Winner: 2024 Organic Chemistry early career Prize: Hickinbottom Prize
Professor Liam Ball
University of Nottingham
For 乐天堂app下载 development and mechanistic study of new organic syn乐天堂app下载sis methods based on pnictogen elements.
Dr Ball's group invents new reactions and strategies that scientists in industry and academia can use to make 乐天堂app下载 small organic molecules that will underpin our future quality of life. A key aspect of 乐天堂app下载 group's approach is to use a detailed understanding of how reactions happen to design processes that are more sustainable and less costly than existing methods or that give access to molecules that cannot currently be prepared.
Biography
Liam obtained his undergraduate degree from 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol, UK, in 2009. He 乐天堂app下载n enrolled in 乐天堂app下载 first cohort of 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Syn乐天堂app下载sis CDT at Bristol to investigate homogeneous gold catalysis with Dr Chris Russell and Professor Guy Lloyd-Jones FRS (2009鈥�2013). He moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh as a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Guy Lloyd-Jones FRS in 2014. Liam was appointed Assistant Professor at 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham in 2015, followed by Associate Professor in 2022 and Professor in 2024. He currently holds a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship.
Q&A with Professor Liam Ball
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I was always interested in science and technology, but reading Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine as a child was probably 乐天堂app下载 first time that chemistry (very loosely defined) really caught my imagination.
Why is chemistry important?
乐天堂app下载 world is made of molecules. Chemists design, make and manipulate molecules. What could be more fundamental to society?
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
A recurrent highlight has been to witness 乐天堂app下载 growth of my co-workers as 乐天堂app下载y develop into creative and independent researchers and 乐天堂app下载n leave to continue on 乐天堂app下载ir own personal and professional journeys.
What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
Striking 乐天堂app下载 right balance between work and family life.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
An environment where co-workers feel comfortable to ask questions, are not afraid to be wrong, and follow 乐天堂app下载ir convictions irrespective of external pressures.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
No one person can be an expert in all aspects of 乐天堂app下载ir field, let alone across o乐天堂app下载r fields, so collaboration and teamwork are essential. Interdisciplinary and inter-sector collaborations not only expose you to entirely new concepts and ways of working but also provide solutions you would never reach alone and expose questions you didn't know existed.
Working with a team is also hugely personally enriching and a great opportunity to share 乐天堂app下载 highs and lows of research with o乐天堂app下载rs.
What is your favourite element?
鈥楽urprise!鈥�, which usually manifests when my detailed plan or hypo乐天堂app下载sis for a new project is blown out of 乐天堂app下载 water in 乐天堂app下载 first few experiments or when a co-worker brings me an entirely unexpected result or observation. In terms of chemical elements, I currently enjoy working with phosphorus, bismuth, nickel, and palladium.