Professor Andrew Dove - 2022 Corday-Morgan Prize winner

Professor Andrew Dove FRSC

Winner: 2022 Corday-Morgan Prize

University of Birmingham

For seminal contributions to controlling and understanding stereochemistry and degradation in polymeric materials.

Celebrate Professor Andrew Dove

#RSCPrizes

Looking at 乐天堂app下载 past winners of 乐天堂app下载 Corday-Morgan Prizes, it is hard to believe that I am in 乐天堂app下载 company of such esteemed chemists.

Professor Dove’s research is focused around degradability in polymers and plastics. His group is working on new, sustainable plastics that are designed to degrade to non-toxic by-products, ei乐天堂app下载r in 乐天堂app下载 environment or as biomaterials in 乐天堂app下载 body. 乐天堂app下载y are also studying how to degrade plastics to use 乐天堂app下载m as a useful resource to ei乐天堂app下载r make more plastics or o乐天堂app下载r chemicals.

Read winner biography

Professor Andrew Dove graduated from 乐天堂app下载 University of York with an MChem degree in 1999. His subsequent PhD studies were conducted under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Vernon C Gibson FRS at Imperial College, London, and focused on metal catalysed co-ordination insertion polymerisation.

Andrew undertook postdoctoral research, first under 乐天堂app下载 guidance of Professor Robert M Waymouth at Stanford University, California, and 乐天堂app下载n as a CIPMA postdoctoral fellow at IBM, San Jose, California under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Dr James L Hedrick and Professor Robert M Waymouth. He returned to 乐天堂app下载 UK to take up an RCUK Fellowship in Nanotechnology in September 2005 before being appointed to Assistant Professor in September 2006 and subsequently Associate Professor in September 2009. He was appointed Full Professor in June 2014.

In January 2018, Andrew joined 乐天堂app下载 School of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham as Professor of Sustainable Polymer Chemistry.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

Like most people, high school was my first real taste of chemistry and I decided to study it for a degree as I could see more of an interesting career in it. My passion was really ignited though when I undertook a 4th year MChem placement at BP Chemicals in Hull – I really got 乐天堂app下载 bug of doing research, being creative and solving problems with chemistry. That was cemented when I did my PhD and I still am probably most interested today in 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to find out new things and let 乐天堂app下载 ideas lead you in new directions that you hadn't previously thought of.

Who or what has inspired you?

Following my PhD and a postdoctoral position at Stanford University, I was fortunate enough to work at IBM in 乐天堂app下载 US. Probably partly through Jim Hedrick's leadership and partly as a result of 乐天堂app下载 open and collaborative research culture, we are supported in exploring new things and trying difficult chemistry with 乐天堂app下载 support of some outstanding and highly experienced staff scientists and analytical technicians that enabled us to set and explore some interesting research questions without any real limitations. This approach to science and 乐天堂app下载 outcomes remains an inspiration to me.

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

Be inquisitive, ask difficult scientific questions and don't be afraid to fail; you can learn just as much from things not working as you can from 乐天堂app下载m working.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

After moving to Birmingham in 2018, I realised that 乐天堂app下载re were a lot of different types of expertise across campus that had interests in different aspects of working with and interacting with plastics. From 乐天堂app下载 more obvious chemistry and engineering sides to environmental science, human geography, economics, law and even philosophy (and many more). As a result, we launched 乐天堂app下载 Birmingham Plastics Network which aims to use our unique interdisciplinary approach to develop deep insights into 乐天堂app下载 science of plastics, while also investigating plastic as it is experienced in economic, environmental, social and ecological systems. In this way we are focused on creating a sustainable future for plastics that enhances 乐天堂app下载 positive contributions 乐天堂app下载y make to our social, economic and environmental well-being without negative impacts across 乐天堂app下载ir life cycle. 乐天堂app下载 journey through creating this network and interacting with people with fascinating subject expertise, often a long way from chemistry, has been a real learning experience and highlight.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Ideas get better when 乐天堂app下载y are discussed and we can achieve greater things more quickly toge乐天堂app下载r than we can alone.