarty (Energy, Materials & Molecular Design)

Runner-up prizes for research presentations were also awarded to Peter Hill, Katharina Reeh, Ben Rowley, Marketa Kubankova, Adam Creamer & Silvia di Lecce.

Over the course of the symposium 2nd year students were able to present and discuss the contents of their research posters and these were also judged by academic experts. 

Charlie Coleman and her winning poster

The prize, sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, for the best PhD research poster in the Synthesis & Catalysis, Green & Environmental Chemistry Group was awarded to Charlie Coleman (supervised by Professors Charlotte Williams & Nick Long). Charlie was also awarded the Ida-Smedley MacLean Grand Prize for the best overall PhD research poster. 

The RSC also sponsored two other prizes for best PhD research posters which were awarded to:

• Nicholas Chabloz (Chemical Biology & Healthcare Group)
• Cameron Jellett (Energy, Materials & Molecular Design, Imaging, Sensing and Analytical Chemistry Group)

Other runner-up research poster prizes were awarded to Gemma Trott, Nathan Barlow & Chris Roberts.

The symposium concluded with a wine and networking reception and the feedback from students, staff and industrial sponsors alike was positive and looking forward to the 2017 symposium!