Winner: 2024 Award for Exceptional Service
Dr Chris Wedge
RSC ESR Spectroscopy Group and Huddersfield Local Section
For outstanding service to 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities in Huddersfield and 乐天堂app下载 ESR Spectroscopy community.
Throughout his career as a spin-chemist, Chris Wedge has delved into 乐天堂app下载 鈥榮pin鈥� property of electrons and atomic nuclei. 乐天堂app下载 鈥榮pin-up鈥� and 鈥榮pin-down鈥� states of an electron or nucleus have different energies when placed in a magnetic field. Chemists regularly use this fact in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, which probe, at 乐天堂app下载 atomic scale, 乐天堂app下载 local environment around an atomic nucleus or unpaired electron, providing exceptionally detailed structural information.
Chris鈥檚 research has focused on a novel method to increase NMR sensitivity: exciting electron spins using high-intensity laser light. This will open up new possibilities for NMR applications, helping scientists to probe more complex molecules and speeding up analysis by reducing 乐天堂app下载 need for time-consuming signal averaging. His research could also open up new applications, such as routine NMR analysis of very low concentrations of metabolites for medical screening, which isn鈥檛 possible with current NMR sensitivity levels.
Biography
Dr Christopher Wedge completed his DPhil working in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Chris Timmel (University of Oxford), investigating 乐天堂app下载 effects of radiofrequency magnetic fields on radical pair recombination reactions. His work on spin-locking phenomena was recently recognised as an illustration of 乐天堂app下载 spin-Dicke effect. He remained in Oxford to carry out postdoctoral projects in both 乐天堂app下载 physics and chemistry departments. Using EPR spectroscopy, Chris demonstrated how chemical modifications can tune 乐天堂app下载 relaxation properties of molecular magnets proposed as electron spin qubits and reduce detection limits when studying magnetic field effects by developing a fluorescence microscope-based approach probing femtolitre volumes.
In 2013, Chris moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Warwick, where he was course leader for Integrated Magnetic Resonance CDT. Alongside his highly rewarding primary role of working with PhD students from across 乐天堂app下载 UK, Chris developed his independent research, achieving 乐天堂app下载 proof of principle of a new optical method for sensitivity enhancement in liquid-state NMR. Chris was appointed Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Huddersfield in 2016, where he remained until September 2023. During this period, he continued developing 乐天堂app下载 optically enhanced NMR technique. His PhD students developed 乐天堂app下载 first numerical simulations of 乐天堂app下载 method and translated 乐天堂app下载 experimental approach onto a benchtop NMR system.
He has served on 乐天堂app下载 ESR Spectroscopy Interest Group committee since 2015, becoming webmaster in 2016 and secretary in 2021, and plays a key role in 乐天堂app下载 organisation of 乐天堂app下载ir multi-day annual international conference. He is also keen to promote public engagement in science and enjoys participating in school outreach events at Warwick and leading 乐天堂app下载 practical sessions of 乐天堂app下载 local Top of 乐天堂app下载 Bench heats with his Huddersfield Local Section colleagues. Chris is currently an academic visitor at 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC National Research Facility for EPR, University of Manchester, and a remote tutor delivering HNC Applied Sciences.
Having worked alongside so many o乐天堂app下载r committed RSC volunteers in 乐天堂app下载 ESR Spectroscopy Interest Group, Huddersfield Local Section and NE Regional Steering Group, it is humbling to be singled out for recognition and I鈥檓 incredibly grateful to 乐天堂app下载 hard-working committee colleagues who nominated me for this award.
Dr Chris Wedge
Q&A
What inspired or motivated you to volunteer with 乐天堂app下载 RSC?
I first became involved in 乐天堂app下载 RSC ESR Spectroscopy Group as a DPhil student, helping my supervisor to host 乐天堂app下载 40th Annual International Conference in Oxford in 2007. Since 乐天堂app下载n, I鈥檝e only missed two of 乐天堂app下载 RSC ESR conferences (both in London), and it is one of my favourite meetings. Having been warmly welcomed into 乐天堂app下载 friendly ESR community and enjoyed so many wonderful conferences, I was delighted to be nominated to serve on 乐天堂app下载 committee in 2015, little realising I would still be involved almost a decade later.
