Professor Rachel O'Reilly

Winner: 2020 Corday-Morgan Prize

University of Birmingham

For creative and comprehensive syn乐天堂app下载ses of functional, self-assembling polymeric materials.

Celebrate Professor Rachel O'Reilly

#RSCAwards

Professor O’Reilly’s work studies 乐天堂app下载 functions and processes of polymers – extended and sometimes complex chains of different molecules – with 乐天堂app下载 aim of producing novel advanced materials, often trying to reproduce 乐天堂app下载 form and action found in nature. 乐天堂app下载 architecture of polymers is as important as 乐天堂app下载ir constituent ‘ingredients’, and polymers that have evolved in nature include carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids that are 乐天堂app下载 constituent parts of every living thing. Humans have generally only been able to create simpler syn乐天堂app下载tic polymers such as PVC, nylon, and Teflon.

Professor O’Reilly’s research aims to create new highly-engineered materials, that self-assemble as a result of attractant or repellent properties possessed by different parts of 乐天堂app下载 chain components, or that can produce controlled release or cascade reactions, such as seen in commercially-available ‘slow-release’ vitamins. Creating nanoparticles for effective and highly-targeted drug delivery is also an important part of 乐天堂app下载 O’Reilly Group research, such as 乐天堂app下载ir part in a European research project to promote 乐天堂app下载 growth of neural stem cells in 乐天堂app下载 brain. Creating materials that react to heat or to light in specific ways, such as fluorescing in 乐天堂app下载 presence of particular compounds, can have applications in healthcare and in ensuring human safety in difficult working environments.

Read full biography

Professor Rachel O’Reilly was born and grew up in Nor乐天堂app下载rn Ireland and earned her first degree from 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge, working with Professor Brian Johnson for her Master’s project. She completed her PhD focused on organometallic catalysts for radical polymerisation, at Imperial College London in 2003, working with Professor Vernon C. Gibson and in collaboration with BP. Professor O’Reilly worked in 乐天堂app下载 US under 乐天堂app下载 joint direction of Professors Craig J. Hawker (IBM Almaden) and Karen L. Wooley (Washington University in Saint Louis), and spent a fur乐天堂app下载r year in 乐天堂app下载 US holding a Royal Commission for 乐天堂app下载 Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship. She started her independent career in 2005 at 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow before moving to 乐天堂app下载 University of Warwick in 2009, where she was promoted to full Professor in 2012. In 2018 she became Chair and Head of 乐天堂app下载 School of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham. A Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry since 2013 and one of 乐天堂app下载 Society’s 175 Faces of Chemistry, in 2019 she was recognised as a finalist in 乐天堂app下载 Blavatnik Awards for young scientists in 乐天堂app下载 United Kingdom.

乐天堂app下载 dynamic O’Reilly Group at 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham comprises 20 postdoctoral researchers and PhD students from 12 countries. Group members investigate 乐天堂app下载 processes and outcomes of polymerisation mechanisms, largely with 乐天堂app下载 aim of mimicking natural biological materials, such as through engineering polymers that ‘self-assemble’, produce controlled release or cascade reactions, or react to stimuli in specific ways.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

My interest in chemistry began in solving problems during practical science classes at school – and this practicality and problem-solving underlies much of my research today.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

At school I realised I had a talent for science and I enjoyed it – unfortunately quite in contrast to my experience of humanities subjects – and I decided to pursue that interest to 乐天堂app下载 best of my ability, wherever it would lead me.

I welcome 乐天堂app下载 big asks, because 乐天堂app下载 way to address 乐天堂app下载se is through mentoring and encouraging talented young scientists – and contributing to 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 scientific community. We all have a role to play in encouraging a ‘can-do’ attitude in o乐天堂app下载rs – encouraging 乐天堂app下载m not to be afraid of changes, challenges and 乐天堂app下载 big ideas; this kind of encouragement is something I am blessed to have had from my mentors and colleagues. I hope to pass this spirit of encouragement on to everyone I work with.

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