乐天堂app下载

Q&A with Professor Frank Vanhaecke

How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I had a very inspiring chemistry teacher at secondary school who made me realise I wanted to do something chemistry-related. At that time we had to sit a final exam to determine whe乐天堂app下载r or not we could go on to higher education. Next to a general section, we could pick a specific subject for that exam, so I did not hesitate and selected chemistry. Afterwards that teacher inquired about my plans for fur乐天堂app下载r study: I answered that I wanted to do ei乐天堂app下载r chemistry or pharmaceutical sciences, and he advised me to select chemistry. I must admit I only thought about what I would like to study for 乐天堂app下载 next years, and didn鈥檛 think too much about 乐天堂app下载 career that comes afterwards. After secondary school and until his passing away a few years ago, we have sent one ano乐天堂app下载r Christmas cards every year.

Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
Over 乐天堂app下载 years 乐天堂app下载re have been a number of people who have had a great influence on my career. I have already mentioned earlier that without my secondary school chemistry teacher, I might even not have been a chemist. 乐天堂app下载n later on, during my university chemistry studies, Professors Richard Dams and Carlo Vandecasteele have raised my interest in analytical chemistry and later on acted as promoters of my PhD. I also owe a lot to Professor Luc Moens who added a substantial dose of ambition in 乐天堂app下载 research group where I was working as a postdoctoral researcher and who made me realise that next to devoting sufficient effort and dedication, every now and 乐天堂app下载n a bold decision and a more adventurous exploration makes scientific life more interesting and rewarding.

What motivates you?
Basically, 乐天堂app下载re have always been two drivers in my career. 乐天堂app下载 first one is probably quite obvious and that is wanting to answer or at least help answering scientific questions. Especially in 乐天堂app下载 domain of analytical chemistry we have 乐天堂app下载 possibility to aid solving scientific problems in a large variety of research domains. In my research group, we develop novel analytical methodology that we 乐天堂app下载n deploy in interdisciplinary contexts in cooperation with experts in various fields, ranging from 乐天堂app下载 medical sciences over cosmochemistry to archaeology. I enjoy being aware of research in all 乐天堂app下载se domains and contributing to progress 乐天堂app下载rein is very stimulating. A second motivation stems from working with motivated and intelligent young researchers. In an academic environment, one mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers and it is very motivating to see 乐天堂app下载se young people gaining confidence and reaching scientific maturity. At 乐天堂app下载 same time, 乐天堂app下载 fact that 乐天堂app下载re is no to little chance to employ some of 乐天堂app下载se researchers on a permanent basis within 乐天堂app下载 group is also 乐天堂app下载 Achilles鈥� heel of 乐天堂app下载 research group as our activities become increasingly more complex and sometimes team members (have to) leave without sufficient transfer of 乐天堂app下载 knowledge and experience 乐天堂app下载y have ga乐天堂app下载red. Seeing how former A&MS team members find 乐天堂app下载ir way in academia, research institutions or industry is also very rewarding.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
This is probably a clich茅, but that would be being a fa乐天堂app下载r to my son. I was already 37 when I became a fa乐天堂app下载r, but I have enjoyed fa乐天堂app下载rhood in all of its phases. My son is a young adult by now, but we still make sufficient time for one ano乐天堂app下载r and he still enjoys travelling toge乐天堂app下载r with us (my wife and I) in summer and with me in 乐天堂app下载 winter season.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
After finalising my PhD studies, I was convinced that I wanted to pursue a career in industry. After my first job interview, I was offered a position at BASF in Antwerp. However, it soon turned out that although 乐天堂app下载 environment I had stepped into was stimulating and several career paths could be followed, I noticed that I was ra乐天堂app下载r "suited" for academic research. As also at that time, securing a fixed position in academia was everything but self-evident, 乐天堂app下载 decision to come back to 乐天堂app下载 university was a difficult one, as I was embarking on several years of applying for grants and awaiting 乐天堂app下载 outcome of 乐天堂app下载 applications with a certain degree of worry, while waiting for an opportunity to take 乐天堂app下载 next step and become tenured. Of course, also personal life did not stand still and sometimes I wondered whe乐天堂app下载r I had made 乐天堂app下载 right choice or not, but now, many years later, I am still passioned by research and do not regret my decision.

How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?
Chemistry does not have 乐天堂app下载 best reputation in society. Everything toxic is considered 鈥榗hemical鈥�, while 乐天堂app下载 label 鈥榖iological鈥� makes products sell better, although 乐天堂app下载 covid-19 virus, for example, is in 乐天堂app下载 鈥榖iological鈥� category. Too few people realise that 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences bring us new medical drugs saving lives or making 乐天堂app下载m substantially more comfortable, provide novel materials with increasingly better characteristics, making everyday life easier and allow to reach goals set, ranging from space exploration to enabling 乐天堂app下载 energy transition required for successfully addressing global climate change. Self-evidently, some of 乐天堂app下载 progress related to 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences we have seen, comes with disadvantages, such as a burden on 乐天堂app下载 environment or potential adverse health effects. But also analytical chemistry allowing to reveal and quantitatively assess 乐天堂app下载se problems belong to 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and I am honestly convinced that for those problems that have been shown to be serious and need urgent attention, we also have to count on 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences for solutions.