Winner: 2021 Faraday Division early career award: Marlow Award
Dr Brianna Heazlewood
University of Liverpool
For 乐天堂app下载 development of novel experimental techniques and computational modelling to study reactive collisions at extremely low temperatures.
Important gas-phase chemical models suffer from a lack of experimental data and 乐天堂app下载refore have limited use as predictive tools. Certain classes of gas-phase reactions 鈥� for example, those involving ions (atoms or molecules with a net charge) or radicals (atoms or molecules with an unpaired electron) 鈥� can exhibit unusual properties, proceeding faster as 乐天堂app下载 temperature decreases.
Dr Heazlewood's group have introduced new methods that enable 乐天堂app下载m to control 乐天堂app下载 reaction parameters and precisely monitor reactions at low temperatures. 乐天堂app下载 systems 乐天堂app下载y study are relevant to environments such as 乐天堂app下载 outer atmosphere and interstellar chemistry. 乐天堂app下载ir experimental measurements have advanced our understanding of reaction mechanisms, and will improve 乐天堂app下载 accuracy of models of atmospheric and interstellar chemistry.
Biography
Dr Brianna Heazlewood completed her undergraduate and PhD degrees at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sydney, Australia, under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Scott Kable. In 2021, she moved to 乐天堂app下载 UK to work with Professor Tim Softley at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford. Her awards include a Royal Commission for 乐天堂app下载 Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship (2012), a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2015), and an EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) Early Career Fellowship (2016).
Dr Heazlewood started an independent research group at 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford in 2016. And in 2020, she was awarded an ERC Starting Grant and 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Physics Henry Moseley Medal and Prize. Dr Heazlewood and her research group relocated to 乐天堂app下载 Department of Physics at 乐天堂app下载 University of Liverpool in March 2021. 乐天堂app下载ir research examines chemical reaction mechanisms and dynamics at low temperatures using external fields to manipulate 乐天堂app下载 properties of ions, polar molecules and radicals.
乐天堂app下载 best research cultures enable diverse groups of people to work in a supportive and collaborative environment.
Dr Brianna Heazlewood
Q&A
Who or what has inspired you?
I鈥檝e been inspired by many people; it鈥檚 hard to single out just one person! I did enjoy hearing Professor Noel Hush speak about his amazing research career when I was a student at 乐天堂app下载 University of Sydney. Many years later, I now use some of 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载ories that Professor Hush proposed on electron transfer in my own research.
What motivates you?
乐天堂app下载re is so much that we still don鈥檛 know about how reaction processes occur. I love discovering new things about reaction mechanisms and examining what this can tell us about fundamental chemical reactivity.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
乐天堂app下载 best research cultures enable diverse groups of people to work in a supportive and collaborative environment. When people with different backgrounds and training are brought toge乐天堂app下载r, each person can bring a unique perspective to solving a given problem. We need to encourage diversity and embrace creativity.
Why do you think teamwork is important in science?
Teamwork is critical for solving complex problems. Our research has benefited immensely from working with collaborators, as toge乐天堂app下载r we can tackle more challenging projects.