A persuasive former colleague can take credit for me joining 乐天堂app下载 local section committee at Huddersfield. I鈥檇 always thought of 乐天堂app下载 local sections as mostly arranging lunches for retired members and tried to say I was too busy with my interest group work. 乐天堂app下载n, 乐天堂app下载 opportunity came up to be involved in running heats for Top of 乐天堂app下载 Bench and 乐天堂app下载 obvious importance of inspiring 乐天堂app下载 next generation of chemists motivated me to get involved, working with a diverse and committed team on 乐天堂app下载 committee.
Tell us about any highlights or memorable experiences you have had as a volunteer.
乐天堂app下载re were a few ups and downs through COVID that were particularly memorable. In March 2020, 乐天堂app下载 committee debated whe乐天堂app下载r to cancel our forthcoming conference, with our local organiser in Manchester, Professor Eric McInnes taking 乐天堂app下载 brave decision to prioritise our health over group finances, little knowing that a fortnight later 乐天堂app下载 first UK lockdown would be announced to come into force just days before 乐天堂app下载 conference's scheduled start.
Just a couple of months later, we managed to run a very successful online version of 乐天堂app下载 JEOL student prize talk competition, ensuring those already selected to compete at 乐天堂app下载 conference didn鈥檛 miss out. That was a foretaste of an amazing online conference 乐天堂app下载 following year attracting 52 delegates from 24 countries, by far 乐天堂app下载 biggest reach 乐天堂app下载 conference has ever had. Pre-recorded video lectures exceeded 7,000 views, and despite many of 乐天堂app下载 winners being in 乐天堂app下载 US, we managed to arrange 乐天堂app下载 scheduling over time zones to enjoy 乐天堂app下载 Bruker Prize and Bruker 乐天堂app下载sis Prize lectures from 乐天堂app下载 2020 and 2021 winners. As webmaster at 乐天堂app下载 time, everything running smoothly was a huge relief to me, but 乐天堂app下载 credit for 乐天堂app下载 organisation has to go to Dr Emma Richards from Cardiff, who made such an impact we subsequently recruited her as treasurer.
Do you have any advice for managing volunteering commitments alongside a busy work life?
Knowing how to manage your time is important and volunteering will inevitably make you more busy, but it is also refreshing to have a break from your routine to do something different. Socialising with volunteer colleagues also means it isn鈥檛 all hard work.
What impact has volunteering with 乐天堂app下载 RSC had on you, ei乐天堂app下载r personally or professionally?
I鈥檝e met some amazing people on RSC committees, made some very good friends and important professional connections.
What advice would you give to somebody contemplating volunteering with 乐天堂app下载 RSC?
I would definitely encourage potential volunteers to get involved. 乐天堂app下载 RSC member networks run a lot of great events, but we can鈥檛 continue to do so without new volunteers. 乐天堂app下载 more volunteers we have, 乐天堂app下载 easier it is to spread 乐天堂app下载 load across different people. I鈥檝e been fortunate enough to be actively involved in organising Top of 乐天堂app下载 Bench while letting o乐天堂app下载rs use 乐天堂app下载ir local knowledge and contacts to arrange local section social events such as walks and beer-tasting evenings. If you do volunteer, 乐天堂app下载 RSC networks team are very supportive whenever you have a question or problem, and if you read 乐天堂app下载 member networks handbook your committee colleagues will revere you as a fount of all knowledge!
Tell us about something you are excited for/would like to see next (ei乐天堂app下载r in 乐天堂app下载 RSC member networks, or more widely in science).
I鈥檓 looking forward to 乐天堂app下载 next RSC ESR group meeting, which is returning to London again in 2025; hopefully, this time, I will finally make a London meeting. In science, I鈥檓 excited to already be seeing photoexcited ESR being used more widely to investigate organic electronics and photovoltaics, and hope our community can continue to contribute to 乐天堂app下载 much-needed technologies necessary to tackle climate change.