Three leading figures recognised for contributions to science <em>News</em>

Monday 11 January 2010
By Abigail Smith

The contributions to science and science communication of three leading figures at Imperial have been recognised in the 2010 New Year’s Honours.

Professor Donal Bradley, Deputy Principal of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Director of the Centre for Plastic Electronics and Lee-Lucas Professor of Experimental Physics, is awarded a CBE, Visiting Professor Sue Ion, a key figure in the nuclear power industry, becomes a Dame and Melanie Thody, the College’s Director of Access and Head of Outreach, receives an MBE.

Professor Bradley is recognised for his pioneering research into electronic materials and devices, with successful applications including the development of polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs), which have been translated into lightweight, low-power displays for products such as mobile phones.

Professor Bradley joined Imperial in 2000 to lead the College’s research on molecular electronic materials and devices. His work was recognised with a Research Excellence Award in 2006, which are awarded by the College for work that demonstrates high academic achievement and has significant future potential. He became Head of the Department of Physics in 2005, before taking up his present role of Deputy Principal of Natural Sciences in 2008.

In 2009 he also set up the College’s Centre for Plastic Electronics, which draws together researchers from the Departments of Chemistry, Materials and Physics to tackle challenges in energy efficient light displays and lighting, solar energy conversion, sensing and imaging and optical communications.

His work has resulted in two spin out companies; Cambridge Display Technology, which commercialises PLED technology, and Molecular Vision, which focuses on developing low-cost diagnostic devices that can, for example, test for substance abuse, cardiovascular disease or sexually transmitted infections using very small amounts of bodily fluids.

He is a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the Institute of Physics and, amongst his many awards and honours, won the prestigious Faraday Medal, bestowed by the Institute of Physics, in 2009.

Professor Bradley says: “I am delighted to have been nominated for the New Year’s Honour, and would like to thank all those, including my wife Bev and children Amelia, Conor and Eliza, who have supported me in my work over the last decade at Imperial. They have been key to the success that I have enjoyed.”

Melanie Thody, who first joined Imperial in 1990 as Schools Liaison Officer, is recognised with an MBE for services to science communication. She went on to become Head of Outreach and took on the additional role of Director of Access in 2006, leading a team dedicated to raising aspirations amongst young people whose backgrounds mean they may not otherwise consider continuing with education, and science in particular, after leaving school. One of its most long-standing and successful schemes is the Pimlico Connection, a mentoring scheme launched in 1975 which places Imperial students in secondary schools to support teachers and give one-to-one support and coaching in science and maths to pupils.

The outreach team also brings over 4,000 state school pupils aged between 11 and 17 to Imperial’s campuses every year for a range of residential and non-residential summer schools, giving them a chance to try out practical science and engineering projects in the College’s state of the art laboratories. Melanie’s latest innovation, in partnership with Professor of Science and Society Lord Robert Winston, is the launch of a new Reach Out Lab, a dedicated space in which school pupils can explore hands on science with some of the College’s researchers and students.

Also honoured is Professor Sue Ion, who receives a DBE for services to science and engineering. A visiting academic to Imperial’s Department of Materials, Professor Ion is a leading figure with the UK’s nuclear industry and has worked as President of the British Nuclear Energy Society from 2004 to 2006 and BNFL’s Group Director of Technology from 1992 to 2006. She is also a member of the UK Council for Science and Technology, chair of the Fusion Advisory Board for the Research Councils, and represents the UK on the US Nuclear Energy Advisory committee.

An alumni of Imperial, she completed both her first class metallurgy undergraduate degree and her PhD at the College.