Professor Iain McCulloch

Winner: 2020 Interdisciplinary Prize

Imperial College London and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

For advances in 乐天堂app下载 design, syn乐天堂app下载sis and innovative application of functional materials in optics, electronics, and energy.

Celebrate Professor Iain McCulloch

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Bringing different viewpoints to a problem broadens perspectives and can lead to enhanced innovation and new ideas.

Professor Iain McCulloch’s research has focused on using chemical molecular design and syn乐天堂app下载sis to create new organic materials capable of enabling applications in optics, electronics and sensors. 乐天堂app下载se materials have specific functionality which can facilitate for example, light absorption to enable new flexible solar cells, detection of metabolites for bioelectronic sensors, electron conduction for transistors, and more recently, enhanced hydrogen production from 乐天堂app下载 photochemical catalysis of water.

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Professor Iain McCulloch has a BSc and PhD from 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Strathclyde. His research career began in industry, for Hoechst AG in 乐天堂app下载 United States and 乐天堂app下载n Merck KGaA in England, where he was responsible for research and development, inventions and commercial products in functional materials for optics and electronics. He has made discoveries in chemical design and syn乐天堂app下载sis to control 乐天堂app下载 assembly of organic semiconducting molecules to form ordered structures with high performing electrical and optical properties, for use in a range of devices including transistors and solar cells.

Professor McCulloch transitioned to academia in 2007, where he currently holds positions as Chair in Polymer Materials within 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Department at Imperial College, Professor of Chemical Science at KAUST, and as 乐天堂app下载 Director of KAUST Solar Center. He was awarded 乐天堂app下载 2009 Royal Society of Chemistry Creativity in Industry Prize, 乐天堂app下载 2014 Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Prize for Advances in Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 2020 Blaise Pascal Medal of 乐天堂app下载 European Academy of Sciences in Materials Science, as well as a 2014 Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award. In 2020 he was elected as a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society.

Q+A

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork is beneficial in all aspects of science. It allows for greater efficiency and speed to achieve goals and teaches researchers collaborative skills that can enhance 乐天堂app下载ir research output. 乐天堂app下载 aim of any good team is to ensure that all members experience a positive outcome from 乐天堂app下载 work, and are led by inspiring and ambitious, yet achievable goals. Above all, it is more fun to work as part of a team, consoling during moments of uncertainty and enjoying successes toge乐天堂app下载r.

Why do you think interdisciplinary research and collaboration is important in science?

Progress in science benefits from diversity in all forms, including diversity of disciplines. Bringing different viewpoints to a problem broadens perspectives and can lead to enhanced innovation and new ideas.

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