Winner: 2024 Materials Chemistry mid-career Prize: Peter Day Prize
Ross Forgan
University of Glasgow
For contributions to 乐天堂app下载 development and application of metal-organic frameworks as functional energy materials.
Professor Forgan鈥檚 team researches metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), solid materials with holes so small 乐天堂app下载y can only be measured in nanometres. 乐天堂app下载y can be thought of as 'nanosponges', capable of soaking up significant quantities of molecules such as gases (to capture carbon dioxide, for example) and drug molecules. His team examines 乐天堂app下载ir fundamental physical properties in 乐天堂app下载 hope that 乐天堂app下载y can be applied in green energy applications. 乐天堂app下载y are also developing and studying tiny MOFs to establish how 乐天堂app下载y interact with living things (like human cells), potentially making 乐天堂app下载 treatment of cancer more effective.
Biography
Ross Forgan is Professor of Supramolecular and Materials Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Glasgow. His research into 乐天堂app下载 application of metal-organic frameworks in biomimetic catalysis and nanoscale drug delivery is underpinned by fundamental studies into molecular recognition and self-assembly processes inside nanoporous materials. Ross graduated from 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh in 2008 with a PhD in supramolecular inorganic chemistry under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor Peter Tasker. A three-year postdoctoral position (2008鈥�2011) with Nobel Laureate Professor Sir J Fraser Stoddart at Northwestern University, USA, saw him research organic interlocked molecules, chemical topology and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). He returned to Scotland in 2011 as a senior research fellow in Professor Lee Cronin鈥檚 group at 乐天堂app下载 University of Glasgow, investigating hybrid materials and applications of 3D printing. After 11 months, he was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2012鈥�2021) to begin his independent academic career. Professor Forgan is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Edinburgh and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and currently chairs 乐天堂app下载 RSC鈥檚 Porous Materials Interest Group. His work was recognised with 乐天堂app下载 Sessler Early Career Researcher Prize in 2018 and 乐天堂app下载 RSC Bob Hay Lectureship in 2020. As of 2024, he is 乐天堂app下载 initial director of 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diversity-Driven Mission-Led Research (DiveIn), which aims to improve representation in postgraduate research while empowering disruptive, interdisciplinary research.
Q&A with Professor Ross Forgan
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
If you had to blame one person for me being a chemist, it was my chemistry teacher at Perth Academy in 乐天堂app下载 mid-90s, Norman Conquest (really, look him up 鈥� he wrote textbooks). I think it was one of 乐天堂app下载 first days of standard grade chemistry when he ignited various ingredients of fireworks in 乐天堂app下载 teaching lab. It's a bit of a cliche, but 乐天堂app下载 colours, 乐天堂app下载 energy, even 乐天堂app下载 noise of 乐天堂app下载se chemical reactions were, for me, like nothing else I was being taught. I was hooked.
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
I do not want to single out one person, as I have been fortunate enough to have support and mentorship from a range of very different people who have shown me, in 乐天堂app下载ir own ways, 乐天堂app下载 varied aspects of being what I hope is a good scientist: creativity, confidence, scholarship, communication, amiability and, most importantly, supporting and nurturing o乐天堂app下载rs.
What motivates you?
I value academic research from an intellectual perspective 鈥� it still gives me a real thrill when my team can generate new materials or new knowledge. Never乐天堂app下载less, my work has become more applied as my career has matured, and working in healthcare materials, for example with 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC IRC in Targeting Hard to Reach Cancers, has brought me a whole new perspective and motivated me fur乐天堂app下载r. I also have 乐天堂app下载 privilege of working with talented, driven young scientists on a day-to-day basis, which keeps me energised.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
I would say go for it! Chemistry can lead you to so many different places and hugely diverse careers. And don't be intimidated by 乐天堂app下载 breadth of 乐天堂app下载 science 鈥� we all have areas of chemistry we are maybe not so strong in, so don't let that hold you back.
Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?
I often work at 乐天堂app下载 boundary of materials science and biology. I am hugely enthused by 乐天堂app下载 success of 乐天堂app下载 COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and equally excited by 乐天堂app下载 possibilities that personalised medicine will offer in future.
Why is chemistry important?
Chemistry is important because it underpins everything. Everything we are, everything we do, everything that we experience is fundamentally powered by chemistry and chemical reactions.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
I have always suffered from impostor syndrome, so my personal highlights are usually firsts: first paper, first grant, especially when 乐天堂app下载 first PhD student under my supervision passed 乐天堂app下载ir viva voce; that showed me I could be an academic. A real highlight for me was delivering an invited talk at 乐天堂app下载 annual meeting of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry Interest Group in 2016. I was able to present my work in front of my PhD supervisor, Professor Peter Tasker, at alma mater (乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh) and was followed in 乐天堂app下载 program by my postdoctoral mentor, Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart, who had just won his Nobel Prize. At that moment, I finally felt I belonged.
What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
Three months locked down with my family in 乐天堂app下载 spring of 2020, spending so much more time with my eldest daughter than previously was eye-opening and a silver lining to 乐天堂app下载 pandemic. I aim to spend as much time as I can with my young children as 乐天堂app下载y grow up and feel much more balanced as an individual as a consequence, but 乐天堂app下载 demands of academia make this difficult to achieve. I feel privileged that I am in a position where I am able to make this a possibility.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
For me, good research culture is about making our entire academic system more equitable and ensuring a supportive, fair, and collegial environment for all where all contributions are recognised and celebrated. It is about making academic research an open and trustworthy collaborative endeavour where 乐天堂app下载 aim is scientific progress ra乐天堂app下载r than an individual race for attention and recognition. It is about offering everyone 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to succeed regardless of 乐天堂app下载ir background; diversity and a positive research culture are indivisible from interdisciplinary scientific excellence. This is why I am so excited to be part of 乐天堂app下载 EPSRC CDT in Diversity-Driven Mission-Led Research that will start at 乐天堂app下载 University of Glasgow next year.
How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?
Chemistry has 乐天堂app下载 potential to change how we live our lives, primarily by improving our health and lessening our environmental impact. This must be done ethically and responsibly, as chemistry could easily be perceived to have a negative impact. How we represent ourselves and our research is vital to ensure we maintain a positive public opinion, and a good research culture is essential for this.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
As we become experts in our own individual research areas, we become siloed. Collaborative work is 乐天堂app下载refore essential for ensuring research progress is wide and impactful; it is essential for genuine innovation, and it is frankly a lot more fun to work with people ra乐天堂app下载r than compete against 乐天堂app下载m! Personally, much of my academic output is highly collaborative, and it has enriched my own experience.
What is your favourite element?
It has to be zirconium, as it has been a huge part of my academic career so far.