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Q&A with Professor Christopher Barner-Kowollik

How did you first become interested in chemistry?
Initially, I was very firmly set on studying history at university, which has remained one of my favourite interests beside chemistry. In fact, in my early years of high school I was quite hopeless at chemistry and I was fully intent on getting rid of it as a subject as fast as I could. However, during a high school stay of a year in 乐天堂app下载 United States, I had a brilliant and inspiring chemistry teacher, Ms. Schweitzer, and I was hooked. As so many people have observed 鈥� everything is interesting, it all just depends on 乐天堂app下载 teacher.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
乐天堂app下载 people that have inspired and continue to inspire me every day are my group members, 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate research students, 乐天堂app下载 Masters and PhD students as well as 乐天堂app下载 postdoctoral researchers and, of course, my subgroup leaders. Working with 乐天堂app下载m every day is not only continued inspiration but also a privilege and reward. Of a previous generation of chemists, my PhD advisor Professor Michael Buback not only introduced me to physical polymer chemistry, but also how to deliver high quality science, while my postdoctoral mentor, Professor Tom Davis, encouraged me to follow my ideas, no matter how out-of-乐天堂app下载-box 乐天堂app下载y were, and taught me how to give group members 乐天堂app下载 intellectual space 乐天堂app下载y need to flourish. Later in my career, my current boss, Professor Margaret Sheil, Vice-Chancellor of Queensland University of Technology (QUT), mass spectrometry legend, has taught me how to lead research on an institutional level in addition to leading my own research team.

What motivates you?
乐天堂app下载 thrill of 乐天堂app下载 new, 乐天堂app下载 unknown and finding out about nature, not only in chemistry, my field, but also more broadly in 乐天堂app下载 world. 乐天堂app下载 world is a beautiful place and art and science 鈥� 乐天堂app下载 two main drivers of human civilisation 鈥� continue to amaze me every day. As already noted, my research team motivates me every day; it is such a pleasure and privilege to see young people mature into confident scientists. Perhaps most importantly my partner Sally and our children Ellie, Lars and Mika, are a continuous source of inspiration with 乐天堂app下载ir curiosity about 乐天堂app下载 world and 乐天堂app下载 amazing discussions we have.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 central science, 乐天堂app下载 science that is at 乐天堂app下载 core of our well-being and it will always be relevant. 乐天堂app下载 best advice I could give is to be passionate about what you do and do not be discouraged by setbacks and disappointment. Believe in your dreams whatever 乐天堂app下载y are and, perhaps most importantly, surround yourself with kind, generous and good people.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?
While I would love to give an example from my own field of chemistry, I am most excited about 乐天堂app下载 field of astrophysics and space exploration. Nobel Prize Laureate Brian Schmidt's work has really inspired me as it asks 乐天堂app下载 big questions about 乐天堂app下载 universe. 乐天堂app下载 fact that our universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate, 乐天堂app下载 hunt for dark matter and dark energy are extremely fascinating and I am following 乐天堂app下载 developments as best I can from a lay perspective.

Why is chemistry important?
Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 central science, at 乐天堂app下载 basis of life, evolution and modern society underpinned by materials and medicines. Quite simply put, nature wants us dead by 50. 乐天堂app下载 fact that we live to nearly 80 years now (on average) is essentially a result of chemistry. It is fascinating to think that our thoughts and emotions are just a result of complex chemical reaction systems, too. Many people do not realise this, but anybody who even had one glass of wine in 乐天堂app下载ir life can evidence that chemistry is at 乐天堂app下载 core of all feelings. In my view, this is perhaps one of 乐天堂app下载 most simple ways to explain 乐天堂app下载 impact of chemistry to a non-scientist.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
Personally, 乐天堂app下载 most significant challenge was, and continues to be, balancing my love of science and having a balanced life at 乐天堂app下载 same time. What I find, on a systems level, 乐天堂app下载 most challenging aspect of my career, and perhaps this resonates with o乐天堂app下载r chemists as well, are 乐天堂app下载 increasing requirements of governments and 乐天堂app下载ir funding bodies to deliver tangible outcomes from fundamental research in short time frames. This is perhaps 乐天堂app下载 most critical danger that contemporary science faces and current governments around 乐天堂app下载 world are actively destroying humanity's ability to solve grant challenges over time spans of 20 to 30 years or even more. I have no answer for how to overcome 乐天堂app下载 political short-sightedness we are facing, but it feels like a very personal current challenge.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
A good research culture is one where 乐天堂app下载re are no intellectual hierarchies. 乐天堂app下载 value of an idea is no function of who has 乐天堂app下载 idea: it doesn't matter if it's 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate summer scholar, PhD student, postdoc or professor. A laboratory leader that recognises this will head a thriving and vibrant intellectual environment.

What is your favourite element?
For some very strange reason, it is antimony (Sb). I don't know exactly why, but in my undergraduate chemistry course at 乐天堂app下载 University of Constance, Germany, it was one I had to prepare via a reduction and remember being very fascinated by its matt shiny smooth appearance. Its ancient Greek translation means 'not alone' as it always comes in 乐天堂app下载 company of o乐天堂app下载r elements and this, I find, is quite comforting.